Bruce Davis, Manson’s alleged right-hand man, dies at 83 in California prison

Bruce Davis, long-identified as Charles Manson’s “right-hand man,” was pronounced dead by a nurse at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville on Sept. 11. He was 83 and had spent most of his life behind bars after a 1972 conviction for the murders of aspiring musician Gary Hinman and stuntman Donald “Shorty” Shea, both tied to the Manson cult’s operations at Spahn Ranch. Davis never participated in the infamous Tate-LaBianca killings, but governors Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom each blocked his parole despite eight suitability findings since 2010.

In his 2024 hearing, officials questioned his desire to publish a memoir and appear on a true-crime podcast, fearing it would glorify the crimes. Throughout his incarceration he earned a master’s degree and completed self-help programs, with his attorney calling him the most rehabilitated inmate he’d represented. The exact cause of death has not been disclosed.