Patricia Krenwinkel, once a member of Charles Manson's cult and now the longest serving woman in the California prison system, has given her first on-camera interview since 1994. This week marks the 45 anniversary of the cult's murders.
"I gave up every little bit of me to that man, who demanded every little bit of me," Krenwinkel, who goes by "Krenny,"
told The New York Times for the short documentary.
"I didn't realize I gave up the person I could have been."
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Krenwinkel was 21 years old when she and Manson's self-described "Family" murdered seven people over the course of two nights in Los Angeles. Victims included actress Sharon Tate and her unborn child. The murders were savage, including over 130 stab wounds. At one of the murder sites, Krenwinkel wrote "Death to Pigs" on the wall using the blood of a victim.
"At their trial, the women shamelessly admitted their crimes and flaunted their allegiance to a leader they loved, but who clearly controlled their minds," wrote the Times.
Krenwinkel is now 66, and is eligible for parole in 2018. In the documentary, she reflects on her life before joining Manson's cult, trying to reconcile the identity of the young woman she was when she entered prison with the identity she has now as an old woman.
Back then, she wasn't her own person. She had to learn how to take responsibility for her own actions and identity from a prison cell.
"I learned choice. I learned choice at the most horrific cost," she said.
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