Patricia Krenwinkel: Manson Family Murderer to Be Freed By Gavin Newsom?

Just weeks after Charles Manson’s “lieutenant” died in prison, the murderous “family” led by the last century’s most notorious cult leader is back in the news once again.

Patricia Krenwinkel — who was convicted of murder in 1969 for her role in the Tate-LaBianca murders — was granted parole on a preliminary basis this week.

Now, one man stands between Krenwinkel and freedom — California governor Gavin Newsom.

According to a new report from TMZ, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has recommended Krenwinkel for parole.

But this is the third time they’ve done so, and the 78-year-old is still behind bars.

The reason? Newsom used his power as governor to veto her release on both prior occasions.

He’s not the only thing standing in her way this time.

But after the Board of Parole Hearings approves Krenwinkel’s parole — which it likely will — Newsom could secure her release with a stroke of his pen.

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Unfortunately for Krenwinkel, the timing couldn’t be much worse.

We’re just weeks away from midterm elections that might cripple the Trump administration for the rest of its time in office.

And Newsom has almost certainly set his sights on a White House run in 2028.

Releasing a high-profile inmate like Krenwinkel would be playing right into the hands of Republicans who seek to portray the presidential hopeful as soft on crime.

And since Newsom already vetoed Krenwinkel’s release twice, it seems almost certain that he’ll do so a third time under these tense circumstances.

Sadly, the political concerns are now overshadowing the more pertinent questions raised by this situation.

Should an elderly woman remain locked up for the rest of her days because of atrocities she committed in her youth? And if the Manson murderers were under the thrall of a master manipulator, were they fully responsible for their crimes?

At the end of the day, Krenwinkel was involved in the murders of innocent people, and she absolutely had a profound debt to repay to society.

But the recent botched execution of Christa Pike has sparked a renewed debate over prisoners and death row inmates who are still paying for crimes committed in their youth many decades later.

And now, Gavin Newsom finds himself at the center of that debate at a very crucial point in his career.

Patricia Krenwinkel: Manson Family Murderer to Be Freed By Gavin Newsom? was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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