Bruce Davis, Manson Family associate, dies in California prison

Bruce Davis, a high-ranking member of the Manson Family cult, died at the age of 83 in a California prison hospital. According to corrections officials, Davis passed away at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville on September 11.

Davis was convicted in 1972 for the murders of musician Gary Hinman and stuntman Donald ‘Shorty’ Shea. While he was not involved in the group’s most notorious killings, such as those of Sharon Tate, prosecutors identified him as an integral part of Charles Manson’s inner circle. Davis had served over 50 years in prison for his crimes.

Despite being recommended for parole eight different times since 2010, Davis’s release was repeatedly blocked by successive California governors, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jerry Brown, and Gavin Newsom. In his final veto in 2021, Newsom cited Davis’s failure to demonstrate a true understanding of the violence he participated in.