(Newser)
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A California man who helped murder two people on the orders of Charles Manson in 1969 has been recommended for release by a state parole panel. Bruce Davis, 70, has been in prison for 40 years for the murders of musician Gary Hinman and stuntman Donald "Shorty" Shea. Davis was recommended for parole in 2010 but then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger blocked his release. His parole grant will now be reviewed by the entire parole board, after which Gov. Jerry Brown has 30 days to review the decision, the AP reports.
Davis, who was not involved in the Tate-LaBianca murders, has become an ordained minister while in prison and earned master's degrees in philosophy and religion. At the parole hearing, he acknowledged his role in the two murders, said he tried to do good for other inmates, and pledged to continue to work as a minister outside of prison. After the panel's decision, a prosecutor on the Manson case said he was dismayed that Manson's "right-hand man" might be freed. "Would you want to wake up and find Bruce Davis next door?" he asked. "I think not."
