Bruce Davis letter 5/14/2009

This auction is for a letter from California double murderer and "Manson Family" member Bruce McGregor Davis. On 8/26/1969 Davis killed a Hollywood stuntman. He would later turn himself in and be convicted of two murders and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1972. During his incarceration Davis became a Christian minister and been a model prisoner. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Board of Paroling Hearings have deemed David suitable for release on parole. In each case the California Governor has reversed their decision.

ITEM DESCRIPTION: The missive is one page, dated 5/14/2009, and signed, "Bruce." Davis has also initialed after a postscript, "B.M.D." The letter comes inside a protective magazine sleeve with an acid free board and has been stored flat. Message me with any questions you might have. Thanks for having a look-see.

ORIGINAL RECIPIENT TIMOTHY LAX: This letter was originally mailed to murder victim Timothy Lax. On 5/31/2011, 24-year-old Lax, and his 18-year-old girlfriend, would be stabbed to death by Jeffery Minnick, in Oakland, MD. Minnick would enter an Alford Plea to the charges and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Lax often wrote inmates all over the United States, sending a standard letter to everyone he wished to communicate with. Lax even made the trip to Corcoran, CA, where he visited with P.H.U. inmate Kenny Calihan, meeting Charles Manson, who was also in the visitation room at the time. Lax initially met Minnick through correspondence, while he was serving time for burglary and rape.

ABOUT THE MANSON FAMILY: The "Manson Family" was a environmentally consensus commune of sorts, consisting primarily of young adults, which was established in the late 1960's by Mr. Charles Manson. The group shared similarities with other "hippie communes" of that era. In 1969, after a few members of the group were arrested and later connected to a series of high profile California murders, the group became the focus of intense media scrutiny. The crimes became known as the "Tate/Labianca Murders." At the crime scenes messages were written in blood on the walls, such as "Helter Skelter" and "political piggy." Among the victims were Roman Polanski's wife/movie actress Sharon Tate, who was over eight months pregnant and stabbed 16 times. Coffee heiress Abigail Folger was also among the dead, she was stabbed 28 times. Staring 7/25/1969 to 8/26/1969 nine people were murdered. The crimes had many residents in Los Angeles on edge. Manson, Charles Watson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, Leslie Van Houten, Bobby Beausoleil, Bruce Davis, Steve Grogan, and Linda Kasabian were arrested on unrelated charged only to be linked to the murders after Atkins began bragging to fellow inmates about the crimes. During and after the trail Lynette Fromme and Sandra Good became the two most public voices from the group. Both women were arrested in 1975, Fromme for the attempted assassination of President Ford. Prosecutors argued the 1969 crime spree was done in effort to incite a race war between white and black Americans, although there was very little evidence to suggest that. They also presented to the jury all the murders were carried out under Manson's orders. All the defendants were ultimately convicted. Despite never personally killing anyone themselves Manson, Atkins, and Van Houten were each sentenced to death, along with Krenwinkel, Watson, and Grogan. Watson had committed the bulk of the murders himself. Those death sentences would be commuted to life with the abolishment of the death penalty in 1972. Beausoleil and Davis received life sentences. Kasabian received immunity in exchange for her testimony and corroboration of the prosecution theory. Grogan would be paroled in 1985. Atkins and Manson have since died in prison. In more recent years Manson supporters Craig "Gray Wolf" Hammond and Afton "Star" Burton became the group's face. The A.T.W.A, an acronym of air, trees, water, and animals, and environmental theme has always been the message those closest to Manson have tried to conveyed and not one of "race war hippie death cult murder" that the media presents. A common misconception is despite constantly being referred to as the "Manson Family," the term itself was actually coined by the lead prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi and was never something those in the group called themselves. There has also been an ongoing argument of guilty and responsibility in the media. Some claim Manson was factually innocent of any wrong doing, a claim that does have some validity. Whether you believe Manson is innocent or guilty, the case remains one of the most celebrated in American true crime history and modern times.