New York Post
· collected 2026-10-08 · by Rob De Leon, CA Post Editorial Board
Patricia Krenwinkel, a member of Charles Manson's cult who was convicted in the 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders, has been preliminarily granted parole after her 18th suitability hearing, nearly six decades into her sentence. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation confirmed the decision, though it is not final until reviewed by the Board of Parole Hearings and potentially vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom. Krenwinkel's previous parole grant was overturned in October 2025 due to concerns about public safety.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Patricia Krenwinkel, a former member of the Manson family who played a role in the notorious 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders in Los Angeles, has been granted parole for the third time after nearly six decades in prison. Now 78 years old, Krenwinkel was convicted of seven counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. She was just 21 when she committed these violent crimes alongside other Manson followers, including Charles "Tex" Watson and Leslie Van Houten, which included the brutal killings of actress Sharon Tate and others. Despite her long-standing incarceration—longer than any other woman in California—Krenwinkel’s record of rehabilitation over 57 years has been recognized by the parole board, which concluded that she would not pose a danger to society due to her age. However, Gavin Newsom, California's governor, previously reversed parole approvals for Krenwinkel twice and might reconsider this latest ruling as well.
Written for “Manson Follower ParoleGranted” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 64405 · logged 2026-10-08
Former Charles Manson follower Patricia Krenwinkel, who is serving a life prison term for her role in the 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders, has again been recommended for parole, state officials confirmed today.
asserted
officials → serve → parole
Krenwinkel, 78, was preliminarily granted parole Tuesday at her 18th subsequent suitability hearing, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
uncertain
Krenwinkel → grant → Corrections
“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.
asserted
officials → propose → statement
Krenwinkel was convicted of seven counts of first-degree murder in 1971 for participating with fellow Manson family members Charles “Tex'” Watson and Leslie Van Houten in the Aug. 9, 1969, killings of the seven-months-pregnant actress Sharon Tate, Thomas Jay Sebring, Abigail Ann Folger, Wojciech Frykowski and Steven Earl Parent and the slayings of grocers Leno and Rosemary LaBianca the following day.
asserted
Krenwinkel → convict → day
She originally received a death sentence, but it was reduced to life in prison under a California Supreme Court ruling that invalidated all death sentences before 1972.
asserted
that → receive → 1972
Krenwinkel was most recently granted parole May 30, 2025, but Gov. Gavin Newsom reversed the decision Oct. 13, 2025.
uncertain
Newsom → grant → decision
In his decision, Newsom commended Krenwinkel for her “efforts to improve herself in prison,” including earning multiple college degrees and maintaining “an excellent disciplinary history.
asserted
Newsom → commend → history
But he concluded that those factors were outweighed by concerns about her potential danger to the public.
asserted
factors → conclude → public
“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.
asserted
she → consider → time
Therefore, I reverse the decision to parole Ms. Krenwinkel,” Newsom wrote.
asserted
Newsom → reverse → Krenwinkel
Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
A parole board panel also recommended parole for Krenwinkel in May 2022, but Newsom reversed that decision later that year.
uncertain
Newsom → download → decision
Under California law, parole commissioners must determine whether an incarcerated person currently poses an unreasonable risk to public safety, according to CDCR.
uncertain
person → determine → CDCR
The review includes risk-assessment tools, evaluations by forensic psychologists, the inmate’s prison record, parole plans and impact statements.
asserted
review → include → psychologists
Because she was convicted of murder, the governor then has an additional 30 days to review the decision and may allow it to stand or reverse it.
uncertain
it → convict → it
If the governor reverses the parole decision, Krenwinkel would be scheduled for another hearing within 18 months of Tuesday’s hearing, according to CDCR.
uncertain
Krenwinkel → reverse → CDCR
The Aporia
