Former Manson Family killer Bruce Davis is rejected for parole

[August 09, 2014]  By Alex Dobuzinskis
 
 LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Former Manson Family member Bruce Davis, who was sentenced to life in prison for two 1969 murders but was granted parole this year, was ordered on Friday to remain behind bars by California Governor Jerry Brown who rejected the decision to free him.

When the 71-year-old Davis was granted parole by a state board in March, it was uncertain whether he would step out of prison on that vote of confidence in him by the panel, because Brown last year reversed a similar decision.

Davis has been serving a life sentence in a California state prison since his 1972 conviction for the murders of music teacher Gary Hinman, who was stabbed to death in July 1969, and stunt man Donald "Shorty" Shea, who was killed the following month.

Brown, in his review of the case, said he found Davis had still not taken full responsibility for the murders.

"When considered as a whole, I find the evidence shows that he currently poses an unreasonable danger to society if released from prison," Brown, a Democrat, wrote in his order. "Therefore, I reverse the decision to parole Davis."

Davis did not take part in the most infamous murders committed by the followers of Charles Manson, the Tate-LaBianca slayings.

Actress Sharon Tate, the pregnant wife of filmmaker Roman Polanski, was stabbed 16 times by members of the cult in the early morning hours of Aug. 9, 1969.

Four other people were stabbed or shot to death at Tate's Los Angeles home that night by the Manson followers, who scrawled the word "Pig" in blood on the front door before leaving.

The following night, Manson's group stabbed Leno and Rosemary LaBianca to death at their house.

The killings in the summer of 1969 caused panic in Los Angeles. The murders also made Manson one of the 20th century's most infamous criminals.

Manson had directed his mostly young, female followers to kill in what prosecutors said was part of a plan to incite a race war between whites and blacks.

Now 79, Manson is serving a life sentence at Corcoran State Prison for the seven Tate-LaBianca killings and the murder of Hinman. He has been repeatedly denied parole.

Davis was previously granted parole in 2010 but remained incarcerated after that decision was reversed by then-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

(Additional reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Robert Birsel)

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