A Charles Manson disciple who aided in the horrific killings of seven people, including actress Sharon Tate, will remain behind bars after California Governor Gavin Newsom blocked her request for parole.
Patricia Krenwinkel, 77, was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison in 1971 for participating in the slaughtering spree at Tate's home and the house of grocery store owners Leno and Rosemary LaBianca.
Krenwinkel was initially sentenced to death, but was reduced to life in prison after a state Supreme Court ruling invalidated death sentences before 1972.
The former member of Manson's 'family,' a term that referred to his cult members, has requested parole multiple times since 2016.
California and Oklahoma are the only states that allow governors to veto grants of parole.
Newsom reversed Krenwinkel's request after it was approved in 2022, and vetoed fellow Manson follower Leslie Van Houten's request for parole.
He argued at the time that Krenwinkel showed 'a significant lack of insight into her own internal processes that led to her decision to join, support, and help execute Mr. Manson’s terror campaign.'
Krenwinkel was granted parole in May, but the governor reversed it again, ordering her to stay behind bars after 56 years of incarceration.
Newsom argued in his reversal that she still posed an 'unreasonable' danger to society if released.
The governor acknowledged the progress Krenwinkel has made during her incarceration, but noted, 'she exhibits some deficits in self-awareness, such as a tendency to externalize blame for her prior transgressions.'
Krenwinkel's attorney, Keith Wattley, accused Newsom of reversing her parole for political reasons.
'Newsom’s reversal of Pat’s grant has nothing to do with the record of how much she’s changed or the risk she presents. It is 100 percent political, directly contrary to the evidence and the controlling law,' he said.
'The Governor has unfortunately chosen politics over people. Even worse, he directly violated the law requiring him to give "great weight" to the fact that Pat is a documented survivor of domestic violence.
Wattley continued: 'I’ve represented thousands of people serving life sentences, and I’ve seen them complete those sentences in many ways, some by heart attack and some by being beaten or stabbed to death in prison, but death by politics is especially tragic.'
Wattley argued that Krenwinkel was eligible for parole after an Intimate Partner Battering Investigation confirmed in 2017 that she was a survivor of abuse perpetuated by Manson.
He said that Krenwinkel hadn't been disciplined during her more than five decades in prison and earned college degrees behind bars.
Wattley added that she's shown 'deep remorse and insight' and met guidelines for special parole consideration due to her age and survivor status.
'The Board’s own evaluators have established that Pat was under the coercive control of Charles Manson, who manipulated his followers through threats, violence, and drugs,' Wattley wrote.
'They also determined that Pat has since found her own identity, independence, and moral compass.'
The killing spree occurred in the summer of 1969. It became one of the most high-profile cases in American history, delving into Manson's evil ways and how he brainwashed young women.
Manson convinced his cult members that an apocalyptic race war called Helter Skelter was imminent, and that the killing spree was essential to initiating the war.
Krenwinkel drove to Tate's home with Van Houten and Susan Atkins and killed the actress and her friends, coffee heiress Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, and Jay Sebring.
A criminal trial revealed that the Manson followers broke into the home, fatally shot Frykowski, and then tied ropes around Sebring and Tate's necks before repeatedly stabbing them.
Tate was eight months pregnant at the time, and her body was left brutally stabbed, with an 'X' carved into her stomach.
The next night, the women went with Manson to the LaBianca home and brutally murdered the couple.
Krenwinkel stabbed Leno LaBianca with a fork and used blood to write 'Death to Pigs,' 'Healter Skelter,' and 'Rise' on the walls.
All three of the women were convicted of their involvement in the murders.
Atkins died of cancer in 2009, and Van Houten was released on parole in 2023 by an appeals court.
Daily Mail has contacted Newsom's office for comment.
