Los Angeles - Governor Jerry Brown Friday reversed a parole board's decision to release from prison a former member of the Charles Manson cult.
Stating that Bruce Davis currently poses a danger to society, Brown said that the 70-year-old remains unsuitable for parole.
Davis was one of several members of "the Family" to have been convicted in the slayings of Gary Alan Hinman, an aspiring musician, and Donald Shea, whom they suspected of being a police informant. He was sentenced to life in prison in 1972.
"As our Supreme Court has acknowledged, in rare circumstances, a murder is so heinous that it provides evidence of current dangerousness by itself. This is such a case," Brown wrote, adding that Davis has "has consistently minimized his role in these crimes and the Family's activities."
Davis has served 42 years behind bars.
In Friday's decision, the governor also commended Davis for earning both a Masters and Ph.D. while incarcerated and participating in several self-help groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Alternatives to Violence.
"Until Davis can acknowledge and explain why he actively championed the Family's interests, and shed more light on the nature of his involvement, I am not prepared to release him," the governor said.
City News Service reported that Los Angeles County D.A. Jackie Lacey has previously opposed parole for Davis.
