Bruce Davis, former Manson family lieutenant, dies in California prison at 83

What happened

Bruce Davis died at 11:03 p.m. on Sept. 11, 2026, while serving his sentence at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, the Solano County Coroner’s Office confirmed. He was 83. A cause of death has not been released.

Who was Bruce Davis

Davis was a close associate of cult leader Charles Manson and was described by prosecutors as one of Manson’s “top lieutenants.” In 1972 he was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the 1969 murders of musician Gary Hinman, 34, and Hollywood stuntman Donald “Shorty” Shea, 35. He was not present at the more notorious Tate‑LaBianca killings that shocked the nation later that summer.

Parole saga

Over the years Davis applied for release many times. Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jerry Brown and, most recently, Gavin Newsom all rejected parole recommendations. In 2021 Newsom said Davis “currently poses an unreasonable danger to society if released.” A parole board denied him again in 2022, and a 2024 hearing was postponed after he appeared on the true‑crime podcast The Lighter Side of Serial Killers.

During a 2014 parole hearing Davis told the panel, “I wanted to be Charlie’s favorite guy.” The same hearing revealed he had written a Christmas‑card to the podcast host in 2023, expressing “looking forward” to a forthcoming hearing that never materialised.

Reactions

Debra Tate, sister of Sharon Tate, said she “always says a prayer upon their passing” when a Manson family member dies, adding, “May they finally have clarity on the actions they caused during their life, and may the Lord have mercy on their souls.”

Davis’s death closes the chapter on one of the longest‑serving members of the Manson Family, whose crimes remain a dark footnote in American criminal history.