Patricia Krenwinkel saw her parole recommendation again quashed this month by California’s governor — meaning she’ll remain in prison more than 50 years after the Manson Family murders.
Gov. Gavin Newsom rejected the second parole recommendation for the 77-year-old Krenwinkel, saying she “currently poses an unreasonable danger to society.” He had done the same in 2022.
Krenwinkel is one of three people who were convicted of the seven murders in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles on two consecutive nights in August 1969. The others were Charles Manson and Charles “Tex” Watson.
Susan Atkins was convicted of the five murders on Aug. 8, and Leslie Van Houten of the two on Aug. 9.
All five defendants were initially sentenced to death. Those sentences were commuted to life by the California Supreme Court’s 1972 ruling in People vs. Anderson.
Still in prison
• Patricia Krenwinkel (born Dec. 3, 1947), women’s prison in Chino. She was recommended for parole in 2022 and 2025, after being denied 14 times; Gov. Gavin Newsom rejected the recommendation both times.
• Charles “Tex” Watson (born Dec. 2, 1945), Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, San Diego. He has been denied parole 18 times, most recently in 2021.
Freed
• Leslie Van Houten (born Aug. 23, 1949), freed on July 11, 2023, from the women’s prison in Chino. After 20 unsuccessful attempts at parole, the panel voted in her favor in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Gov. Jerry Brown denied the first two recommendations, and his successor, Gavin Newsom, denied the others. A California appeals court ruled in May 2023 that she should be released on parole, and Newsom said he wouldn’t take further steps to block her parole.
• Linda Kasabian (born June 21, 1949) was charged in all seven murders but was granted immunity in exchange for testimony.
Died
• Charles Manson (born Nov. 12, 1934) died on Nov. 19, 2017, at a Kern County hospital. He was 83. He had been most recently incarcerated at Corcoran State Prison and had been denied parole 12 times, the last time in April 2012.
• Susan Atkins, died in September 2009, at age 61, at the prison in Chowchilla. She had been denied parole 18 times and also had been denied compassionate release after her cancer diagnosis.
Those killed in the Aug. 8-9 murders were Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring, Wojciech Frykowski, Abigail Folger, Steven Parent, Leno LaBianca and Rosemary LaBianca.
Three other Manson Family followers — Bobby Beausoleil, Bruce Davis and Steve “Clem” Grogan — were convicted of two other murders that summer. Beausoleil and Davis remain in prison.
