SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom denied parole for Patricia Krenwinkel, one of the followers of cult leader Charles Manson who helped kill pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four other people at a home in Benedict Canyon in August 1969.
ABC News learned Newsom signed a reversal to the decision to grant parole Monday night.
Newsom’s conclusion states he considered the evidence, saying “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. Therefore, I reverse the decision to parole Ms. Krenwinkel.”
The same thing happened in 2022 when Newsom blocked the parole of Krenwinkel, saying she was still too much of a public safety risk to be freed.
According to ABC News, in an interview for IMPACT x Nightline, Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said his office agrees with Newsom’s decision and reasoning, adding that Krenwinkel did not fully take blame for what had occurred.
Krenwinkel’s attorney, Keith Wattley, released a statement, saying Newsom “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,” said Wattley. “His silence on this crucial aspect of the case is an affront to survivors everywhere, particularly during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.”
Krenwinkel, 77, became the state’s longest-serving female inmate when fellow Manson follower Susan Atkins died of cancer in prison in 2009.
ABC News contributed to this report.
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