Charles Manson Follower Patricia Krenwinkel getting Parole?

Keypoints Summary โ€“ Manson Followerโ€™s Parole Stuns Nation

  • Patricia Krenwinkel, Charles Mansonโ€™s longest-serving follower, recommended for parole
  • Krenwinkel brutally murdered seven people, including pregnant Sharon Tate
  • California parole board says sheโ€™s no longer a threat at age 77
  • Victimsโ€™ families say release would be โ€œan insult to the deadโ€
  • Final parole decision now goes to Governor Gavin Newsom
  • Krenwinkel has already been denied parole 16 times
  • In 2022, Newsom rejected her release due to continued danger

Is this really happening?! Patricia Krenwinkel โ€” one of the most notorious killers in American history and a loyal disciple of Charles Manson โ€” has just been recommended for parole by a California state parole board.

Yes, that Patricia Krenwinkel โ€” the same woman who stabbed coffee heiress Abigail Folger 28 times, helped butcher Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, and wrote โ€œDeath to Pigsโ€ in blood on a wall. Sheโ€™s now 77 years old, and after 54 years in prison, a board of officials believes sheโ€™s no longer a threat to society.

The decision has outraged victimsโ€™ families, shocked the public, and reignited a fierce debate over justice, forgiveness, and whether some crimes are simply too evil to ever be forgiven.


Who Is Patricia Krenwinkel?

Patricia Krenwinkel wasnโ€™t just a follower of Charles Manson โ€” she was one of his deadliest soldiers. In August 1969, she took part in the infamous two-night murder spree that ended the lives of seven innocent people, including pregnant actress Sharon Tate, celebrity hairstylist Jay Sebring, and grocery store owners Leno and Rosemary LaBianca.

Krenwinkel didnโ€™t just follow orders. She testified to personally stabbing Abigail Folger nearly 30 times, helping kill the LaBiancas, and smearing blood on walls to leave chilling, hateful messages.

She was convicted of seven counts of first-degree murder in 1971 and originally sentenced to death. That sentence was later changed to life in prison with the possibility of parole after California temporarily outlawed the death penalty.


Why Is She Being Considered for Release Now?

So why now โ€” after decades behind bars and 16 previous parole denials โ€” has Krenwinkel suddenly been recommended for release?

According to the parole board, Krenwinkel now poses a low risk of reoffending. During her latest hearing on May 30, Commissioner Gilbert Infante said:

โ€œThis decision does not minimize or forgive the criminal conduct or the loss your victims and their families have suffered. But when we look at your growth, you have made strides.โ€

The board cited her age, long-term prison behavior, and evidence of rehabilitation. They claim she no longer shares Mansonโ€™s radical ideology and has spent decades trying to understand the devastation she caused.


What Happens Next?

Krenwinkelโ€™s parole recommendation is not final โ€” not yet. It must now be reviewed by the Board of Parole Hearings and then sent to California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has up to 150 days to approve or block the release.

This wonโ€™t be the first time Newsomโ€™s office has weighed in. In 2022, he rejected a similar recommendation, stating:

โ€œMs. Krenwinkel was not only a victim of Mr. Mansonโ€™s abuse. She was also a significant contributor to the violence and tragedy that became the Manson Familyโ€™s legacy.โ€

Will he block her release again? The entire country is watching.


Victimsโ€™ Families Outraged: โ€œShe Is a Cold-Blooded Killerโ€

Jay Sebringโ€™s nephew, Anthony DiMaria, didnโ€™t hold back during the parole hearing:

โ€œPatricia Krenwinkel is not a follower, nor is she a victim. She is a cold-blooded killer of eight people โ€” including Sharon Tateโ€™s unborn son.โ€

His words were chilling and direct:

โ€œCharles Manson didnโ€™t write Helter Skelter in blood. Patricia Krenwinkel did. She is the author of the blood-smeared messages that terrified the world.โ€

DiMaria urged the board to remember the victims, whose voices have been silenced forever.

โ€œParole Patricia Krenwinkel once her victims are paroled from their graves.โ€


A Killerโ€™s Past That Haunts a Nation

The murders committed by the Manson Family in 1969 didnโ€™t just take lives โ€” they shattered American innocence. The sheer brutality, the celebrity victims, and the bizarre motives fueled by Mansonโ€™s twisted ideology still haunt true crime enthusiasts, law enforcement, and the nation.

Krenwinkelโ€™s name is forever linked to the darkest corners of American history, and many believe that her release would be a slap in the face to justice.


Her Lawyer Says She Deserves a Second Chance

Krenwinkelโ€™s attorney, Keith Wattley, insists that his client has changed. He argues that she has fully accepted responsibility, shown remorse, and been a model prisoner for decades.

โ€œShe has worked to better herself and help others. Itโ€™s time.โ€

But can you ever truly rehabilitate someone who participated in such gruesome acts?


Should Justice Ever Expire?

Thatโ€™s the core of the debate now raging across newsrooms and social media:

  • Can a person who took part in ritualistic, sadistic murders ever be trusted outside prison walls?
  • Does age erase violence?
  • Should anyone involved in the Tate-LaBianca killings ever walk free?

Millions are asking: Is forgiveness possible for the unforgivable?


Public Reaction: Outrage, Confusion, and Fear

Online reactions have been swift and emotional:

  • โ€œIโ€™m sick to my stomach. This woman helped butcher a pregnant woman.โ€
  • โ€œShe should have died in prison. Period.โ€
  • โ€œThe justice system has officially lost its mind.โ€
  • โ€œHow can you tell victimsโ€™ families that her โ€˜risk is lowโ€™?โ€
  • โ€œSo we just let murderers go now?โ€

For many, this isnโ€™t just about Krenwinkel. Itโ€™s about what kind of justice system we have โ€” and what kind of message it sends.


Can a Manson Follower Ever Be Free?

Patricia Krenwinkel looks like a fragile 77-year-old woman now, but her past soaked in blood โ€” literally.

She helped commit some of the most gruesome murders in American history. She wielded the knife. And she wrote the messages. She followed Manson, yes โ€” but she also acted with brutal intent.

Now, the fate of her freedom lies with Governor Gavin Newsom. And the country waits, stunned, to see what happens next.

Because if Patricia Krenwinkel walks freeโ€ฆ what comes after that?

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