Key facts
- Patricia Krenwinkel, 78, was granted parole on Tuesday for her role in the 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders.
- This is the third time Krenwinkel has been approved for release by California's board of parole hearings.
- Krenwinkel has been imprisoned longer than any other woman in California, serving nearly six decades.
- Her attorneys state she has a clean disciplinary record and nine consecutive psychological evaluations in 40 years found her to be a low public safety risk.
- Sharon Tate's sister, Debra Tate, has repeatedly objected to Krenwinkel's release.
Patricia Krenwinkel, a former follower of cult leader Charles Manson, was granted parole on Tuesday for the third time after nearly six decades in prison for her role in the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders in Los Angeles. Krenwinkel, 78, has been imprisoned longer than any other woman in California.
The parole board has repeatedly acknowledged her record of rehabilitation over 57 years in prison, concluding she would not be a danger to society in her elderly age. She was convicted in 1971 for her part in the violent crime spree over two nights that claimed the lives of actor Sharon Tate, who was eight months pregnant, and her four friends, as well as grocery owner Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary.
Krenwinkel's attorneys stated that she was 19 years old when she "fell under Charles Manson’s control" and was exploited and psychologically abused by the cult leader. Her longtime lawyer, Keith Wattley, said Krenwinkel "fully accepts responsibility for her actions, everything she contributed to, and every life she destroyed in 1969." Wattley also noted Krenwinkel's clean disciplinary record and nine consecutive psychological evaluations in the past 40 years that found her to be a low public safety risk. She has participated in extensive therapy, earned a college degree, and trained service dogs.
However, California Governor Gavin Newsom has previously reversed the parole board's decisions to release Krenwinkel. In 2022, Newsom acknowledged her "victim of Mr Manson’s abuse" and "commendable rehabilitative efforts" but argued she had "not developed sufficient insight into the causative factors of her crime." He again denied her parole in 2025, stating she "must do additional work to deepen her insight before she can be safely released." Newsom is required to consider her elderly age and that she committed the crime as a youth.
Debra Tate, Sharon Tate's sister, has repeatedly objected to the release of Krenwinkel and other Manson followers. Krenwinkel's attorneys and advocates argue that the governor is caving to political pressures by denying parole in high-profile cases. Newsom previously vetoed the release of Leslie van Houten, another former Manson follower, though an appeals court later granted her freedom. Newsom also faced scrutiny for overturning the parole grant of Sirhan Sirhan, convicted of assassinating Robert F. Kennedy, despite support for his release from two of Kennedy's sons.