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Behind bars for over forty years, Charles Manson follower Patricia Krenwinkel, now 63, will likely remain behind bars despite facing a parole hearing today, according to the Associated Press.
Krenwinkel was sentenced to death for her role in the 1969 "Tate-LaBiana Murders," but the sentence was commuted to life in 1972. During her four decades of imprisonment, Krenwinkel "has earned a bachelor's degree and participated in numerous self help programs as well as teaching illiterate prisoners how to read. In recent years, she has been involved in a program to train service dogs for the disabled."
However, it seems unlikely Krenwinkel, now the longest-imprisoned woman in California history, will be granted parole. Convicted alongside Susan Atkins and Leslie Van Houten, neither of her former accomplices were granted parole, despite frequent attempts. Atkins died in prison in 2009, after being denied a compassionate release due to her terminal illness.
Last summer Van Houten "was denied a parole date last summer by officials who said she had not gained sufficient insight into her crimes." She had been considered the woman most likely to be granted parole.
