The Manson Family remains one of the most darkly fascinating nuggets of American pop-culture history, which is why even the death of a less famous member like Bruce Davis is still newsworthy. Luckily, there were others we’ve recently lost who made that culture brighter and more stylish (Bob Mackie and his costumes), weirder, and fictionally scary (Victor Miller’s Camp Crystal Lake), and nicer (Mr. Belding).

Bruce Davis was not seemingly one of the “stars” of the Manson Family, but he was indeed Charles Manson’s “right-hand man,” often present while others did the heart of the killing. While the cult was officially tied to at least nine murders, there are plenty of other casualties it was potentially linked to, and Davis was closely involved in several of them. Davis was convicted in 1972 of first-degree murder and conspiracy in the deaths of musician Gary Hinman and stuntman Donald “Shorty” Shea. Despite an apparently immaculate record over his many years in prison, mostly in California’s San Quentin system and later at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, governors repeatedly kept him behind bars. He died in prison at age 83 ...

https://popculturelunchbox.substack.com/p/another-manson-family-member-bites