California's Governor Blocks Early Release for Cult Member Longtime Inmate
Gavin Newsom has once more refused parole for the convicted inmate, who has served over five decades behind bars for her involvement in the 1969 Tate-LaBianca killings orchestrated by the cult leader.
Parole Reversal Sparks Criticism
Months after California’s parole board found the elderly suitable for release, the governor reversed the decision and declared that the inmate “currently represents an unacceptable risk to society if freed from prison at this time.”
It was the second instance Newsom has prevented her parole, and the move was met with sharp criticism from her legal representative, who claimed the governor opted for “political motives over human considerations” and overlooked the abuse she suffered from Manson.
“The governor's decision of her parole approval has nothing to do with the record of how much she’s changed or the danger she presents,” said her attorney, Krenwinkel’s attorney. “It is 100% political, in opposition to the evidence and the governing regulations.”
Background of the Murders
The inmate was 21 when the Manson's followers carried out the killings of actress Sharon Tate and several others, among them heiress Abigail Folger and celebrity stylist Jay Sebring, and the following night killed grocer Leno LaBianca and his spouse, Rosemary LaBianca. In 1971, she and fellow cult members were convicted of multiple counts of first-degree murder for their involvement in the attack.
Prison Transformation
In her decades behind bars – Krenwinkel is the state's most senior incarcerated woman – she has reformed, friends and her legal team have reported. She has earned college degrees and her conduct is clean, legal counsel noted, which was one of the reasons the parole board supported her parole.
Krenwinkel has shown regret for her role in the crimes. In 2022, she said: “I want to say how terribly sorry I am for all the pain and suffering that I caused when I ended the lives that I did … I strive daily to make amends … [and] focus on being a better person.”
Past Abuse and Reform
An earlier inquiry by the authorities found she endured physical, emotional and sexual violence by Charles Manson, her lawyer said in a statement, adding that she has found her “personal identity, self-reliance, and moral compass”.
Similar Instances
Newsom has previously denied parole for other former cult members. Leslie Van Houten was released from California prison in 2023 after over five decades when a state appeals court overturned the governor’s decision to block her parole.
