Over 50 years later, Manson follower still considered a danger to society

Patricia Krenwinkel holds the distinction of being the state’s longest-incarcerated woman following her 1971 conviction

October 16, 2025 05:29 PM

Woodstock Manson — FILE - In this Aug. 20, 1970, file photo, Charles Manson followers, from left, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten walk to court to appear for their roles in the 1969 cult killings of seven people in Los Angeles. Timing alone ensures that the Woodstock music festival and Charles Manson murders will be joined in memory. But the apex of peace and love and the abyss of pitiless violence were born out of similar drives as old as the U.S. itself. (AP Photo/George Brich, File)

By Megan Sims
cleveland.com

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has once again denied parole for Patricia Krenwinkel, the state’s longest-serving female inmate and a former follower of Charles Manson.

In a decision released Tuesday, Newsom rejected a May 2025 parole board recommendation, concluding that Krenwinkel, 77, “currently poses an unreasonable danger to society if released.”

“I have concluded that the evidence in Ms. Krenwinkel’s case demonstrates that she lacks the requisite insight she needs to be safely released,” Newsom wrote.

Krenwinkel was 21 when she joined Manson’s followers in a two-night killing spree in 1969 that left seven people dead, including pregnant actress Sharon Tate, CBS noted.

Convicted in 1971 of seven counts of first-degree murder, she was originally sentenced to death before her sentence was commuted to life in prison after California’s death penalty was overturned in 1972.

Newsom acknowledged Krenwinkel’s efforts to rehabilitate herself over the past five decades, citing her participation in self-help programs, earning college degrees, and training service dogs.

“I commend her for taking these steps,” he wrote, “and encourage her to continue on this positive path.”

However, a 2025 psychological evaluation found that while Krenwinkel has shown some introspection, she continues to exhibit “deficits in self-awareness” and a “tendency to externalize blame” for her role in the murders, according to CBS .

“Despite progress since 2022, she has not demonstrated sufficient gains in this area,” Newsom said, noting that he reached the same conclusion when overturning her previous parole grant.

While California law requires special consideration for youthful and elderly offenders, Newsom said those factors do not outweigh Krenwinkel’s continued risk to the public.

Krenwinkel will remain incarcerated at the California Institution for Women in Corona.

Then a devoted member of Manson’s cult, Krenwinkel participated directly in the killings of Abigail Folger and the LaBiancas. She has been denied parole more than a dozen times, CBS said.

Her co-defendant, Leslie Van Houten, was released on parole in 2023, while Charles “Tex” Watson remains imprisoned.

Susan Atkins died in 2009, and Charles Manson died in 2017 after more than 45 years behind bars.

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