Charles Manson follower denied parole for 15th time

The governor of the U.S. state of California on Friday blocked the release of Charles Manson follower Patricia Krenwinkel, infamous for her role in the 1969 murder of actress Sharon Tate and six others.

Governor Gavin Newsom's ruling marked the 15th time Krenwinkel's parole has been denied.

"Ms. Krenwinkel fully accepted Mr. Manson's racist, apocalyptical ideologies," Newsom said.

California's parole board had found Krenwinkel eligible for release in May, but under state law, Newsom's office has veto power.

"Ms. Krenwinkel was not only a victim of Mr. Manson's abuse. She was also a significant contributor to the violence and tragedy that became the Manson Family's legacy," Newsom said.

One of the most notorious criminals in the United States, Manson died behind bars in 2017.

He was sentenced to death in 1971 along with four of his followers for the bloody August 1969 killing spree that left seven people dead -- including Tate, who was the wife of filmmaker Roman Polanski. She was heavily pregnant at the time.

The criminal's "Family" set up a base at a ranch in California's Death Valley in the 1960s.

Describing himself as a reincarnation of Jesus Christ, Manson arranged a series of murders in a bid to provoke a race war between white and Black Americans. He assumed that the former would win and take him on as their leader.

More than 40 years later, the killing spree by Manson's "Family" continues to haunt the public psyche and stir morbid fascination, fueled by books, songs and tourist routes, internet sites and films.