Patricia Krenwinkel (Katie)

Patricia Dianne Krenwinkel was born on December 3, 1947, in Los Angeles, California. Her parents divorced while she was young, and she experienced an unsettled adolescence marked by insecurity about her appearance and difficulty developing stable relationships. She attended several schools and briefly pursued religious education before eventually returning to California.

In 1967, Krenwinkel met Charles Manson and quickly became emotionally attached to him. She abandoned her existing life and joined Manson and the growing collection of followers who travelled through California and eventually established themselves at Spahn Ranch outside Los Angeles. Within the group, Krenwinkel was known by nicknames including "Katie."

Manson exercised increasing control over his followers through isolation, drugs, sexual relationships and his apocalyptic beliefs. Krenwinkel became one of his longest-standing and most committed female followers, remaining with the group as its activities escalated from an unconventional communal lifestyle into theft, intimidation and murder.

On the night of August 8–9, 1969, Manson instructed Charles "Tex" Watson to take Krenwinkel, Susan Atkins and Linda Kasabian to the residence at 10050 Cielo Drive in Benedict Canyon. Actress Sharon Tate was staying there with Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger and Wojciech Frykowski. Steven Parent, who had been visiting the property's caretaker, was leaving when the group arrived.

Watson, Krenwinkel and Atkins entered the property while Kasabian remained primarily outside as a lookout. Parent was shot by Watson. Inside the residence, the occupants were restrained before the attack escalated. Krenwinkel pursued Abigail Folger when she escaped from the house and ran onto the lawn. Krenwinkel caught her and repeatedly stabbed her before Watson also attacked Folger. Tate, Sebring and Frykowski were killed during the same attack. Physical evidence subsequently connected Krenwinkel directly to the residence, including her fingerprint on a door.

The following night, Manson accompanied Watson, Krenwinkel, Leslie Van Houten, Susan Atkins, Linda Kasabian and Steve "Clem" Grogan as the group searched for another location. Manson selected the Los Feliz home of supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary. After entering the house and restraining the couple, Manson left, directing Watson, Krenwinkel and Van Houten to kill them.

Watson killed Leno LaBianca while Krenwinkel and Van Houten attacked Rosemary in another room. Watson later joined them and completed the attack on Rosemary. Krenwinkel also stabbed Leno after he had already been severely wounded. Before leaving, she used the victims' blood to write messages including "Rise" and "Death to Pigs" inside the residence and "Healter Skelter," a misspelling of "Helter Skelter," on the refrigerator.

Krenwinkel committed the murders collectively with other members of the Manson Family and under Manson's direction rather than operating as an independent killer. The victims were attacked inside their homes using knives and, in the Tate murders, a firearm and ligatures. Krenwinkel participated personally in the violence rather than merely acting as a lookout or accessory.

At Cielo Drive, Krenwinkel pursued Abigail Folger outside and repeatedly stabbed her. During the LaBianca murders the following night, she helped restrain and attack Rosemary LaBianca before participating further in the violence against Leno. Her actions demonstrated direct participation in both sets of murders for which she was subsequently convicted.

Messages written in the victims' blood were deliberately left at the crime scenes. These writings reflected Manson's "Helter Skelter" ideology and were intended to create confusion about the motives behind the killings and encourage the appearance of revolutionary violence.

Krenwinkel left California shortly after the murders and travelled with other Family members. As investigators initially struggled to connect the Tate and LaBianca crime scenes, she remained outside California while the investigation gradually shifted toward Manson and his followers.

Police eventually identified members of the Family through evidence and witness information, particularly testimony from people familiar with the group. Linda Kasabian, who had accompanied the killers but did not participate directly in the murders, later became the prosecution's principal witness and received immunity in exchange for her testimony.

Krenwinkel was arrested in Alabama in December 1969. She initially resisted extradition to California but was eventually returned to Los Angeles to face prosecution alongside Manson and Susan Atkins. Leslie Van Houten was tried with them for the LaBianca murders and the broader murder conspiracy.

Krenwinkel's trial became one of the most heavily publicised criminal proceedings in American history. Prosecutors presented the Tate and LaBianca killings as part of a conspiracy orchestrated by Manson, using testimony from Kasabian and extensive physical and circumstantial evidence to establish the roles of individual Family members.

Krenwinkel remained publicly loyal to Manson throughout much of the proceedings. She, Atkins and Van Houten copied Manson's behaviour by carving X marks into their foreheads and frequently disrupted the proceedings. Their conduct reinforced the public image of Manson's extraordinary influence over his followers.

In January 1971, Krenwinkel was convicted of seven counts of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder. The seven murder convictions encompassed the deaths of Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, Steven Parent, Leno LaBianca and Rosemary LaBianca. The jury subsequently sentenced her to death. Her convictions were later affirmed on appeal.

California's death penalty was invalidated in 1972, resulting in the commutation of existing death sentences to life imprisonment. Krenwinkel consequently received life imprisonment with the possibility of parole rather than execution.

Krenwinkel has appeared repeatedly before the California Board of Parole Hearings during her decades in prison. Her institutional record, rehabilitation and acceptance of responsibility eventually resulted in parole panels finding her suitable for release. A 2022 parole grant was reversed by Governor Gavin Newsom.

The Board of Parole Hearings again recommended Krenwinkel for parole at her 16th appearance in May 2025. On October 13, 2025, Newsom reversed that decision, concluding after reviewing the record that Krenwinkel continued to pose an unreasonable danger to society if released. She therefore remained incarcerated as of 2026.

Krenwinkel's behaviour during incarceration has differed substantially from the person portrayed during the Manson trial. Over more than five decades she has participated in counselling, educational and rehabilitation programs and has maintained a strong institutional record. She earned a bachelor's degree and has participated in programs involving service animals and counselling other prisoners. Psychological evaluations considered during recent parole proceedings have assessed her risk of future violence as low.

She has also increasingly accepted personal responsibility for the murders rather than attributing her actions solely to Manson. During parole proceedings, Krenwinkel has discussed the psychological control and abusive dynamics of her relationship with Manson while acknowledging that she personally chose to participate in the killings. Her claims of abuse have become part of the assessment of her history but have not erased her legal or personal responsibility for the crimes.

Krenwinkel's incarceration has now lasted more than half a century. She is California's longest-serving female prisoner, a distinction that has made her parole proceedings particularly prominent in debates concerning rehabilitation, elderly prisoners and the continuing consequences of historically notorious crimes. Her 2025 parole recommendation demonstrated that the Board considered her suitable for release, but the governor's reversal means her life sentence continues.

Sources:

• California Court of Appeal
• California Board of Parole Hearings
• California Governor's Office
• California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
• Los Angeles Times
• Associated Press