California Parole Board Recommends Release for Manson Family Member

Patricia Krenwinkel, a former Charles Manson follower convicted of seven murders during the 1969 Tate-La Bianca killings, has been recommended for parole by a California parole board panel after 54 years in prison. She is the longest-serving female inmate in California and one of the two remaining Manson family members still incarcerated. Krenwinkel was originally sentenced to death, but her sentence was commuted to life with the possibility of parole after the death penalty was abolished in California. This marks her 16th parole hearing, and while the panel recommended release, the decision now awaits review by the full Board of Parole Hearings and Governor Gavin Newsom, who has the authority to reject or delay the parole. Governor Newsom previously reversed a parole recommendation in 2022, citing Krenwinkel's continued danger to society and shifting blame to Manson. Victims' families, including Sharon Tate's sister Debra Tate, strongly oppose her release, pointing to her past lack of remorse and the brutal nature of the crimes.