The lurid crimes that landed Manson in jail (2017) 0:57
(CNN) --
A parole board in California has recommended that Patricia Krenwinkel, a former Charles Manson supporter and convicted murderer in the notorious 1969 murder spree, be released, authorities said Thursday.
The decision will go to the Board of Parole Hearings Legal Division for review, a spokesman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said.
Former Manson Family member and convicted murderer Patricia Krenwinkel was recommended for parole Thursday.
Patricia Krenwinkel, 74, was convicted of seven counts of premeditated murder in the August 1969 Manson Family attacks that left seven dead.
Among the victims were pregnant actress Sharon Tate, who was married to director Roman Polanski;
Folger Coffee heiress Abigail Folger; and celebrity hairstylist Jay Sebring.
The governor has the last word
He had been denied parole 14 times since his conviction.
The legal division review process may take up to 120 days.
After that, the proposed parole decision goes to the governor's desk, who has the authority to reverse the decision or allow it to stand, according to the corrections department spokesman.
Manson Family member Leslie Van Houten denied parole
Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said in a statement that the decision is still under review and referred to the state's website for more information on the process.
"In all cases brought to his attention, the governor carefully reviews parole decisions to determine whether a parole grant is consistent with public safety," the statement said.
Patricia Krenwinkel was last denied parole in 2017. It is unclear why the decision moved forward on the last try.
The Manson Family Crimes
The gruesome crimes occurred at a time fraught with racial tensions in the United States.
Prosecutors in the case said Manson wanted to spark a race war, hoping the Black Panthers would be blamed for the killings.
During the killing spree, Krenwinkel chased and stabbed Folger 28 times, the convicted killer said in her court testimony.
Patricia Krenwinkel was initially sentenced to death in 1971. A year later, California's death penalty was declared unconstitutional and her sentence was commuted to life in prison.
The death penalty has since been reinstated.
manson family