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Manson's former cellmate speaks
By Joe Palmersheim
Published:
Thursday, September 25, 2003
Media Credit: Ryan Henry
The Twentieth century is full of famous criminals. Usually, after a media circus trial, they retire quietly to prison to serve their time. Charles Manson is no exception, although the scope of his crimes have fascinated the public for 30 years. When Manson jailed during the trial for Sharon Tate's murder, he was in the cell right next to Bill Davis.
This is where Davis's story begins.
In the Atwood Center Glacier Room, 40 showed people up to see Davis speak.
The event was sponsored by Prepare Ministries, an inter-denom nation ministry that is two years old and has been at SCSU for a year. "Prepare" is active on eight campuses in Minnesota.
Davis is an ordinary-looking man. Dressed in khakis, an Oxford shirt and brown shoes, he looks more like someone's father than someone who did jail time with Charles Manson. His manner also fits this description. He is warm and quick to smile.
Speaking to the public for the past 31 years has brought him everywhere in the world, except Australia, Davis said.
"[That's] my next goal," Davis said.
"How many of you came because you saw something that said 'Charles Manson' on it?" Davis asked. "That's what I love about Charlie; he keeps a whole lot of people coming to hear my story. You'll enjoy it, and if you don't enjoy it, I'll give you a money-back guarantee," Davis said.
Davis is 56 years old. He grew up in Florida, the son of a police officer. His family moved over 23 times in two years, and after failing the ninth grade, Davis dropped out and joined the U.S. Air Force. He was stationed at Lockbourne AFB guarding B-47 bombers and KC-135 refueling tankers. Drinking heavily, Davis developed an attitude problem, and was kicked out of the service for threatening a superior officer with a gun. Back home and broke, Davis broke into a house and was caught the next day. In jail, a man named "Wet Willy" taught Davis how to be a good criminal, and how to crack safes. Davis later put this knowledge to use.
After a brief fling with a church youth group, Davis started to drink again, and turned into a full-time criminal. In 18 months he broke into over 100 places. He started doing drugs, and eventually made his way out to L.A. A new drug called LSD-25 was starting to grow in popularity. Davis eventually tried it one night and took way too much.
Davis ended up in a Christian coffee house, experiencing intense hallucinations. On the floor, on his knees, a man prayed for Davis and the drug left his system. Davis turned himself in. It took the authorities two and a half hours to read all the charges on his warrant.
After serving his jail time, Davis turned to crime again in L.A. He was caught again and sentenced to a year in jail.
This is where he met Charles Manson. Manson was "freaky, really freaky," Davis said, but when it was just the other prisoners around him he toned down his act.
"He really tried to freak out the guards, and the society and the people, but with the convicts, he was just another convict," Davis said. Manson and Davis played chess together every day. Manson wasn't very good.
Although the two seemed to get along, Davis said that Manson "was not mentally ill. He was demon-possessed."
"All the things he said and his rhetoric he comes out with is demonic," Davis said. "It's not just some mental case-the guy was one of the smartest guys I'd ever met. But he was full of demons."
After jail, Davis lead a rock-and-roll lifestyle, selling drugs and working as a roadie with rock bands. But after making up with his parents, he moved back home and got a job.
Things really came to a head the night that Davis tried to kill himself after finding out that he had a bleeding ulcer and nothing else to live for. He bought $1000 worth of heroin, and on his way home to kill himself, he drove past a Christian coffee house where people were playing music. He stopped. He found himself asking for forgiveness.
"I felt the Lord remove those chains," Davis said.
"All I can do is tell you what happened to me," Davis said.
"God delivered me from that [prison]. Don't you forget to print that! I'm a free man today because of the Lord," Davis said in an interview with University Chronicle before he spoke.
After talking, Davis spoke with several members of the audience, who came up to thank him.
"I spoke at a high school once in Florida that had a Charles Manson club," Davis said. "They worshiped Charles Manson. That doesn't float my boat. But I did get a chance to speak to them, and tell the truth about Charles. I told them that they had no argument, that I was there, and you weren't. These were just teenagers, they didn't know who Charles Manson really was.
"I wasn't in the [Manson] Family, I was just in a jail cell with the dude. That's my claim to fame," Davis added, smiling.
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