Who Is Bruce Davis? Charles Manson Follower's Parole Request Blocked By California Governor Again

Charles Manson follower and convicted killer Bruce Davis had his parole blocked Friday night by California Gov. Jerry Brown even after a recommendation from a state panel. This is the fifth time Davis missed his chance of leaving the California Men’s Colony at San Luis Obispo.

Brown has repeatedly refused anyone from Manson’s “family” to be freed. The 74-year-old Davis is serving a life sentence for the 1969 slayings of musician Gary Hinman and stuntman Donald “Shorty” Shea.

“These cult murders have left an indelible mark on the public — the Manson Family is still feared to this day,” Brown wrote in his written decision. “Incredibly heinous and cruel offenses like these constitute the ‘rare circumstances’ in which the crime alone can justify a denial of parole.”

Read: New Charles Manson Prison Interviews Revealed In Documentary About Helter Skelter Murders

Brown acknowledged the factors leading up to the recommendation for Davis' parole, including efforts to improve himself, his academic progress, and 25 years with no discipline for misconduct, but said these things are "outweighed by negative factors that demonstrate he remains unsuitable for parole."

Brown added, “His continued minimization of his own violence and his role in the Manson Family further shows that he remains an unreasonable risk to the public.”

Davis was not involved in the notorious killings of actress Sharon Tate and six others by the Manson "family."

Manson, who is one of the most infamous criminals in American history, fostered a community of close followers in the 1960s and directed them to conduct the gruesome murders over two days in August 1969. 26-year-old Tate, the wife of director Roman Polanski, was 8 ½ months pregnant when she was stabbed to death at her Benedict Canyon, California, home alongside Jay Sebring, 35; Voytek Frykowski, 32; coffee heiress Abigail Folger, 25; and Steven Parent, 18. The following night, the so-called Manson family killed Leno LaBianca and Rosemary LaBianca in Los Feliz.

Davis' earlier parole bid was also rejected by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger despite parole panels deciding Davis was no longer a public safety risk. In 2014, during a hearing, Davis detailed his crime saying 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 at the time.

On Thursday, California officials denied parole for convicted killer and Manson follower Patricia Krenwinkel for the 14th time. Krenwinkel, 69, was convicted of seven counts of first-degree murder for participating in the August 1969 Manson family killings of Tate and others. Krenwinkel has been in prison for 47 years and can request for parole again after five years, CNN reported Thursday.

In January, Manson made headlines when he was hospitalized after falling ill. He was admitted to a medical center in Bakersfield, California, for gastrointestinal bleeding. Some reports at the time claimed the notorious killer may not survive. However, he recovered and was eventually taken back to Corcoran State Prison in California where he remains.