Patricia Krenwinkel, the former Charles Manson follower convicted in the 1969 Tate-LaBianca killings, has once again been recommended for parole after more than 55 years in prison.
The 78-year-old was recommended for release Tuesday, marking the third such recommendation in four years. The decision could lead to another review by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has twice rejected her parole over concerns about the threat she might pose to the public.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation inmate database confirmed the latest recommendation. It comes fewer than 12 months after Newsom overturned Krenwinkel’s previous parole decision.
In an October 2025 ruling, Newsom said Krenwinkel “lacks the requisite insight she needs to be safely released,” while also recognizing the rehabilitation work she has pursued during her decades behind bars.
Manson family members Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie van Houten. (Bettmann Archive)
“When considered as a whole, the evidence shows that she currently poses an unreasonable danger to society if released from prison at this time,” Newsom wrote in his decision.
Krenwinkel was previously recommended for parole in May 2022 and again in May 2025. Newsom reversed both recommendations, leaving her incarcerated.
Tuesday’s recommendation does not mean Krenwinkel will be freed. The parole board must complete its review before the governor determines whether to approve the release or reject it for a third time.
Until then, Krenwinkel remains at the California Institution for Women in Corona. She is serving a life sentence and has been in the state prison system since April 28, 1971.
(L-R) Susan Denise Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten laugh after receiving the death sentence for their part in the Tate-LaBianca killing at the order of Charles Manson. (Bettmann Archive via Getty Images)
Krenwinkel was 21 when she joined members of Manson’s so-called “Family” in a two-night killing spree in August 1969. Seven people were murdered, among them actress Sharon Tate, who was eight months pregnant.
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Newsom’s case summary states that Krenwinkel and other Manson followers repeatedly stabbed Tate’s friend Abigail Folger and took part in attacks on other victims. The next evening, the group killed Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, scrawling bloody messages inside their home.
Krenwinkel initially received a death sentence, but it was commuted to life in prison after California’s death penalty system was struck down in 1972.
The five victims were found slain on August 9, 1969. From left: Wojciech “Voytek” Frykowski, Sharon Tate, Steven Parent, Jay Sebring and Abigail Folger. (CPL Archives/Everett Collection)
Newsom has cited Krenwinkel’s accomplishments in prison, including earning college degrees and supporting other incarcerated women. However, he has also pointed to what he described as limited self-awareness and a continued tendency to shift responsibility for her crimes onto others.
Keith Wattley, Krenwinkel’s attorney, challenged those conclusions after Newsom overturned her October 2025 parole recommendation.
“Patricia Krenwinkel is the longest-incarcerated woman in the United States,” Wattley said at the time. “For more than five decades, she has committed to deep healing and rehabilitation, earning degrees, counseling others and becoming a mentor to younger women inside.”
Charles Manson is brought into the Los Angeles city jail under suspicion of having masterminded the Tate-LaBianca murders of August 1969. (Getty Images)
Wattley maintained that Krenwinkel no longer represents an unreasonable danger to public safety.
“Patricia’s record meets that standard. She deserves to be paroled,” he said.
News Media reached out to Wattley, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and Newsom’s office for comment.