Sharon Tate's Family Has a Lot to Say About Manson Girl Patricia Krenwinkel's Possible Parole

The end of the hippie movement began in the summer of 1969 over the course of a few weeks, when Charles Manson and his so-called family were responsible for the deaths of nine people. The worst of which occurred across 48 hours when a handful of Manson's followers broke into two Los Angeles homes and killed seven people. The first house was owned by actor Sharon Tate and her director-husband, Roman Polanski, who was out of the country at the time, filming a movie.

On Aug. 8, 1969, Tex Watson, Susan Atkins, Linda Kasabian, and Patricia Krenwinkel drove to Tate's house and brutally killed all who were there, as well as a friend of the property's caretaker. All four Manson followers were later convicted of murder. In October 2021, Watson was denied parole for the 18th time. Atkins died in 2009, and Kasabian passed awayin January 2023. Krenwinkel was recommended for parole in May 2025. Tate's family issued a statement regarding the news. Details to follow.

Tate's sister, Debra Tate, does not want Krenwinkel to get out of prison, and she started an online petition to keep it from happening. After Debra shared a few graphic details from the two-night murder spree Krenwinkel participated in, which included carving the word "WAR" into the stomach of Leno LaBianca, Debra spoke of Krenwinkel's demeanor during her trial.

"For years, this woman laughed about the murders in court and showed absolutely no remorse at all," wrote Debra. "She admits she was not on drugs the nights of the murders and committed them to ignite a race war." The younger Tate sister asked for California Governor Gavin Newsom's help in making sure a "serial killer" who committed "horrible, gruesome, random killings" is not released from prison. "The eight victims of the Tate/LaBianca murders (which includes Sharon's unborn son) deserve justice."

In August 2014, The New York Times filmed a short documentary titled My Life After Manson wherein Krenwinkel told her side of the story more than four decades after the murders. Looking back at what happened, Krenwinkel described herself using one word: coward. She couldn't believe who she allowed herself to become, and where she allowed herself to go. "The thing I try to remember is what I am today is not what I was at 19."

Krenwinkel goes on to describe giving up every piece of herself to Manson, including the person she could have been. For context, Krenwinkel shared details of her childhood, which included a family who trafficked in silence and an older sister who used drugs and was pregnant by age 15. That was the person Krenwinkel felt closest to, and this was the dynamic that paved the way for the Manson cult.

After Krenwinkel dropped out of college, she moved in with her sister and started doing drugs herself. She was a people pleaser who craved safety and love, which is when Manson entered the picture. Four years into her prison sentence, Krenwinkel decided she would really have to look at what she did to herself and others. It all came from Krenwinkel "wanting to be loved." She went on to say that her definition of love was skewed, which meant only bad things could come from that.