Parole granted for Manson family member

A former associate of Charles Manson who was convicted of two killings has been found suitable for parole, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) reversed the board’s decision in 2010.

Onetime Manson Family member Susan Atkins died in September 2009, about three weeks after a state parole board panel rejected her plea for a “compassionate release” from prison because of brain cancer. Current Gov. Jerry Brown (D) reversed the rulings previous year and in 2013, saying that Davis still posed a threat to the public because he withheld information about the deaths and downplayed his role within the Manson family, according to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

On Thursday, for the 30th time, parole commissioners will consider if Davis should be paroled in the 1969 slayings of musician Gary Hinman and stuntman Donald “Shorty” Shea. It will be another five months before he decides on this recommendation, which was made on Thursday.

Davis was part of the notorious Manson “family” of followers, who committed a series of murders, including the high profile murder of pregnant actress Sharon Tate, the wife of filmmaker Roman Polanski, on 9 August 1969.

“I’m pleased that the board again obeyed the law and did the right thing, and I hope that the governor will do the same”.

He said: “The heinousness of the crimes held Southern California in the grip of fear for months”.

Manson interpreted the Beatles song Helter Skelter to symbolise an Armageddon-like war between whites and blacks.

In the 40 years he has spent in prison, Davis has married, fathered a child and earned a doctoral degree in religion.

He is serving a life sentence for two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder and robbery.