Davis is serving two life sentences for his roles in the murders of Shorty Shea and Gary Hinman. He at one point was suspected of being The Zodiac Killer, however this theory was eventually proven to be untrue.

Shea was murdered in late August, 1969. Manson had decided to have Shea killed because they believed he had reported them to the police resulting in a raid on the ranch on August 16 where the family were taken into custody on suspicion of car theft. Family member Bruce Davis claimed that the decision to kill Shea came from Manson because he considered Shorty to be a "snitch". Manson told Davis, Tex Watson and Steve Grogan to ask for a ride to a nearby car parts yard on the ranch. According to Davis, he sat in the back seat with Grogan, who then hit Shea with a pipe wrench and Watson stabbed him.[citation needed] They brought Shea down a hill behind the ranch and stabbed and brutally tortured him to death.

On July 25, 1969, Manson sent Family member Bobby Beausoleil along with Mary Brunner and Susan Atkins to the house of acquaintance Gary Hinman, to persuade him to turn over money Manson thought Hinman had inherited. The three held the uncooperative Hinman hostage for two days, during which Manson and Davis showed up. Manson used a sword to slash Hinmans ear. After that, Beausoleil stabbed Hinman to death, ostensibly on Manson's instruction. Before leaving the Topanga Canyon residence, Beausoleil, or one of the women, used Hinman's blood to write "Political piggy" on the wall and to draw a panther paw, a Black Panther symbol.

One page (front and back) handwritten letter. Letter is general content and is signed. Original matching handwritten envelope is included.