SACRAMENTO — A third consecutive California governor is blocking parole for a former follower of late cult leader Charles Manson.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday reversed a parole recommendation for Bruce Davis, now 77, for the 1969 slayings of musician Gary Hinman and stuntman Donald "Shorty" Shea. It was the sixth time Davis was recommended for parole but blocked by a governor.
Davis was not involved in the more notorious killings of actress Sharon Tate and six others by the Manson group the same year.
Davis was convicted of helping kill both men in separate slayings, after which other members of the cult wrote "political piggy" on the wall of Hinman's home in his own blood.
Parole panels have repeatedly decided Davis is no longer a public safety risk, citing his age and good behavior. But his release has been blocked by Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democrats Jerry Brown and now Newsom.
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| Bruce Davis in March 2018. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation ) |
Davis has yet to demonstrate that he has a "comprehensive understanding of how he came to participate in such extreme violence," Newsom said. "As a result, I do not believe that he has the current insight and skills to abstain from violent situations in the future if released."
Davis has said he attacked Shea with a knife and held a gun on Hinman while Manson cut Hinman's face with a sword.
"I wanted to be Charlie's favorite guy," he said during a 2014 parole hearing.
Attorney Michael Beckman said his client lacks the money to challenge Newsom's decision in court.
"Six parole boards ... decided he's been rehabilitated" after extensive hearings, Beckman said. "They're wrong. He is rehabilitated and has been for a long time."
Davis was convicted with Manson and another follower, Steve Grogan, in the two slayings. Grogan was paroled in 1985 after he led police to Shea's buried body. Robert Beausoleil, 72, convicted in Hinman's death, remains in prison.
Manson died in prison in 2017 at age 83.
Followers Leslie Van Houten, 70; Patricia Krenwinkel, 71; and Charles "Tex" Watson, 73, are imprisoned for the Tate killings. Their co-defendant, Susan Atkins, died of cancer in prison in 2009.
Newsom earlier this year blocked paroles for Beausoleil and Van Houten.
Thank you, Gov. Newsome!
ReplyDelete“the Fairy”?
ReplyDeleteWow.
I can't imagine how Bruce Davis would be a danger to society at this point. Same with Leslie. If the governor is not going to ever let a parole board decide then stop dangling parole in front of these people. Just my opinion.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more. What ever happened to the R in CDCR? This is something that Patty and stoner are feeling acutely right now.
DeleteI don't think there is a governor in any of the 50 states that would release the Manson Family of murderers. Grogan was the exception and that was pure luck. None will ever be released. Their crimes were too horrible, plus the way they acted after being caught, like it was all a game. Yes, they most likely wouldn't be a danger, but that's irrelevant, even though the rules say differently. It is what it is....
ReplyDeleteMy sympathy level for this man = Zero
ReplyDeleteI just don't get the Hinman rap. Don't believe he was even there when murdered by Beausoleil.
ReplyDeleteThat leaves the Shorty death and it seems Grogan and he were involved at exactly the same fuzzy level yet Grogan's been free forever and I don't believe has committed any further offenses. In fact been quite productive.
So I just don't see what this old Davis geezer is still doing in prison having already served biblical time for the crime compared to all others with similar raps or even worse.
What does CDCR mean ?
CDCR - California Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation
ReplyDeleteCDCR- Cemetery Drawings and Coffin Rubbings- I mean DUH !
ReplyDeleteI wish I could care. I wish I could time travel into that CBS news thing on line where Bruce turns himself in from the sewers high off his ass and tell him - you going away for a half century boyo. Run the other way. But I never cared about the killers. They did it, fuck them. I care about the motive and we ain't getting that and I thought we would after BUG died. Not that O'Neill's reboot of The Ultimate Evil helped, mind you
ReplyDeleteBoyo is such a great old Tammany Hall expression. The only other time i have ever heard anyone use it is Eugene Crabs.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely ridiculous really suprised he's even still alive after all these year's he had to come to the conclusion after the first veto he's never leaving any other way then in a pine box
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely ridiculous really suprised he's even still alive after all these year's he had to come to the conclusion after the first veto he's never leaving any other way then in a pine box
ReplyDeleteCol Scott said: "CDCR- Cemetery Drawings and Coffin Rubbings- I mean DUH !"
ReplyDeleteWell I thought it meant "Community of Dastardly Criminal Relics" but … duh ! ?
Col Scott said: "I wish I could care."
ReplyDeleteAnyone living in Cali should care. Isn't he costing (taxpayers) a lot to keep alive ?
@Peter, Boyo is definitely still in the Irish American lexicon.
ReplyDelete"Not that O'Neill's reboot of The Ultimate Evil helped, mind you." Funniest comment the Col ever wrote on here. Shoutout to everyone from a lurker.
Robert C- so what do you want to do with Brucie he ain't getting out ever '
ReplyDeleteGreenWhite- I am constantly amazed at what people will get tweaked about on the interwebs lol. Back when I was hosting the still ONLY Official TLB Blog I remember people objecting to me pointing out the Parent/Garrettson tryst. Maybe it is being in LA and NY but I am amazed constantly at what bothers people
I do think that I have made funnier comments but yeah, the oddest thing here is that it's true. Did you read the book? He's got everything in there from the Panthers to MK Ultra- though I think he was actually sweet on the BUG.
I mean the basic premise was "BUG lied during the trial." Even Bill Molesto Nelson would have agreed with that back in 1994 ffs.
ColScott said...
ReplyDeleteI do think that I have made funnier comments
Oh, for sure. The re-boot one isn't even funny even if it is factual.
Peter said...
Boyo is such a great old Tammany Hall expression. The only other time i have ever heard anyone use it is Eugene Crabs
Hey, you should live in Wales then. You'd get a lifetime of it in a month.
Ajerseydevil said...
he's never leaving any other way then in a pine box
Would've been one heck of a way to escape.....
AustinAnn74 said...
Yes, they most likely wouldn't be a danger, but that's irrelevant
Actually, it couldn't be more relevant and Guv'nor Gavin is the one that has made it relevant by utilizing it as his reason for keeping Brucie in the clink. By agreeing that "they" most likely wouldn't be a danger if released, you're in effect saying that there's no safely legal reason for them remaining as they are. "Revenge" no longer flies. And if I remember rightly, Davis wasn't the one laughing, singing qand making merry during his trial.
xreles said...
My sympathy level for this man = Zero
That's quite a pun !
That noted, I do have an amount of sympathy for him; I think I'd have it for most 77 year olds that are in a safety unit in prison because someone wants to kill them to get out of paying money they owe to someone.
It's irrelevant, because that's not the real reason they're keeping them locked up. Frankly, I don't give a rat's ass what the real reason is. They forfeited freedom a long time ago by choosing to do what they did...how about that for a reason?!
ReplyDeleteColScott said: " Robert C- so what do you want to do with Brucie he ain't getting out ever ' "
ReplyDeleteI say reduce him down to one instead of three meals a day as a cost cutting measure. In fact everything for him should be reduced to one -- one shoe, one boxer shorts, one hospital gown and nighty-night cap, etc. His incarceration costs should plummet.
Actually I find it hard to understand why he'd even want out at this point. He gets better care than most on the outside, free. I mean at his age does the exalted 'freedom' matter anymore when he can watch endless re-runs of Perry Mason daily while sipping his hot-tottie ?
Ajerseydevil said: " … he's never leaving any other way then in a pine box "
Maybe a cardboard one if they cremate him. It's all the rage these days.
Robert C said...
ReplyDeleteActually I find it hard to understand why he'd even want out at this point. He gets better care than most on the outside, free. I mean at his age does the exalted 'freedom' matter anymore...........?
Those that haven't been in a situation where the freedom to do as you please {within reason, of course} doesn't exist will often {though not always} have a hard time trying to work out why an old prisoner wants out.
The pilot episode of "Star Trek" covers this notion quite aptly. The Telosions or whatever they were called couldn't understand that the humans from the Enterprise would rather die than be kept in captivity, even though they would be "well cared for." They couldn't see that freedom was something to be treasured, even if some eventually abuse it.
If Bruce Davis was freed tomorrow, the day after that, he could walk into an all night store and buy a beer and a chocolate bar. He could phone a few people, all in the same night and express his opinions freely without fear that saying he understands why a terrorist would turn to terror would count against him in a parole hearing 2 years down the line. He could phone more people in an hour than he could in jail in 6 months. He could log into Mansonblog and get a glimpse of what the cross section of thought on him is. He could do "oldies dating" and grab a well cooked, healthy tasting veggieburger. He could sleep 15 hours and not be told when to get up, what to do or be directed in his moves all day....every day....for half a century. And have parole freedom dangled in front of him, only to have it snatched away by guv'nors that can't really justify why but have the power of the law on their side.
Prison isn't meant to be nice and by the level of his efforts to get out, one can conclude that for him, it hasn't been. Even if he got out and lived another 13 years, well, that's 13 years. 90 is the new 60 !
AustinAnn74 said...
ReplyDeleteFrankly, I don't give a rat's ass what the real reason is. They forfeited freedom a long time ago by choosing to do what they did...how about that for a reason?!
It's a solid, legally safe reason and is open to the guv'nor to use with absolutely no blow back. Yet he chooses not to. He utilizes reasoning that is demonstrably untrue and hugely shaky. If it doesn't worry you simply because of who it is levelled at...........it should. I finally understand what some people are getting at when they say things like "someday, it might be you."
Life means life. They took it so they lose their free life. No governor is going to want to have the stain of freeing a Manson family member on their legacy.
ReplyDeleteFreddieLives said...
ReplyDeleteLife means life. They took it so they lose their free life
Life with the possibility of parole means life with the possibility of parole.
So where do we go from here ?
There are countless others that have killed and given life with parole that were released after 20-30 yrs max. The only reason he's being kept this long is,the fact he was connected to the Manson family.I sometimes wonder if they hadn't murdered Sharon Tate,if most of them would already be free. It's always referred to as the Tate murders. Everyone that was killed that night obviously wasn't a Tate, but their names so often get forgotten. Same with the LaBiancas, they're always a second thought too. Unfortunately I know some one that committed murder for $10,000. He served 15 years. The person wasn't famous so let them out I guess. I know the crimes were horrific but 51 years is a bit much for Bobby and Leslie! The others I don't care about. But even then after 51 years I question. It's purely political. No one wants to ruin their political career for doing what is actually right. Why have parole and parole boards?
ReplyDelete