LOS ANGELES (AP) — A former Charles Manson follower imprisoned for 40 years in a double murder engineered by Manson won a recommendation of parole Thursday in his 27th appearance before a parole board panel.
Bruce Davis, convicted with Manson and another man in the killings of a musician and a stuntman, was not involved in the infamous Sharon Tate murders in 1969.
The
answer to his plea for freedom came on the eve of his 70th birthday. He
was a young man of 30 when he was sentenced to life in prison in 1972
in a case that was a postscript to Manson's notorious reign as leader of the murderous communal cult known as the Manson family.
Davis
long maintained he was a bystander in the killings of the two men, but
in recent years he acknowledged his shared responsibility because he was
present.
The hearing was held at the California Men's Colony at San Luis Obispo, where Davis is imprisoned.
His release was opposed by a Los Angeles prosecutor and by a former Manson
family member, Barbara Hoyt, as well as Sharon Tate's sister, Debra
Tate. The two women attended the hearing, according to The Tribune of
San Luis Obispo.
The recommendation is not the last hurdle in
Davis' quest for freedom. The parole grant is subject to a 120-day
review period by the entire parole board. If it is upheld, Gov. Jerry
Brown then has 30 days to review the decision.
Los Angeles County
district attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said, "We certainly
disagree with the board's decision. We will evaluate how we plan to
proceed as the matter goes to Gov. Brown."
She noted that District
Attorney Steve Cooley helped persuade then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
to stop Davis' prior parole date in 2010.
A parole board
determined then that Davis was ready for release, saying he had no
recent disciplinary problems and had completed education and self-help
programs.
However, Schwarzenegger reversed the decision, citing
the heinous nature of the crimes and saying Davis was still a danger.
Gov. Brown has the final say on decisions by the current parole board.
His spokesman Gil Duran declined comment after the hearing, saying the
issue had not yet reached the governor's desk.
Davis has been in prison since being convicted with Manson and another follower, Steve Grogan, in the murders of musician Gary Hinman and stuntman Donald "Shorty" Shea.
"I'm
pleased and relieved and I hope Bruce's ordeal will be over," said
attorney Michael Beckman, who has been fighting for years for the
release of Davis.
He said an emotional Davis spoke to the panel at
length and took responsibility for his role in the killings. Davis also
said he tried to do good for other inmates and would continue
ministering for troubled souls on the outside, the lawyer said.
If eventually freed, Davis will go to transitional housing associated with religious groups in Los Angeles County.
Davis
became a born-again Christian in prison and ministered to other
inmates, married a woman he met through the prison ministry, and has a
grown daughter. The couple recently divorced.
Beckman said Davis also earned a master's degree and a doctorate in philosophy of religion.
Beckman
said his client is totally rehabilitated and meets state requirements
for parole. Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Patrick Sequeira
opposed his release.
Few followers of the infamous Manson cult have been released from prison. Grogan was freed in 1985 after he led police to Shea's buried body.
Lynette
"Squeaky" Fromme was released from federal prison in 2009 after serving
time for the attempted assassination of President Gerald Ford.
Manson
and two of his followers, Leslie Van Houten and Patricia Krenwinkel,
remain in prison for life in the Tate killings. Their co-defendant,
Susan Atkins, died of cancer behind bars in 2009. Another of the Tate
killers, Charles "Tex" Watson, remains in prison.
___
Associated Press Writer Don Thompson in Sacramento contributed to this report.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
In this undated file photo provided by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shows Bruce Davis.
