Charles Manson follower who helped slaughter seven people DENIED parole after almost 50 years behind bars
by

UPDATE:

On Thursday, Patricia Krenwinkel was denied parole by the California parole board.

Original Story

In August 1969, Manson follower Patricia Krenwinkel was convicted of seven felony counts of first-degree murder. She’s been behind bars for close to 50 years but feels she’s served enough time for her role in the massacre that left seven people dead. She’s scheduled to go before the California parole board on Thursday.

CNN reports that Krenwinkel, 69, was part of the group of Manson followers who broke into the California home of Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate on August 9, 1969, and killed numerous people, including Tate, who was eight months pregnant at the time. Other victims included celebrity hairstylist Jay Sebring, Folger Coffee heiress Abigail Folger, Steven Parent, and Wojciech Frykowski. A coroner’s report indicated that Tate had been stabbed sixteen times.

Court documents state that Krenwinkel chased Folger throughout the home on Cielo Drive. When Krenwinkel caught up to her, she stabbed Folger 28 times, with the help of her fellow Manson follower, Tex Watson. Krenwinkel later complained of pain in her hand after using it to “stab so many times.”

The following night, Krenwinkel and members of Manson cult went to the home of Rosemary and Leno LaBianca. Both victims were killed. Krenwinkel wrote,”Kill the Pigs” in blood on a wall in the Bianca’s home.

Krenwinkel has has 13 previous parole hearings. Each time, she’s been denied. This time, however, the parole board is reviewing whether Krenwinkel suffered from “Intimate Partner Battery” (also known as “battered wife syndrome”) when she carried out the murders. Her lawyer, Keith Wattley, wouldn’t comment on whether he thought Krenwinkel would finally walk free, but he did say that the parole board investigating the abuse issue is a positive sign.

“There is no new evidence, no new allegations. It’s just that this time I asked the panel to consider the psychological and physical abuse. The fact is that the board had understood the influence” with other members of the Manson group.”

Meanwhile, several family members of the victims said that they plan on fighting the parole recommendation. Debra Tate, sister of Sharon Tate, is among the family members who plan to dispute the parole recommendation.

“She could have cut and run any time. She did it (the murders) because she enjoyed it,” Debra Tate told CNN.

Should Krenwinkel be granted parole recommendation, Gov. Jerry Brown has five months to make a final decision. In the past, he’s denied parole for two other Manson followers, Leslie Van Houten and Bruce Davis.

[Feature Photo: California Department of Corrections]