Bruce Davis, a long-time member of the Manson Family cult led by Charles Manson, has died in custody. Davis had been serving a life sentence in a California prison for his role in two high-profile murders that occurred in 1969.

Davis was convicted in 1972 for the killings of musician Gary Hinman and stuntman Donald 'Shorty' Shea. While he was not involved in the more widely publicized Tate-LaBianca murders that occurred later that summer, his participation in the Hinman and Shea cases solidified his status as a key figure within the cult's criminal history. For decades, Davis sought parole, arguing that he had undergone significant rehabilitation and religious conversion, but his requests were repeatedly denied by parole boards and blocked by California governors who cited the severity of his crimes and his failure to take full responsibility for his actions. His death marks the end of a decades-long legal saga surrounding one of the most notorious criminal groups in American history.