Manson Follower Patricia Krenwinkel Recommended for Parole After 56 Years in Prison

A California parole panel has recommended the release of 78-year-old Patricia Krenwinkel, a former follower of cult leader Charles Manson who has spent 56 years behind bars. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation confirmed the preliminary decision on Tuesday, moving the case of California's longest-serving female inmate to the state's legal review process before it reaches the desk of Governor Gavin Newsom.

Krenwinkel's legal team praised the panel's ruling, arguing that decades of rehabilitation and personal accountability justified her release. "At a time when parole decisions are increasingly compromised by politics, this finding offers a glimmer of hope: Proof that the Board can uphold the law, recognize decades of rehabilitation and make decisions grounded in evidence," said defense attorney Keith Wattley. However, the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office plans to urge the governor to reject the panel's recommendation, echoing ongoing opposition from the victims' families.

In August 1969, Krenwinkel took part in the notorious Manson Family murder spree that claimed seven lives in Los Angeles. Her victims included pregnant actress Sharon Tate, Abigail Folger, Jay Sebring, Wojciech Frykowski, and Steven Parent, followed the next night by Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. Krenwinkel admitted to stabbing Folger dozens of times and scrawling messages in victims' blood. Although initially sentenced to death in 1971, her sentence was commuted to life imprisonment after the California Supreme Court briefly invalidated the state's death penalty statute in 1972.

Governor Newsom now faces a crucial decision and will have up to 30 days to review, modify, or reverse the parole grant once legal reviews conclude. Newsom previously blocked Krenwinkel's parole, asserting she lacked sufficient insight into the factors driving her antisocial behavior. Should the governor overturn the panel's recommendation once again, Krenwinkel will not be eligible for another parole hearing for up to 18 months.