Patricia Diane krenwinkel is the third of the women that were originally sentenced to death for the horrific murders of Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Stephen Parent & Voytek Frykowski, then the following night, Leno & Rosemary La Bianca in 1969. The sentences were commuted to life imprisonment, where they all, including Manson & Watson, still remain.
Krenwinkel was born in Los Angeles on 3rd December 1947 to an insurance salesman and a housewife. She suffered from low self esteem, and was bullied at University High School and then Westchester High School, both in Los Angeles. Her parents divorced in the mid 60`s but she stayed with her father until she graduated from Westchester School. She taught Roman Catholic religious instruction, and then decided to become a nun, and attended Jesuit College in Alabama, but dropped out after one term. She went to California and stayed with her half sister in Manhattan Beach, and found a job as a processing clerk. It was in Manhattan Beach, that she was to meet the man who would change many lives forever; Manson.
Manson had with him two young women, Lynette Fromme and Mary Brunner, the first of the "Manson Girls". Later , she said that she had sex with Manson the first night, and that he said she was beautiful. This was something new to Krenwinkel as she never received compliments and so she became enraptured with him, becoming a devoted follower. She went off with the trio in a school bus that Manson had and travelled around for eighteen months, before settling at Spahn Ranch, in California. Krenwinkel looked after the children born to the "Family" women, but this caring nature meant nothing on two nights in August 1969, when she participated in both murder sprees. Soon after, Police raided the ranch but it over stolen car parts, and a number were arrested, but the warrant was not correct and so they were all released. Some family members drifted off, upset over the Police raid, their thought of involvement in the murders - most had no idea of what had gone on - and talk of ranch hand Don "Shorty" Shea being murdered. Manson moved his clan to Barker Ranch near Death Valley, which was raided again by Police. Krenwinkel was bailed by her father. She moved to Alabama after being ordered to go by Manson and wait for a call to return. The call never happened as arrests went down for the seven murders in Los Angeles.
Krenwinkel originally fought extradition to California but in February 1970, she decided to go to California and was returned for trial. She showed her devotion to Manson by she and the others shaving their heads and having crosses written on their foreheads as he did. Sentenced to death, hers and all condemned, had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment. She went to the California Institute for Women in Corona. During her sentence, Krenwinkel taught other inmates, gained a Bsc in Human Services, worked in Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and other activities. She has been denied parole 13 times, the last time in 2011, and her next will be in 2018. Following the death of Susan Atkins, Krenwinkel is now the longest serving woman in California`s Penal System.
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