MANSON MAYHEM

Charles Manson Follower Convicted of Murder Granted Parole

Gov. Gavin Newsom has blocked her release twice before.

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One of Charles Manson’s most notorious lackeys has been granted parole. At a hearing on Oct. 6, Patricia Krenwinkel, 78, was preliminarily approved for parole, according to California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation records obtained by People. Krenwinkel has been in lockup since 1971, after she was convicted of seven counts of first-degree murder for her role in the 1969 Tate-LaBianca killings. Among the victims was actress Sharon Tate, best known for playing Jennifer North in the 1967 film adaptation of Valley of the Dolls. Krenwinkel was granted parole in 2022 and 2025, but California Gov. Gavin Newsom reversed both decisions, arguing she had not “developed sufficient insight into the causative factors of her crime,” according to The Guardian. The decision now faces a 120-day review by the state parole board. Newsom could then intervene, with 30 more days to decide whether to block it again, NBC Los Angeles reports. Krenwinkel’s prison record is reportedly squeaky clean, showing she even earned a bachelor’s degree in human services, according to CieloDrive.com. Since Manson family member Susan Atkins died in prison in 2009, Krenwinkel has been California’s longest-serving female inmate.