Bruce Davis, a former follower of Charles Manson who was convicted over two killings carried out by members of the Manson Family, has died in a California prison aged 83.
Davis died at 11.03pm on September 11 at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, according to the Solano County Coroner’s Office and reports by TMZ. A cause of death has not been disclosed.
His death was confirmed by a spokeswoman for the coroner’s office, who did not provide further details.
Bruce Davis was convicted over two 1969 murders
Davis was a member of the Manson Family, the group led by Charles Manson whose campaign of violence in Los Angeles in 1969 became one of the most notorious crimes in American history.
He was not present when actress Sharon Tate and six others were murdered at Tate’s home in August that year. The following night, Manson followers killed Leno and Rosemary LaBianca.
Davis was instead convicted in 1972 for his role in the murders of musician Gary Hinman and Donald “Shorty” Shea, a stuntman who worked at Spahn Ranch, where the Manson Family lived.
He received a life sentence with the possibility of parole. California officials said he had acknowledged helping to kill both men, including cutting Shea with a knife and holding a gun during the attack on Hinman.
A 2021 report signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom said Davis had earned several educational degrees in prison, including a master’s degree and a doctorate, and had not been disciplined since 1980. But it concluded that he continued to minimise his role in the killings and lacked sufficient insight into his actions.
Newsom rejected a parole recommendation for Davis in 2021. A California parole panel denied his release again in 2022, after he had previously been recommended for parole seven times by panels whose decisions were later rejected by three consecutive governors.
At the 2022 hearing, commissioners told Davis to apply again in three years. His lawyer said the panel had found that he lacked empathy.
Davis’s death leaves another prominent member of the Manson Family dead in prison. Manson himself died in 2017, aged 83.
Debra Tate, Sharon Tate’s sister, told TMZ that she says a prayer when members of the group die behind bars.
“I always say a prayer upon their passing,” she said. “Basically it says may they finally have clarity on the actions that they caused during their life, and may Lord have mercy on their souls.”
