Patricia Krenwinkel

Patricia Krenwinkel was born in California on 3 December 1947. Her father was an insurance salesperson and her mother was a homemaker. Her parents divorced when Patricia was 17 years old and thereafter she was under the care of her father.

She is an alumnus of University High School and later graduated from Westchester High School. She also attended Spring Hill College in Alabama to pursue a degree but dropped out after the first semester to relocate to California.

After relocating to California, she initially taught Catechism, the religious education under the Roman Catholicism and contemplated to become a nun. Later, she joined a clerical job.

During her school days, she claims to have suffered from a low self-esteem resulting from frequent bullying due to her overweight and excessive bodily hair.

Krenwinkel’s life took a major turn in 1967 when she met Charles Manson, who mesmerized her with his charm and gave her the attention she craved for throughout her life. She joined Lynette Fromme and Mary Brunner, also followers of Manson, and the group moved to San Francisco embarking on journey of debauchery. The Charles Manson ‘Family’ started expanding during their hippie movement tour indulging in excessivedrugs and sex.

In 1968, Patricia along with fellow Manson member Ella Bailey, was spotted by Dennis Wilson of the ‘Beach Boys’ band. This led to the Manson family making a forced entry into his house making it their new home and leaving only after inundating Wilson with huge debts.

By the latter half of 1969, Patricia along with the Manson family moved to Spahn's Ranch near the San Fernando Valley by convincingGeorge Spahn to allow their stay at his ranch. Krenwinkel became the motherly figure for the illegitimate children of the Manson family owing to her immense devotion to Charles Manson.

On 9 August 1969, Patricia Krenwinkel participated in gruesome murders along with other members of the Manson family Charles Watson and Susan Atkins, killing popular actor Sharon Tate and her director husband Roman Polanski. The murderers also killed other people present at the actor’s house at the time of murder including a teenager Steven Parent and coffee heir Abigail Folger.

On 10 August 1969, Krenwinkel, together with Watson and Atkins, willingly participated in another series of murders at the behest of Charles Manson. The trio barged killed Leno LaBianca, a grocer based in South California and his wife Rosemary in the most gruesome fashion.

On 16 August 1969, Manson, Krenwinkel and others were taken into custody on the grounds of suspicion for automobile thefts, but were later released due to a clerical error in the date mentioned on the warrant. Later, the Manson family relocated to Barker Ranch, where they continued their illegal activities of auto theft and converting the stolen automobiles into buggies.

On 10 October 1969, Patricia Krenwinkel was arrested along with Watson and Atkins, for the first time following a police raid at the Barker Ranch. She was bailed out of jail by her father and was instructed by Charles Manson to stay with her mother until he sent a word for her to return.

On 01 December 1969, Krenwinkel’s involvement in the murders was disclosed and the police arrested her from Alabama when Susan Atkins confessed her crimes to fellow inmates at the prison. She was charged with first-degree murder on seven counts and conspiring to murder on one count.