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The Guardian
19 hours ago
- General
- The Guardian
Reformed Manson follower eyes freedom after 56 years: ‘She's not the same person anymore'
Patricia Krenwinkel, a former Charles Manson follower who has been imprisoned for 56 years over her role in the Tate-LaBianca murders in Los Angeles, could go free after being recommended for parole last week. The decision marked a major victory for the aging incarcerated woman after 16 parole hearings. Krenwinkel, now 77, was 21 at the time of the 1969 killings and has been imprisoned longer than any other woman in California. On Friday, she was found suitable for release by the state Board of Parole Hearings (BPH) after a four-hour hearing, with commissioners recognizing her growth over more than five decades and concluding she is not a danger to society. Krenwinkel, however, still faces an uphill battle to be freed. Convicted of seven counts of murder in one of the most high-profile killing sprees in the US, she is up against a politicized legal process that regularly prevents people tied to notorious crimes from coming home, even when they've spent the vast majority of their lives locked up and are recommended by state officials to be freed. California is one of two states that gives the governor the authority to veto parole decisions, and Gavin Newsom, the current Democratic governor, has repeatedly reversed the decision to grant people's freedom in notorious cases. That includes Sirhan Sirhan, who remains imprisoned for the assassination of Robert F Kennedy, despite his son, Robert F Kennedy Jr, calling for his release; Leslie van Houten, another former Manson follower whose release was vetoed by Newsom, but who was freed by an appeals court in 2023; and Krenwinkel herself, who was granted parole in 2022, but blocked by Newsom. Longtime friends of Krenwinkel, along with her legal team, said in interviews this week that she had survived abuse and spent decades turning her life around and taking advantage of programs. 'We have to recognize that people can and do make changes. Pat grew up in prison, and she is such a sweet, humble, kind, communicative person. What we see now is the true Pat,' said Jane Dorotik, who spent nearly 20 years in prison and first met Krenwinkel in 2006 in the California Institution of Women (CIW) prison. 'At 19, she was sucked into this crazy world with Charles Manson, but that is not who she is and shouldn't define her. These women were living in a cult, were completely brainwashed and were so young.' Krenwinkel's case has moved forward at a time of growing recognition of the impact of childhood abuse and trauma, with criminal justice reform advocates arguing these histories should be considered for people serving long sentences for serious offenses. In California, there has been a push to free Erik and Lyle Menendez, the brothers convicted of the infamous 1989 killing of their parents, with the former district attorney of LA noting the abuse they endured as youth and arguing they demonstrated their rehabilitation and deserved an opportunity to come home. The brothers remain incarcerated as their case winds its way through the parole process. Krenwinkel was convicted in 1971 for her role in the two nights of homicides that claimed the lives of actor Sharon Tate and her four friends, and grocery owner Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary. She has long expressed remorse and in her 2022 hearing spoke about the physical abuse, humiliation and degradation she experienced at the hands of Manson. In her 2022 hearing, she said: 'I want to say is how terribly sorry I am for all the pain and suffering that I created when I took the lives that I did … I try every day to live amends .. [and] focus on being a better person.' Krenwinkel was working as a clerk in a craft department at the prison when Dorotik met her, Dorotik recalled: 'I didn't know who she was, I was just really struck by how friendly she was. She was so helpful to new prisoners coming in.' The two ended up living across the hall from each other, said Dorotik, who was released in 2020 after bringing a wrongful conviction case and is now a member of advocacy group California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP): 'I was always very touched by how committed she was to helping the community and bettering our environment. Her position was: 'Yes it's terrible we're in prison, but we can still make the best of it.'' Krenwinkel's attorneys with UnCommon Law, an Oakland-based non-profit that represents people in parole proceedings, have noted that she has had no rules violations over five decades and has had nine evaluations by prison psychologists who have concluded she is not a risk to society. The law also requires that the board consider she was a youth during the offense and is now elderly. 'It is incredibly difficult to be in the violent environment of prison and abstain from any violent behavior or rules violations, and everyone who knows her speaks to the way she has helped other women,' said Su Kim, senior policy manager with UnCommon Law. Kim noted research showing how survivors of intimate partner violence commit crimes under coercion, fear and trauma, arguing that there is growing recognition of the psychological control exerted by cults: 'While the horrific impact of her crimes remains unchangeable, today's context calls for us to rethink Pat's story with greater complexity and appreciation for what we now know about the deep links between trauma and human behavior.' Some victims' family members have vocally opposed Krenwiknel's release, including Debra Tate, Sharon Tate's sister, who wrote in an online petition over the weekend: 'Society cannot allow this serial killer who committed such horrible, gruesome, random killings back out.' She did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. Keith Wattley, UnCommon Law's director and Krenwinkel's longtime lawyer, said state law requires the release of an incarcerated person who is eligible for parole and no longer a risk to society, arguing California cannot keep imprisoning her due to nature of her underlying crimes: 'It's the governor's turn to show that he believes in law and order when the law requires a person's release despite public outcry.' Some of Krenwinkel's supporters are fearful Newsom will once again reject her parole due to concerns about political backlash. In 2022, when he vetoed her release, Newsom said he agreed she was well-behaved behind bars and had 'demonstrated effusive remorse', but argued 'her efforts have not sufficiently reduced her risk for future dangerousness' and she needed to better understand her 'triggers for antisocial thinking and conduct'. A spokesperson for Newsom declined to comment on Tuesday. The parole board's legal division has 120 days to review Krenwinkel's parole grant, and then Newsom will have another month to make his decision. 'She's almost 80 – she is not the same person as she was in her early 20s,' said Susan Bustamante, an advocate with CCWP, who was imprisoned alongside Krenwinkel for 30 years. 'I pray they let her out. Do the right thing. The crime is never going to change. And there is nothing more she can do with programs inside – she's done it all for nearly 60 years. She's done groups, she's taught, she's mentored. She has shown us all so much.' Bustamante noted the challenges of aging behind bars, with elderly people struggling through cold temperatures at night, facing heatwaves with no air conditioning, being forced to sleep on cramped bunkbeds, having difficulties accessing the nutrition and medical care they require, and continuing to work jobs. 'It is so hard to keep hope alive and keep going forward,' added Dorotik. 'But I do have a sense that Pat is more hopeful than I've seen her in the past.' She noted that research has demonstrated that people released after long sentences rarely reoffend: 'They don't get in trouble again. Their recidivism is practically zero. Many work in their community to support other people coming out of prison. They're an asset to society and could have done a whole lot more if we let them out sooner.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Will Patricia Krenwinkel Become the Next Manson Family Member to Go Free? It's Possible
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: The Manson family were devotees of cult leader Charles Manson, and many of them killed in his name in the 1969. On Friday, a parole board recommended convicted murderer Patricia Krenwinkel for release. If Krenwinkel does go free, it would be significant. Most of the Manson family are still in prison today. As the leader of a messianic cult situated in a desert commune in California, Charles Manson prophesied that a race war was on the horizon and that he and his followers would have to be armed and ready. Moreover, he believed it was his duty to usher in the war by ordering his Manson family followers to go on a killing spree. On August 8, 1969, the Manson family, on orders from their leader, murdered pregnant actor Sharon Tate, who was married to director Roman Polanski, as well as four other people—Jay Sebring, Wojciech Frykowski, Abigail Folger, and Steven Parent—at 10050 Cielo Drive in Beverly Hills. A day later, they killed wealthy grocery store owners Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. Although the majority of the Manson Family members who took part in the massacres were condemned to death after being tried and convicted, the state of California banned the death penalty in 1972 and commuted their sentences to life imprisonment. Manson and his followers would ultimately claim they had killed a total of 35 people and buried their bodies in the desert. Regardless of the actual number of victims, the random and brutal acts of violence orchestrated by Manson and committed by his hippie communers–turned-murderers ended the decade of love and continues to haunt and confound the world. Below are the key members of the Manson Family who were convicted of committing murder in the summer of '69 and where they are now. On May 7, 1948, in San Gabriel, California, Susan Atkins was born to alcoholic parents. The shy child was left vulnerable as her family life continued to deteriorate. After her mother died of cancer, Atkins' father eventually abandoned her and her brother. Bouncing from various relatives' homes, Atkins met Manson in 1967, and he asked her to join his commune. Believing Manson was Jesus, Atkins became an ardent follower. She was charged with murdering actor Sharon Tate, who was eight months pregnant at the time. The murderer later admitted that she wasn't sure of why she killed. Although she ended up expressing remorse, she was denied parole. She died from brain cancer in 2009 at age 61. Born on August 23, 1949, in Los Angeles, Leslie Van Houten began using drugs at 15 and ran away from home, only to return briefly to finish high school. Her mother forced her to have an abortion at 17, and she eventually fled to a hippie commune where she found her way to Manson and became a heavy user of LSD and other psychedelic drugs. Van Houten was only 19 when she was charged for murdering the LaBiancas. During her time in prison, Van Houten publicly took responsibility both for the murders and the role she part she played in 'helping create' Manson. During her five decades in prison, Van Houten had 23 parole hearings and was recommended for parole five times, but California Governors Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom vetoed each of those decisions. Newsom's final veto was overruled by a state appeals court, however. Now 75, Van Houten was released from prison on July 11, 2023. The one-time Manson Family member had been behind bars for 53 years. She was placed under 'parole supervision' for a maximum of three years and moved to a transitional living facility. Born on December 3, 1947, in Los Angeles, Patricia Krenwinkel grew up as an insecure, overweight child who was bullied in school. After graduating from high school, she considered being a nun but decided instead to attend a Jesuit college, only to drop out after one semester. Shortly after she met Manson, the two had sexual relations. At 21, she was convicted of brutally stabbing coffee bean heiress Abigail Folger 28 times and Rosemary LaBianca 16 times. Writing 'Death to Pigs' in the victims' blood, she also participated in stabbing wealthy grocery store executive Leno LaBianca, who had already died at the hands of Manson Family member Charles 'Tex' Watson. Denied parole 14 times, the 77-year-old has said Manson had been abusing her before the multiple murders occurred. Krenwinkel was granted parole in May 2022, but California Governor Gavin Newsom reversed the decision. In May 2025, a state board recommended parole for Krenwinkel a second time. She remains incarcerated as she seeks approval from both the Board of Parole Hearings and Newsom. The governor's review process can take up to 150 days. Born on December 2, 1945, in Farmersville, Texas, Charles 'Tex' Watson was an honor student and athlete. He attended the University of North Texas, joined a fraternity, and eventually got a job as a baggage handler at an airline in 1967, allowing him to access free airfare. Taking advantage of a free ticket, he flew to Los Angeles where he immersed himself into the drug and music scene. It was there that he met some of the Manson family women who introduced him to the cult leader at the infamous Spahn Ranch. Leading the charge in the Tate and LaBianca murders, Watson claimed he was the devil. After the murders, he escaped to Texas and resisted being extradited to California for nine months. Watson was convicted of murder in 1971 and is currently serving a life sentence in Sacramento, California. The 79-year-old has since turned to religion, becoming a minister, and earned a business degree. He has been denied parole 18 times and won't be eligible for parole again until 2026. Born on November 6, 1947, in Santa Barbara, California, Bobby Beausoleil grew up in a large Catholic family. At 15, he was sent to a reform camp for delinquent behavior and soon after fled to Los Angeles and San Francisco, getting involved in the music scene. It was during this time he befriended and moved in with Gary Hinman, who was a Manson follower. By the time the Tate murders occurred, Beausoleil was already in jail for the July 1969 fatal stabbing of Hinman. Beausoleil was on orders from Manson to kill his roommate for outstanding debt Hinman owed the cult leader. Beausoleil, 77, is serving a life sentence and spends his time creating music and selling art. After having previously rejected his parole requests 18 times, the California Board of Parole recommended Beausoleil's release in 2019, but Governor Newsom reversed the decision. Beausoleil participated in an on-camera interview for the 2025 Netflix documentary Chaos: The Manson Murders. He described his theory for Manson's killings—which he believes were more about keeping followers in line than anything—and suggested Manson wasn't an effective cult leader. '[People] don't wanna hear how mundane this story really is. How not a mastermind Charlie actually was. In his paranoid delusions, in his miscalculations,' he said. 'It was just blunder after blunder after blunder. If you only knew what I know now in terms of the criminal mindset.' Born on July 13, 1951, Clem Grogan was an artistically inclined high school dropout who was involved in petty crimes before he joined Manson's cult. Long before Manson and his followers found shelter at Spahn Ranch, Grogan was working odd jobs there, where he met ranch hand and stuntman Donald Shea. Believing Shea had snitched to the police about some of the Manson family's criminal activities, Manson ordered Grogan and fellow follower Bruce Davis to murder Shea on August 26, 1969. Although Grogan was originally sentenced to death, the presiding judge reduced his sentence to life in prison, because he felt Grogan was too intellectually inept and high on drugs to have planned the murder. Grogan received parole in 1985 after revealing to authorities the location of Shea's remains. The 71-year-old currently lives in the Bay Area, where he plays music with several different bands. Born on October 5, 1942, in Monroe, Louisiana, Bruce Davis was the editor of his high school yearbook and attended college in Tennessee for a few years before traveling to California in the early 1960s. He met Manson and some of his female followers in Oregon and eventually became Manson's right-hand. Davis was present during the murder of Gary Hinman and actively participated in the torture and killing of Donald Shea. Although he was temporarily on the lam for a time, he turned himself in to authorities in 1970. Having become a preacher in prison, the 82-year-old is currently serving a life sentence at San Quentin State Prison. Davis has been recommended for parole seven times, but those efforts were blocked by three different governors, including Arnold Schwarzenegger. Davis was denied parole most recently in 2022, during which time the parole board said he lacked empathy. Born on June 21, 1949, in Biddeford, Maine, Linda Kasabian moved to Los Angeles in 1968. She met Mason through Catherine 'Gypsy' Share and moved to the Spahn Ranch with Manson and his followers. At first, Kasabian found Manson's message to be peaceful, but his tone eventually changed to one of violence and paranoia. She was sent to 10050 Cielo Drive to assist in the Tate murders but never went inside the house as Watson told her to stay outside the residence. She also stayed in the car during the LaBianca murders, eventually leaving the scene with Manson. Kasabian turned herself in December 1969 and received immunity after becoming a lead witness in the trials against Manson and his followers. She died on January 21, 2023, at age 73. Although she was one of Manson's most trusted associates, Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme had no hand in the Tate-LaBianca murders. Born on October 22, 1948, in Santa Monica, California, she wasn't present at either murder scene. However, she was a fixture in front of the Los Angeles courthouse during Manson's trial, remaining loyal to him throughout. After Manson was convicted, he was moved from prison to prison, and Fromme moved from town to town to be near him. In September 1975, she pulled a gun on President Gerald Ford in Sacramento, but it didn't go off, and she was immediately restrained by the Secret Service. She was convicted of the attempted assassination and sentenced to life in prison. The trial ended with Fromme throwing an apple at the face of the prosecuting attorney, knocking off his glasses. In December 1987, Fromme escaped from a West Virginia prison in an attempt to meet up with Manson, who she heard had developed cancer. She was captured and imprisoned for several more years but was granted parole in 2008. Fromme was released a year later, after which she moved into a home decorated with skulls, living with an ex-convict boyfriend who was obsessed with Manson. Now 76, Fromme published a book about her life in 2018 and said in an interview the next year: 'Was I in love with Charlie? Yeah, oh yeah, oh, I still am, still am. I don't think you fall out of love.' You Might Also Like Nicole Richie's Surprising Adoption Story The Story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Her Mother Queen Camilla's Life in Photos
News.com.au
3 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
Former Charles Manson cult member Patricia Krenwinkel recommended for parole
One of Charles Manson's accomplices has been recommended for parole after serving decades in prison for her role in the 1969 murders of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others in California. A state parole board has again recommended the release of Patricia Krenwinkel, who is the longest-serving female inmate in the state. At 77, Krenwinkel is still serving a life sentence at the California Institution for Women for her role in one of America's most notorious killing sprees. She was convicted on seven counts of first-degree murder in 1971. Krenwinkel was just 19 years old when she abandoned her life as a secretary in California to follow Charles Manson, the charismatic cult leader who has since transformed into one of history's darkest and most mysterious figures. Drawn in by promises of love and spiritual enlightenment, Krenwinkel instead became a key figure in one of the most infamous crimes in American history. Krenwinkel personally stabbed heiress Abigail Folger multiple times and then participated in the murders of grocery store owners Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, writing 'Helter Skelter' and other phrases on the walls in the victims' blood. Convicted of seven counts of first-degree murder, Krenwinkel was originally sentenced to death. But in 1972, her sentence was commuted to life in prison after California briefly abolished the death penalty. She has been incarcerated ever since. Over the years, Krenwinkel has expressed remorse and described years of psychological abuse at Manson's hands. She has stated she was under the influence of drugs and fear throughout her time in the cult. Nonetheless, her parole efforts have been repeatedly denied, with authorities citing the severity of her crimes. In May 2022, Krenwinkel was recommended for parole for the first time, but the decision was reversed by Governor Gavin Newsom. Her most recent recommendation in 2024 now awaits approval, reigniting debate over justice, rehabilitation, and the enduring legacy of the Manson Family. The recommendation came on Friday and must still pass several hurdles before being confirmed. It requires final approval from the full Board of Parole Hearings and California Governor Gavin Newsom, who denied a similar parole recommendation in 2022. That review process can take up to 150 days. According to state prison officials, she had previously been denied parole 14 times. Charles Mason died in prison in 2017 at the age of 83. Manson, whose name to this day is synonymous with unspeakable violence and madness, died of natural causes at Kern County hospital, according to a California Department of Corrections statement. Manson — who exerted a form of mind control over his mainly female followers — had been in prison for four decades. In the 1960s, he surrounded himself with runaways and disaffected youths and then sent them out to butcher members of Hollywood's elite. Prosecutors said Manson and his followers were trying to incite a race war he dubbed Helter Skelter, taken from the Beatles song of the same name. The Polanski house in Beverly Hills was targeted because it represented Manson's rejection by the celebrity world and society, according to one of the Family member's statements. Manson considered himself the harbinger of doom regarding the planet's future. He was influenced not only by drugs such as LSD, but by art works and music of the time such as The Beatles song, Helter Skelter, from their White Album. He often spoke to members of his 'Family' about Helter Skelter, which he believed signified an impending apocalyptic race war. He preached that the black man would rise up and start killing members of the white establishment, turning the cities into an inferno of racial revenge. Manson also had a strong belief in the notion of Armageddon from the Book of Revelations and looked into obscure cult churches such as the Church of the Final Judgement.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Former Charles Manson follower is recommended for parole
A California state parole board recommended parole for Patricia Krenwinkel, a follower of the cult leader Charles Manson, on Friday for the second time. The decision will now have to be approved by the Board of Parole Hearings and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who denied Krenwinkel's first parole recommendation. The governor's review process can take up to 150 days following a parole hearing. The 77-year-old is serving a life sentence in the California Institution for Women for her role in the killings of pregnant actor Sharon Tate and four others in August 1969, as well as grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, the following night in what prosecutors have called Manson's attempt to start a race war. She was convicted on seven counts of first-degree murder in April 1971. Krenwinkel was recommended for parole for the first time in May 2022, but Newsom denied clemency five months later, according to Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation inmate records. She was previously denied parole 14 times before then. Friday's parole suitability hearing was Krenwinkel's 16th, David Maldonado, deputy chief of strategic communications and external affairs for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, confirmed. Krenwinkel was 19 and working as a secretary when she met a 33-year-old Manson at a party, leaving her life behind to follow him because she believed they could have a romantic relationship, she said in 2016 testimony. Instead, she was abused by Manson and tried to flee, but was brought back each time and was often under the influence of drugs. Krenwinkel admitted to stabbing an heiress to a coffee fortune, Abigail Folger, multiple times on the night of Aug. 9, 1969, as well as participating in the killings of the LaBiancas the following night. During the LaBianca murders, she infamously wrote 'Helter Skelter' and other phrases on the wall in her victims' blood. She, along with other participants including Manson, were convicted and sentenced to death. However, their sentences were commuted to life with the possibility parole in 1972, after the death penalty was briefly ruled unconstitutional in California. Krenwinkel is now the state's longest-serving inmate. The California governor's office did not immediately respond to NBC News' requests for comment. This article was originally published on
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Murderous Charles Manson follower could be released as she's recommended for parole
A Charles Manson follower who helped kill pregnant actress Sharon Tate could be freed from prison after being recommended parole following 55 years behind bars. Patricia Krenwinkel, 77, has been recommended for release by California authorities and may get a chance at freedom. California's longest-serving female inmate has been locked up since she was 22 for her part in the 1969 Manson family murders. Krenwinkel was sentenced to death in 1971 after being convicted on seven counts of first-degree murder, but her sentence was changed to life when the state's death penalty was ruled unconstitutional in 1972. This comes just a few years after Governor Gavin Newsom rejected a previous parole recommendation in 2022, saying she posed too great a risk to public safety. But the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said it intends to oppose her parole once again. In a statement to CBS 8, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said: 'The Parole Board commissioners will give special consideration to the elder parole factors as Ms. Krenwinkel is over 50 and has served 20 years in custody. 'But that in and of itself does not make her automatically appropriate for a grant. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office opposed parole the last time it attended a parole hearing for Ms. Krenwinkel in 2016 and 2017, where she received a five-year denial. The office intends to oppose parole again.' Krenwinkel met Manson when she was 19 and left everything behind to pursue a romantic relationship with him. She was living with her older sister when she met Manson, then age 33, at a party during a time when she said she was feeling lost and alone. 'He seemed a bit bigger than life,' she testified in May 2022, and she started feeling 'that somehow his take on the world was the right, was the right one.' She said she left with him for what she thought would be a relationship with 'the new man in my life' who unlike others told her he loved her and that she was beautiful. Manson 'had answers that I wanted to hear ... that I might be loved, that I might have the kind of affection that I was looking forward to in my life,' she said. Instead, she said Manson abused her and others physically and emotionally while requiring that they trust him without question, testimony that led the parole panel to conclude that Krenwinkel was a victim of intimate partner battery at the time. Krenwinkel was convicted in the slayings of pregnant actor Sharon Tate and four other people in August 1969. Krenwinkel joined Susan Atkins and Charles 'Tex' Watson in the murder at director Roman Polanski's Benedict Canyon home. Charles Manson followers, from left: Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten, shown walking to court to appear for their roles in the 1969 cult killings of seven people, including pregnant actress Sharon Tate, in Los Angeles on August 20, 1970 The victims included Tate's unborn child, coffee heiress Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, celebrity hairstylist Jay Sebring and Steven Parent. The next night, she killed Leno LaBianca by stabbing him in the stomach with a carving fork they used at Thanksgiving. She wrote 'Death to Pigs' on the wall with his blood. She also helped kill his wife Rosemary in a double murder prosecutors say was an attempt by Manson to start a race war. In a 2016 parole hearing, she claimed Manson physically and emotionally abused her and trafficked her to others for sex. Her case will now go before California's Board of Parole Hearings and the governor for final approval in a process that could take up to five months. In 2022, Newsom blocked the parole of Krenwinkel, more than five decades after she scrawled 'Helter Skelter' on a wall using the blood of one of their victims. Krenwinkel and other followers of the cult leader terrorized the state in the late 1960s, committing crimes that Newsom said 'were among the most fear-inducing in California's history.' Charles Manson was the leader of a group of cultists who engaged in a frenzy of killing in the summer of 1969, culminating in the murder of the actress Sharon Tate and her unborn child. He died of natural causes not long after this photo was taken A two-member parole panel in May 2022 recommended that Krenwinkel be released, after she previously had been denied parole 14 times. Newsom has previously rejected parole recommendations for other followers of Manson, who died in prison in 2017.
