Manson Family Follower Convicted in 2 Murders, Dies at 83

By Andrew Powell (/journals/andrew-powell)

Bruce Davis, a longtime follower of Charles Manson, died at 83 while serving a life sentence in California after being convicted of his role in two 1969 killings. Davis died Sept. 11 at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, the Solano County Coroner’s Office and California corrections officials said, TMZ reported. His cause of death had not been released. Davis was sentenced to life in prison in 1972 after being convicted in the deaths of Gary Hinman, a 34-year-old musician, and Donald “Shorty” Shea, a 35-year-old Hollywood stuntman. Although Davis was convicted for his role in the killings, he was not the direct killer of either man. He also was not accused of participating in the murders of actress Sharon Tate and four other people during the infamous Manson Family attacks in August 1969. Davis spent decades seeking parole, with his release repeatedly blocked after parole officials recommended him for release. California Gov. Gavin Newsom reversed a 2021 parole recommendation, determining that Davis posed an unreasonable danger to society if released at that time. His parole proceedings also drew attention in 2024 after officials postponed a hearing following his participation in a true-crime podcast. Davis had spoken by phone with Keith Rovere, a former prison chaplain and host of “The Lighter Side of Serial Killers,” during interviews in 2023. The conversations focused on Davis’ Christian faith, his years in prison and a book he was working on. When Fox News Digital contacted him about the podcast, Davis said he had not heard the episodes and asked whether his comments made it appear that he was glorifying Manson or his crimes. Davis was one of several Manson Family members who remained imprisoned decades after the 1969 killings. Another member convicted in Shea’s death, Steve Grogan, was released on parole in 1985 after helping investigators locate Shea’s remains. Manson himself died in a California hospital in 2017 while serving a life sentence. Davis remained incarcerated until his death, closing out more than five decades behind bars tied to one of the most notorious criminal cases in California history. Watch the video below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uwNd6P9lPA