Bruce Davis, a former Manson family member, was granted parole on Wednesday after 28 tries. Bruce Davis was convicted in 1972 for the 1969 murders of Gary Hinman and Donald “Shorty” Shea. Being granted parole does not necessarily mean that Davis will get out. He has been granted parole two other times , but Governor Schwarzenegger and Governor Brown overturned both of those decisions. Governor Brown has 30 days to review the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Board of Parole Hearings decision, if their decision is upheld after a 120 day internal process.
Bruce Davis, 71, was born in Monroe, Louisiana and traveled around before joining the Manson family in 1967. Allegedly, Charles Manson was drawn to Davis because he had a record, was interested in Scientology and brought another male presence into the family. After spending some time with the Manson family, Bruce Davis moved to London for six months where he worked at the Scientology headquarters there. Davis was removed for drug abuse and returned to the Manson family.
While the Manson family members were living on Spahn Ranch near Chatsworth, California, Bruce Davis was involved in the two murders he would later receive a life sentence for. The first involved Gary Hinman, a friend of Charles Manson, who Manson believed was a snitch. Manson sliced Hinman up with a sword while Bruce Davis was present.
Bruce Davis was also involved in the murder of hollywood stuntman, Donald “Shorty” Shea. In previous parole hearings, Davis described how members of the Manson family killed Shea .
“I was in the car when Steve Grogan hit Shorty with the pipe wrench. Charles Watson stabbed him. I was in the backseat with…with Grogan. They took Shorty out. They had to go down the hill to a place. I stayed in the car for quite a while but what…then I went down the hill later on and that’s when I cut Shorty on the shoulder with the knife, after he was…well, I don’t know…I…I don’t know if he was dead or not. He didn’t bleed when I cut him on the shoulder.”
Debra Tate, sister of actress Sharon Tate who was the most famous victim of the Manson family , spoke at the parole hearing . After the decision to grant parole to Bruce Davis, she told NBC 4 , “Today was a very bad day.” Bruce Davis is currently imprisoned at the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo, California where he allegedly became a Christian.
Should the former Manson family member Bruce Davis be granted parole?
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