Former Manson Follower Recommended for Parole

Patricia Krenwinkel, the longest-serving female inmate in California and a notorious member of the Manson Family, has once again been recommended for parole—more than five decades after she helped carry out one of the most gruesome murder sprees in American history.

Now 77, Krenwinkel has spent the last 54 years behind bars at the California Institution for Women in Chino. She was just 21 when she fell under the spell of cult leader Charles Manson in 1967 and soon became one of his most devoted followers. In August 1969, she participated in a pair of brutal attacks that left seven people dead, including pregnant actress Sharon Tate and coffee heiress Abigail Folger, who Krenwinkel stabbed 28 times.

Originally sentenced to death, Krenwinkel’s punishment was reduced to life in prison in 1972 after California briefly abolished the death penalty. Since then, she’s faced the parole board 16 times—most recently on May 30, when a panel again voted in favor of her release.

This is the second time the board has recommended parole for Krenwinkel. In 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom blocked her release, citing the “unreasonable danger to society” she still posed. Now, her future is once again in the governor’s hands. The parole board’s recommendation must pass a legal review before it lands on Newsom’s desk for a final decision.

Of the seven people convicted in connection to the 1969 Manson murders, three—including Manson himself—have died. Two remain behind bars: Krenwinkel and Charles “Tex” Watson. The others have since been paroled.