Gavin Newsom Blocks Early Release for Manson Follower Longtime Inmate
Gavin Newsom has once more refused parole for the convicted inmate, who has spent more than half a century behind bars for her involvement in the 1969 Tate-LaBianca killings masterminded by Charles Manson.
Parole Reversal Sparks Backlash
Months after California’s parole board deemed the elderly suitable for release, the governor overturned the ruling and declared that Krenwinkel “currently poses an unacceptable risk to society if freed from custody at this time.”
It was the second time the governor has blocked her parole, and the decision was met with sharp criticism from Krenwinkel’s longtime attorney, who claimed the governor chose “political motives over human considerations” and failed to consider the abuse she endured from Manson.
“The governor's decision of her parole approval has no connection to the evidence of how much she’s changed or the risk she poses,” stated her attorney, her legal counsel. “It is 100% political, in opposition to the facts and the controlling law.”
Case History of the Murders
Krenwinkel was 21 when the Manson cult carried out the murders of actress Sharon Tate and four others, including socialite Abigail Folger and hairstylist Jay Sebring, and the next evening murdered Leno LaBianca and his spouse, Rosemary. By 1971, she and other Manson followers were found guilty of seven counts of murder charges for their roles in the crimes.
Prison Transformation
In her decades in prison – Krenwinkel is the state's most senior incarcerated woman – she has turned her life around, supporters and attorneys have reported. She has earned college degrees and her conduct is spotless, her attorney noted, which was one of the reasons the parole board recommended her for release.
Krenwinkel has expressed remorse for her role in the offenses. Previously, she said: “I wish to express my deep regret I am for the harm and anguish that I caused when I ended the lives that I did … I try every day to make amends … [and] work toward being a better person.”
Past Abuse and Reform
A 2017 investigation by the parole board revealed she experienced abuse in multiple forms by Charles Manson, her attorney noted, adding that she has developed her “personal identity, self-reliance, and moral compass”.
Similar Instances
Newsom has previously blocked release for other former Manson followers. Leslie Van Houten was released from California prison in 2023 after 53 years when a court of appeals overturned the governor's ruling to block her parole.
