Bruce Davis

Bruce McGregor Davis was born on October 5, 1942, in Monroe, Louisiana. He grew up in the American South and attended college before moving west as a young adult. By the latter half of the 1960s, Davis was living in California and became part of the counterculture surrounding Los Angeles.

Davis eventually became associated with Charles Manson and the group of followers later known as the Manson Family. Older and more educated than many of Manson's younger followers, Davis became a trusted member of the group rather than simply a peripheral associate. He lived among Family members at locations including Spahn Ranch, the former movie ranch near Chatsworth that became their principal base during 1969.

Davis also travelled internationally during this period, including time spent in London. After returning to California, he became increasingly involved with Manson and other core Family members as the group's activities escalated from theft and fraud into serious violence.

The first murder for which Davis was convicted involved Gary Hinman, a musician and acquaintance of members of the Manson Family. In July 1969, Bobby Beausoleil, Susan Atkins and Mary Brunner went to Hinman's Topanga Canyon home as part of an attempt to obtain money from him. Hinman was held captive and abused over several days.

Davis initially transported members of the group to Hinman's home. When the confrontation continued, Davis returned with Manson. During this visit, Davis held Hinman at gunpoint while Manson attacked him with a sword, severely cutting his face. Davis and Manson subsequently left, while Beausoleil remained behind. Hinman was later fatally stabbed by Beausoleil. Davis's assistance and participation in the events contributed to his eventual first-degree murder conviction.

The following month, Davis became involved in the murder of Donald Jerome "Shorty" Shea, a stuntman and ranch hand who worked at Spahn Ranch. Manson believed Shea was a police informant and blamed him for law-enforcement attention directed toward the Family. Shea had become increasingly uncomfortable around Manson and his followers as tensions at the ranch intensified.

In late August 1969, Manson, Davis, Steve "Clem" Grogan and Charles "Tex" Watson surrounded Shea at the ranch. Shea was subsequently taken away and killed. Evidence presented in the later prosecution established Davis's active participation in the murder, although accounts of exactly how each participant contributed changed over time. Shea's remains were not recovered until 1977, when Grogan led authorities to the burial location.

Davis was not involved in the murders of Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, Steven Parent, Leno LaBianca or Rosemary LaBianca. Those killings occurred during the same period and became the crimes most closely associated with the Manson Family, but Davis was neither charged with nor convicted of participating in them.

Davis's murders were committed collectively with other members of the Manson Family rather than through an individual pattern of selecting and killing victims. His participation occurred within the group's hierarchical environment, with Manson directing or encouraging violence and other Family members carrying out different roles.

In the Hinman case, Davis assisted the group by providing transportation and later returned to the victim's home with Manson, where he held Hinman at gunpoint. Hinman was held captive for days before ultimately being killed by Beausoleil. In Shea's murder, Davis accompanied Manson and other Family members when Shea was taken away from Spahn Ranch and participated in the fatal attack.

Both killings involved efforts to conceal or misdirect responsibility. After Hinman's murder, words and a paw-print symbol were placed on the walls in his blood, partly to create the appearance that the killing was connected with revolutionary activity. Shea's body was concealed at the ranch and remained undiscovered for approximately eight years.

As authorities increasingly connected Manson and his followers with violent crimes during late 1969, Davis avoided capture. He left California and remained a fugitive while other members of the Family were arrested and prosecuted.

Davis remained at large for more than a year. On December 7, 1970, he surrendered to authorities after returning to California. By then, prosecutors had developed evidence connecting him with both the Hinman and Shea murders.

His prosecution was separate from the highly publicised Tate-LaBianca trial involving Manson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten. Davis instead faced charges specifically arising from his participation in the Hinman and Shea crimes.

Davis was tried in Los Angeles County alongside Manson and Steve Grogan for crimes associated with the Shea killing, while his involvement in Hinman's murder also formed part of the prosecution against him. In 1972, Davis was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder and robbery.

At sentencing, the court concluded that Davis had knowingly aided and abetted Hinman's murder and had actively participated in Shea's killing. The judge specifically rejected the idea that Davis was merely an easily manipulated follower, noting that he was older and better educated than many members of the Family and capable of exercising independent judgment.

Davis received life imprisonment and became eligible for parole under the sentencing laws applicable to his convictions. He subsequently spent decades seeking release through California's parole system.

Over the years, parole panels repeatedly denied Davis release before eventually finding him suitable for parole on several occasions. Those recommendations did not result in his freedom. Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom have each reversed parole decisions involving Davis, citing concerns about his responsibility for the murders, his understanding of his involvement with Manson and whether he continued to pose a public-safety risk.

Davis underwent a significant transformation during his decades in prison. He became a born-again Christian, participated in counselling and self-help programs, completed vocational training and pursued extensive academic study. He ultimately earned a doctoral degree in philosophy of religion and became involved in ministering to other prisoners. His institutional record and rehabilitation have repeatedly been cited by parole commissioners and supporters seeking his release.

His parole proceedings have remained controversial because of the severity and historical notoriety of the Manson Family crimes. Parole panels have on several occasions concluded that Davis no longer represents an unreasonable danger, while California governors have repeatedly disagreed. One persistent concern has involved changes in Davis's descriptions of his precise involvement in the murders and whether he has fully acknowledged his responsibility.

Davis occupies a distinct position among the convicted Manson Family killers because he played no role in the Tate-LaBianca murders that made the group internationally notorious. His murder convictions instead arose from the killings of Hinman and Shea immediately before and after the Tate-LaBianca crimes. This distinction is important when documenting his criminal history and prevents crimes committed by other Family members from being incorrectly attributed to him.

Sources:

• California Board of Parole Hearings
• California Governor's Office
• California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
• California court records
• Los Angeles Times
• Associated Press