Latest news with #BoardOfParoleHearings
New York Times
2 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Former Member of Murderous Manson Crew Is Recommended for Parole
Patricia Krenwinkel, a onetime follower of the cult leader Charles Manson who was convicted in the murders of seven people in the summer of 1969 in Los Angeles, should be released on parole, a panel of the California parole board recommended on Friday. Ms. Krenwinkel, 77, the state's longest-serving female inmate, is one of two remaining Manson followers still in prison. She was sent to death row in 1971. After the state's highest court ruled the death penalty unconstitutional in 1972, Ms. Krenwinkel's sentence was reduced to life in prison with the possibility of parole, as it was for all those convicted in the Manson group's murders. Ms. Krenwinkel, who has spent the last 54 years in the California Institution for Women in Chino, first became eligible for parole in 1976. This was her 16th appearance before the parole suitability panel. The provisional decision has to be reviewed by the legal division of the Board of Parole Hearings. That process can take up to four months, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. If the full board agrees with the panel's recommendation, Gov. Gavin Newsom has 30 days to review its decision. He could reject it, or send it back for further review. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Manson ‘family' member Patricia Krenwinkel recommended for parole
A California prisons panel has recommended that Patricia Krenwinkel, serving a life sentence for her role in the 1969 Los Angeles killing spree by followers of cult leader Charles Manson, be released on parole. The state Board of Parole Hearings found that Krenwinkel, 77 – the longest-serving female inmate in California prisons – posed little risk of reoffending based on her age and a spotless behaviour record while incarcerated, according to the CBS News affiliate in San Diego, KFMP-TV. The state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation confirmed the finding of parole suitability, which came on Krenwinkel's 16th parole hearing, but gave no further details. The decision on Friday amounts to a proposal subject to review by the full state Board of Parole Hearings and the California governor for up to 150 days before it can become final. Even if the full board affirms the finding of parole suitability, the governor, Gavin Newsom, could reject it or send it back for further review. A May 2022 parole board panel recommendation to free Krenwinkel was reversed by Newsom in August of that year. Krenwinkel, incarcerated at the California Institution for Women, appeared with her lawyer during Friday's four-hour hearing but did not address the commissioners, KFMP reported. Several victims' family members spoke in opposition to her release. Krenwinkel was convicted on seven counts of first-degree murder in 1971 for participating in a bloody two-night rampage whose victims included actor Sharon Tate, the 26-year-old wife of film-maker Roman Polanski. Tate, then eight months pregnant, was killed with four friends, among them coffee heiress Abigail Folger and hairstylist Jay Sebring, at the rented hillside house the actor and Polanski shared in the Benedict Canyon area of Los Angeles. Polanski was in Europe at the time. The following night grocery owner Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, were stabbed to death in their home, where the words 'Death to Pigs' and 'Healter Skelter' – a misspelled reference to the Beatles song Helter Skelter – were found scrawled in the victims' blood at the crime scene. Manson did not personally kill any of the seven victims but was found guilty of ordering their murders as part of a delusional plot to ignite a race war. He, Krenwinkel and other members of his so-called 'family' of hippies, runaways and misfits – including Leslie Van Houten, Susan Atkins and 'Tex' Watson – were originally sentenced to death. Their sentences were commuted to life in prison after the California supreme court abolished capital punishment in the state in 1972. Manson died in prison in 2017 aged 83. Van Houten was released from prison on parole in 2023 after spending 53 years behind bars. Newsom had rejected her parole recommendation but was overruled by a California appeals court. The governor could have petitioned the state supreme court to review the case but opted not to, deciding that further efforts to keep Van Houten locked up were unlikely to succeed.
Reuters
3 days ago
- General
- Reuters
Manson 'family' follower Patricia Krenwinkel recommenced for parole
LOS ANGELES, May 30 (Reuters) - A California prisons panel on Friday recommended that Patricia Krenwinkel, serving a life sentence for her role in murdering seven people in a 1969 Los Angeles killing spree by followers of cult leader Charles Manson, be released on parole. The state Board of Parole Hearings found that Krenwinkel, 77, the longest-serving female inmate in California prisons, posed little risk of reoffending based on her age and a spotless behavior record while incarcerated, according to the CBS News affiliate in San Diego, KFMP-TV. The state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation confirmed the finding of parole suitability, which came on Krenwinkel's 16th parole hearing, but gave no further details. The decision amounts to a proposal subject to review by the full state Board of Parole Hearings and the California governor for up to 150 days before it can become final. Even if the full board affirms the finding of parole suitability, the governor could reject it or send it back for further review. A May 2022 parole board panel recommendation to free Krenwinkel was reversed by Governor Gavin Newsom in August of that year. Krenwinkel, incarcerated at the California Institution for Women, appeared with her lawyer during Friday's four-hour hearing but did not address the commissioners, KFMP reported. Several victims' family members spoke in opposition to her release. Krenwinkel was convicted on seven counts of first-degree murder in 1971 for participating in a bloody two-night rampage whose victims included actress Sharon Tate, the 26-year-old wife of filmmaker Roman Polanski. Tate, then eight months pregnant, was slain with four friends, among them coffee heiress Abigail Folger and hairstylist Jay Sebring, at the rented hillside house the actress and Polanski shared in the Benedict Canyon area of Los Angeles. Polanski was in Europe at the time. The following night grocery owner Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary were stabbed to death in their home, where the words "Death to Pigs" and "Healter Skelter," a misspelled reference to the Beatles song "Helter Skelter," were found scrawled in the victims' blood at the crime scene. Although Manson did not personally kill any of the seven victims, he was found guilty of ordering their murders as part of a delusional plot to ignite a race war. He, Krenwinkel and other members of his so-called "family" of hippies, runaways and misfits, including Leslie Van Houten, Susan Atkins and "Tex" Watson, were originally sentenced to death. Their sentences were commuted to life in prison after the California Supreme Court abolished capital punishment in the state in 1972. Manson died in prison at age 83 in 2017. Van Houten was released from prison on parole in 2023 after spending 53 years behind bars. Newsom had rejected her parole recommendation but was overruled by a California appeals court. The governor could have petitioned the state Supreme Court to review the case but opted not to, deciding that further efforts to keep Van Houten locked up were unlikely to succeed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Hearing on Menendez brothers' parole suitability pushed back to late summer
A hearing that could lead to freedom for the Menendez brothers, convicted in their parents' murders in 1989, was pushed back from June 13 to August, California corrections officials said Monday. A spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said the brothers' hearings on parole suitability will instead be on Aug. 21 and 22. Erik Menendez, 54, and Lyle Menendez, 57, scored a victory in court on May 13 when a judge resentenced them, a move that made them immediately eligible for parole. They had been sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in the killings of their parents, José and Kitty Menendez. Hearings in a separate effort seeking clemency from California Gov. Gavin Newsom were initially scheduled for June 13, and, subsequently, parole suitability hearings were added to that date. Scott Wyckoff, executive officer of the Board of Parole Hearings, explained the situation in a letter obtained by the Los Angeles Times: 'Since the ruling makes them immediately eligible for parole consideration as youth offenders, it is the Board's intent to convert the June 13, 2025, clemency hearings to initial parole suitability hearings." The Board of Parole Hearings converted the June 13 clemency hearings to parole consideration hearings after it informed key parties, including members of the victims' families, of the possibility. Parties raised objections to the conversion, a corrections department spokesperson said, leading to the parole hearing's being postponed until August. The brothers' clemency application with the governor remains active. In August, parole commissioners will be tasked with determining whether the brothers pose an unreasonable risk of danger if they are released on parole. Prosecutors, victims' relatives and others can weigh in during the hearings. The brothers have been serving their time at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego County. They were convicted in their parents' 1989 murders, which prosecutors said were motivated by their desire to take over the family's money. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic found this month that they do not pose an 'unreasonable risk' if they are released and resentenced them to 50 years to life, opening up the possibility of parole. Mark Geragos, a lawyer for the pair, and other supporters have alleged the murders were the result of self-defense amid their father's reaction to Lyle's claims that he sexually abused Erik. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman opposed resentencing, in part because, he contended, the brothers had not taken full responsibility for their crimes. Speaking after their resentencing, the brothers said they have taken full responsibility and offered no justification for killing their parents. This article was originally published on
Fox News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Menendez brothers' June hearing converted from clemency to parole as decision looms for Gov. Newsom
The Menendez brothers' path to freedom took another turn as California Gov. Gavin Newsom has withdrawn his request for a clemency investigation. This move now makes the brothers' June hearing before the parole board a chance for Lyle and Erik to be granted an early release. Newsom's office confirmed to Fox News Digital that the June 13 clemency hearing is now being converted into a parole hearing. The governor's office added that Newsom agrees with the Board of Parole Hearings' recommendation to convert the June 13 clemency hearings to parole hearings, saying that "the clemency application is still considered active." The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation echoed Newsom's office and told Fox News Digital that it is converting the June 13 clemency hearings into "initial parole suitability hearings." "The Board is providing parties an opportunity to raise objections to this change," the department said. Lyle Menendez also commented on the move, saying that the "situation is fluid." "I told you all things were fluid. And it was just announced and I can confirm that the Governor has withdrawn his request for clemency investigation and will no longer be entertaining that scenario," Lyle wrote in post on his Facebook page. "June 13 will be a parole board hearing." "I will say what I have always said. It is very rare for an incarcerated person to be granted parole on their first try. But we move onward," he continued. In a bombshell decision on Tuesday, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic slashed the Menendez brothers' original life-without-parole terms to 50 years-to-life, making Erik and Lyle eligible for parole. "I'm not suggesting they should be released [on parole]. That's not for me to decide," he said. Jesic's decision to resentence the Menendez brothers opens the door for a parole hearing to determine whether they should be released. Erik and Lyle Menendez were convicted in 1996 of the brutal 1989 shotgun murders of their parents, José and Mary "Kitty" Menendez. After two high-profile trials, both brothers received life sentences without the possibility of parole. The brothers have spent 35 years behind bars. In October, Mark Geragos, the brothers' lawyer, filed clemency documents with Newsom after former Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón asked a judge to reduce their sentences. SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER "I strongly support clemency for Erik and Lyle Menendez, who are currently serving sentences of life without possibility of parole," Gascón previously said. "They have respectively served 34 years and have continued their educations and worked to create new programs to support the rehabilitation of fellow inmates." In response to their request for clemency, Newsom directed the state parole board to conduct a "comprehensive risk assessment investigation" of the Menendez brothers. Newsom described the assessment as a "common procedure carried out by the state." "There's no guarantee of outcome here," Newsom previously said. "My office conducts dozens and dozens of these clemency reviews on a consistent basis, but this process simply provides more transparency, which I think is important in this case, as well as provides us more due diligence before I make any determination for clemency." Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom's office, which referred to a news conference Wednesday in which he spoke briefly about the parole process for the Menendez brothers and said the process is still unfolding. "We started a process, as you know, which was intended to help inform the judge in the resentencing of the risk assessment. We thought that would be prudent to do before any resentencing. That process has unfolded over the course of the last number of months, and forensic psychologists did an assessment of the risk of each individual brother," Newsom said. Newsom's office explained that the legal standard in California for release on parole is whether an inmate poses an unreasonable risk to public safety, which has to be determined before the governor can make a decision on commutations. "This process doesn't mean there's any guaranteed outcome, but it shows we're doing our due diligence, ensuring transparency, keeping public safety at the forefront, making sure the process is fair for everyone involved and getting closer to a conclusion," Newsom's office said. Newsom's June 13 parole board hearings are planned to go on as scheduled, and the board will have the opportunity to free the brothers. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Neama Rahmani told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that Erik and Lyle Menendez "will likely be freed in a matter of months," adding that he does not expect "the parole board or Gov. Newsom" to block their release. Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to
