Manson family member Bruce Davis found eligible for parole
Bruce Davis, an associate of Charles Manson who was convicted in two of the nine killings tied to the cult, was found Thursday to be eligible for parole, corrections officials said.
The finding is now subject to a 120-day review and could still be blocked by Gov. Jerry Brown, according to a statement released by the state corrections department.
Sitting governors have stopped three previous attempts to grant parole to Davis, 72. In blocking Davis’ release in 2013 and 2014, Brown said he is “still dodging responsibility” for his role in the Manson family’s gruesome crimes in 1969.
Davis has been denied parole 28 times.
Though he wasn’t involved in the Tate-LaBianca killings, Davis was convicted in 1972 for the murders of Gary Hinman, an aspiring musician, and Donald “Shorty” Shea, a stuntman and employee at the Chatsworth ranch where Manson and his followers lived.
Hinman’s body was found in Davis’ home, with the words “political piggy” drawn in blood on a nearby wall.
Davis claims he did not participate in the killings of actress Sharon Tate, who was married to director Roman Polanski and pregnant at the time, or Los Feliz residents Leno and Rosemary LaBianca.
In the 40 years he has spent in prison, Davis has married, fathered a child and earned a doctoral degree in religion.
Manson remains incarcerated at Corcoran State Prison, where he is serving a life sentence. His next parole hearing is scheduled for 2027.
Three other Manson family members remain incarcerated. Patricia Krenwinkel, who was convicted on seven counts of murder in the Tate-LaBianca slayings, is incarcerated in Corona and will be eligible for parole in 2018.
Robert Beausoleil, who along with Davis was convicted in Hinman’s death, remains jailed in Oregon. His next parole hearing is scheduled for later this year.
Leslie Van Houten, who was also convicted in the Tate-LaBianca murders, is also incarcerated in Corona and will not be eligbile for parole again until 2018.
Times staff writer Christine Mai-Duc contributed to this report.
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