A state parole board has again recommended the release of Patricia Krenwinkel, who is the longest-serving female inmate in the state.
At 77, Krenwinkel is still serving a life sentence at the California Institution for Women for her role in one of America’s most notorious killing sprees.
She was convicted on seven counts of first-degree murder in 1971.
Krenwinkel was just 19 years old when she abandoned her life as a secretary in California to follow Charles Manson, the charismatic cult leader who has since transformed into one of history’s darkest and most mysterious figures.
Drawn in by promises of love and spiritual enlightenment, Krenwinkel instead became a key figure in one of the most infamous crimes in American history.
Krenwinkel personally stabbed heiress Abigail Folger multiple times and then participated in the murders of grocery store owners Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, writing “Helter Skelter” and other phrases on the walls in the victims’ blood.
Convicted of seven counts of first-degree murder, Krenwinkel was originally sentenced to death.
But in 1972, her sentence was commuted to life in prison after California briefly abolished the death penalty.
She has been incarcerated ever since.
Over the years, Krenwinkel has expressed remorse and described years of psychological abuse at Manson’s hands.
She has stated she was under the influence of drugs and fear throughout her time in the cult. Nonetheless, her parole efforts have been repeatedly denied, with authorities citing the severity of her crimes.
In May 2022, Krenwinkel was recommended for parole for the first time, but the decision was reversed by Governor Gavin Newsom. Her most recent recommendation in 2024 now awaits approval, reigniting debate over justice, rehabilitation, and the enduring legacy of the Manson Family.
The recommendation came on Friday and must still pass several hurdles before being confirmed.
In May 2022, Krenwinkel was recommended for parole for the first time, but the decision was reversed by Governor Gavin Newsom. Her most recent recommendation in 2024 now awaits approval, reigniting debate over justice, rehabilitation, and the enduring legacy of the Manson Family.
It requires final approval from the full Board of Parole Hearings and California Governor Gavin Newsom, who denied a similar parole recommendation in 2022.
That review process can take up to 150 days.
According to state prison officials, she had previously been denied parole 14 times.
Charles Mason died in prison in 2017 at the age of 83.
Manson, whose name to this day is synonymous with unspeakable violence and madness, died of natural causes at Kern County hospital, according to a California Department of Corrections statement.
Manson — who exerted a form of mind control over his mainly female followers — had been in prison for four decades. In the 1960s, he surrounded himself with runaways and disaffected youths and then sent them out to butcher members of Hollywood’s elite.
Prosecutors said Manson and his followers were trying to incite a race war he dubbed Helter Skelter, taken from the Beatles song of the same name.