California Gov. Gavin Newsom rejected a parole recommendation for the Manson Family member who etched “Helter Skelter” and “Death to Pigs” on the wall of the murder scenes using victims’ blood.
Newsom’s decision to block Patricia Krenwinkel’s parole Friday marked the 15th time the 74-year-old has been denied freedom since she was convicted for her part in the killings of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and seven others in 1969.
“Ms. Krenwinkel fully accepted Mr. Manson’s racist, apocalyptical ideologies,” Newsom said. “Ms. Krenwinkel was not only a victim of Mr. Manson’s abuse. She was also a significant contributor to the violence and tragedy that became the Manson Family’s legacy.”
A parole panel recommended Krenwinkel’s release for the first time in May. She was initially sentenced to death in 1971, but the California Supreme Court ruled the death penalty unconstitutional one year later.
Gov. Newsom still believes Krenwinkel could be a threat to the public if released. AP
Krenwinkel at the California Institution for Women in Corona, Cal., for her parole hearing in 2011. APHer attorney argued she has undergone a complete transformation since she was convicted 51 years ago. She is the longest-incarcerated woman still in prison in the United States.
New laws since Krenwinkel was last denied parole in 2017 required the parole panel to consider that she committed the murders at a young age and is now an elderly prisoner.
Krenwinkel tried to distance herself from the Manson Family in recent years, but Newsom argued “her efforts have not sufficiently reduced her risk for future dangerousness.”
Charles M. Manson, charged in the killings of actress Sharon Tate and six others, walks to courtroom in Los Angeles, Feb. 10, 1970.
Charles Manson being led away in handcuffs after being found guilty of murder in 1971.
Patricia Krenwinkel described being abused physically, sexually and emotionally by Charles Manson during her time under his leadership. APAs a member of the infamous Manson cult, Krenwinkel committed crimes that “were among the most fear-inducing in California’s history,” Newsom said.
“Beyond the brutal murders she committed, she played a leadership role in the cult, and an enforcer of Mr. Manson’s tyranny. She forced the other women in the cult to obey Mr. Manson, and prevented them from escaping when they tried to leave,” he said.
The former cult follower admitted to repeatedly stabbing Abigail Folger, heiress to the coffee fortune, to death inside Tate’s home on Aug. 9, 1969 as other Manson followers brutally murdered Tate, Jay Sebring, Wojciech Frykowski and Steven Parent.
Charles Manson follower Patricia Krenwinkel is seen heading to court in Los Angeles, March 3, 1970. AP
Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten march toward the courtroom. Bettmann ArchiveThe next night, Krenwinkel used a fork to stab supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary in the stomach. She then used their blood to write “Helter Skelter,” ″Rise” and “Death to Pigs” on the walls.
Krenwinkel described being abused physically, sexually and emotionally by Manson during her time under his leadership. She claims she was typically under the influence of drugs.
With Post wires
