California prison authorities have preliminarily recommended parole for Patricia Krenwinkel, one of the most notorious former followers of cult leader Charles Manson. Krenwinkel, now 78, has spent more than 55 years behind bars for her role in the harrowing 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders.
The preliminary decision followed her 18th suitability hearing to gauge her readiness for release, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). State officials noted that the recommendation is not yet final. It triggers a mandatory, multi-step review process before any potential release can occur.
“All grants of parole are proposed decisions and become final only after a thorough and comprehensive review by the Board of Parole Hearings and the Governor,” CDCR officials said in a statement.
The Path to the Preliminary Parole Decision
Krenwinkel is currently the longest-serving female inmate in the California state prison system. She is held at the California Institution for Women in Corona. Her eligibility for release falls under the state’s elderly inmate parole program, alongside considerations for her youth at the time of the crimes.
In 1971, a jury convicted Krenwinkel of seven counts of first-degree murder for her active participation in the August 1969 killing sprees orchestrated by Charles Manson. Alongside other members of the Manson “Family,” she took part in the murders of pregnant actress Sharon Tate, Abigail Ann Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, Thomas Jay Sebring, and Steven Earl Parent on August 9, 1969. The following night, the group murdered grocery executive Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary.
Krenwinkel was originally sentenced to death. That sentence was commuted to life in prison with the possibility of parole after the California Supreme Court ruled the state’s death penalty unconstitutional in 1972.
Previous Parole Grants and Gubernatorial Oppositions
This marks the third time a state parole board panel has approved Krenwinkel for release. Previous boards recommended her parole in May 2022 and May 2025. On both occasions, California Governor Gavin Newsom exercised his executive authority to reverse the decisions.
In his October 2025 reversal, Governor Newsom acknowledged Krenwinkel’s extensive efforts toward self-improvement. These efforts included earning college degrees, maintaining an exemplary disciplinary record, and counseling other inmates. However, Newsom concluded that those rehabilitative milestones were outweighed by the ongoing danger she would pose to the public if freed.
“When considered as a whole, I find the evidence shows that she currently poses an unreasonable danger to society if released from prison at this time,” Newsom wrote in his 2025 decision.
Next Steps in the Review Process
Under California state guidelines, the latest preliminary parole grant is subject to a strict 120-day review period by the Board of Parole Hearings’ legal office. Once that administrative review clears, the final decision goes to the governor’s desk.
Governor Newsom will then have a 30-day window to decide whether to allow the parole decision to stand, modify it, or reverse it entirely. Meanwhile, victim advocacy groups and relatives of the victims, including Sharon Tate’s sister Debra Tate, have historically opposed the release of any surviving members involved in the 1969 murders. They argue that the brutality of the crimes warrants a lifetime behind bars.
Krenwinkel’s defense attorney, Keith Wattley, has long maintained that his client has shown deep remorse. He states she spent decades addressing the psychological factors that led her into Manson’s control at age 19. If the current parole recommendation is ultimately blocked by the governor, Krenwinkel will remain incarcerated while awaiting her next scheduled suitability hearing.
