Bruce Davis, a prominent follower and described as the "right-hand man" of cult leader Charles Manson, has died in a California prison hospital at the age of 83. Davis had been serving a life sentence for his role in the 1969 murders of musician Gary Hinman and stuntman Donald "Shorty" Shea.
A representative from the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation confirmed Davis's death to the Los Angeles Times. A cause of death has not yet been released.
Davis was convicted in 1972 for his involvement in the Hinman and Shea killings. He was denied parole eight times since 2010. During his final parole hearing in 2024, Davis reportedly discussed his aspirations to write a memoir and his appearance on a podcast. He cited a religious awakening and a doctoral degree in philosophy earned while incarcerated as reasons for his potential release.
However, California Governor Gavin Newsom repeatedly blocked Davis's parole, including a 2021 recommendation from the parole board. Newsom stated that Davis continued to minimize his crimes, failed to show empathy for his victims, and did not fully grasp his complicity in Manson's plans that led to the murders. Previous governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Brown had also denied Davis's parole.
Manson, who died in 2017 at age 83, led a cult known as the Manson Family. His followers were responsible for a series of notorious murders in 1969, including the killings of actress Sharon Tate, who was eight months pregnant, and four others at her Hollywood Hills home, and the murders of grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary the following night. Davis was convicted for his participation in the Hinman and Shea murders, which occurred separately from the Tate-LaBianca killings.
Manson used drugs like LSD to control his followers and preached about an impending apocalyptic race war. Davis once stated in a 2014 parole hearing that he "wanted to be Charlie's favorite guy," according to the Times. Manson himself was convicted in 1971 for orchestrating the murders and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Davis's conviction for the Hinman murder stemmed from an incident where he held Hinman at gunpoint while Manson cut Hinman's ear. Davis was also convicted of attacking Shea with a knife after Manson accused Shea of being a police informant.
Of the Manson Family members convicted, Patricia Krenwinkel, Charles "Tex" Watson, and Bobby Beausoleil remain incarcerated.