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last mo.

Parole Panel Recommends Release of Charles Manson Follower Patricia Krenwinkel

The recommendation, grounded in her flawless 54-year record alongside remorseful testimony, now proceeds to a legal review before Governor Gavin Newsom makes the final call.

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Patricia Krenwinkel at a hearing at the California Institution for Women in Corona, Calif., on Jan. 20, 2011.
This March 13, 2020, photo provided by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shows Charles Manson follower Patricia Krenwinkel.
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Overview

  • On May 30, a California Board of Parole Hearings panel endorsed Krenwinkel’s release for the second time since her 1972 sentence was commuted to life with parole eligibility.
  • At 77, Krenwinkel is the state’s longest-serving female inmate after 54 years behind bars for the 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders, which claimed seven lives including actress Sharon Tate.
  • The panel highlighted her unblemished conduct record in prison and her acceptance of responsibility through repeated expressions of remorse.
  • The recommendation enters a review by the board’s legal division, a process that could take up to 120 days before it reaches Governor Gavin Newsom, who has the power to uphold or overturn it.
  • Victims’ families, led by Sharon Tate’s sister Debra Tate, continue to oppose any release and have criticized Krenwinkel’s refusal to meet under restorative justice frameworks.