Bruce Davis, an associate of Charles Manson who was convicted in two of the nine killings tied to the cult, was found Thursday to be eligible for parole, California corrections officials said.
The finding is now subject to a 120-day review and could still be blocked by Gov. Jerry Brown, according to a statement released by the state corrections department.
Sitting governors have stopped three previous attempts to grant parole to Davis, 72. In 2013, Brown said Davis is “still dodging responsibility” for his role in the Manson family’s gruesome actions in 1969.
Though he wasn’t involved in the Tate-LaBianca killings, Davis was convicted in 1972 for the murders of Gary Hinman, an aspiring musician, and Donald “Shorty” Shea, a stuntman and employee at the San Fernando Valley ranch where Manson and his followers lived.
Davis claims he did not participate in the killings of actress Sharon Tate, who was married to director Roman Polanski and pregnant at the time, or Los Angeles residents Leno and Rosemary LaBianca.
In the 40 years he has spent in prison, Davis has married, fathered a child and earned a doctoral degree in religion.
Manson remains incarcerated at Corcoran State Prison, where he is serving a life sentence. His next parole hearing is scheduled for 2027.
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