Bruce Davis, a former key lieutenant in Charles Manson’s cult who was convicted of involvement in two murders linked to the notorious 1969 killing spree, died Friday at a hospital in Vacaville, California. He was 83, according to a spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, which confirmed his death but did not disclose a cause.

Davis’s association with Manson placed him at the center of a series of brutal crimes that shocked the nation. In August 1969, followers of Manson—known as the Manson Family—carried out a series of killings in Los Angeles, including the murder of actress Sharon Tate, who was eight and a half months pregnant at the time.

Although Davis was not present during the August murders, he had participated in an earlier, equally violent incident. In July 1969, Davis was involved in the torture and killing of Gary Hinman, a musician in Topanga, California. During this episode, Davis and Manson confronted Hinman over several days; Davis allegedly held Hinman at gunpoint while Manson inflicted facial wounds with a sword. After the two left, another follower fatally stabbed Hinman.

Davis was also implicated in the murder of Donald Shea, an employee at Spahn Ranch, the Manson Family’s base near Los Angeles. Manson ordered Shea’s killing two weeks after the August spree, fearing Shea was cooperating with law enforcement. Davis admitted to participating in the stabbing of Shea in a remote section of the ranch.

Born Bruce McGregor Davis on October 5, 1942, in Monroe, Louisiana, he was raised in Mobile, Alabama, and Kingston, Tennessee. Reports indicate he suffered physical abuse from his father during childhood. Davis briefly attended the University of Tennessee, studying political science before dropping out and hitchhiking westward. He worked various jobs in Northern California before becoming involved with Manson’s group.

Davis provided differing accounts of how he met Manson but acknowledged being drawn to the group’s drug use and the presence of women in Manson’s circle. Manson reportedly regarded Davis highly and in 1968 sent him to London to study Scientology. However, Davis was expelled from the program amid accusations of drug use.

Following the 1969 crimes, Davis was indicted on two counts of first-degree murder in 1970. He initially went into hiding but surrendered to authorities later that year, appearing at the Los Angeles County Courthouse barefoot with a carved X on his forehead, a mark made famous by Manson during his own trial. He was convicted in 1972 and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Over the following decades, Davis sought parole multiple times. Although a parole board approved his release in 2010, then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger denied the request. Subsequent parole approvals were blocked by Schwarzenegger’s successors, Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom. Davis remained incarcerated until his death.