GOVERNOR NEWSOM’S RULING ON BOBBY BEAUSOLEIL’S 2025 PAROLE RECOMMENDATION

May 2 – Robert Beausoleil was a member of Charles Manson’s cult known as “the Family.” In the summer of 1969, the group fervently embraced Mr. Manson’s apocalyptic and brutal worldview. Mr. Manson and his followers believed that a civilization-ending war between the races – known as Helter Skelter – was imminent, and that the Family would emerge from hiding in the desert at the end of the war to take control of the world. Mr. Manson and his followers came to believe that the Family would have to trigger the start of a race war by committing atrocious, high-profile murders of white victims to incite retaliatory violence against Black people. The Manson Family’s stated goal was to prepare for Helter Skelter, physically, mentally, and financially.

In July 1969, Mr. Manson and a group of Family members, including Mr. Beausoleil, discussed ways to raise money to relocate their group to the desert. They identified an acquaintance, Gary Alan Hinman, as a potential source of funds. On July 26, 1969, Mr. Beausoleil was seen in the company of Mr. Manson and Bruce Davis. Mr. Beausoleil was carrying a sheathed knife, and Bruce Davis had a 9-millimeter gun. That night, Mr. Davis dropped off three Family members: Mary Brunner, Susan Atkins, and Mr. Beausoleil at Mr. Hinman’s residence. Two days later, the group of three called Mr. Manson from Mr. Hinman’s house and reported that Mr. Hinman “was not cooperating.”

Mr. Manson and Mr. Davis returned to Mr. Hinman’s house. When they arrived, Mr. Hinman had already been struck with a gun; during that struggle, the gun had discharged. Mr. Davis took the gun from Mr. Beausoleil and pointed it at Mr. Hinman while Mr. Manson sliced Mr. Hinman’s face open with a sword, cutting from his left ear down to his chin. Mr. Davis and Mr. Manson drove back to the Ranch where they were staying in Mr. Hinman’s vehicle. Ms. Brunner, Ms. Atkins, and Mr. Beausoleil remained at Mr. Hinman’s house for two more days while Mr. Hinman lay bleeding. Mr. Beausoleil eventually stabbed Mr. Hinman in the chest and smothered him with a pillow, killing him.

Inside the home, using Mr. Hinman’s blood, the group wrote the words “political piggy” and drew an animal paw print on the walls. Mr. Beausoleil fled, but later returned to the house to wipe the paw print off the wall. Mr. Hinman’s badly decomposed body was found on July 31, 1969. The following week, police arrested Mr. Beausoleil in Mr. Hinman’s car.

DECISION

I am required to give “great weight to the diminished culpability of youth as compared to adults, the hallmark features of youth, and any subsequent growth and increased maturity of the prisoner” when reviewing the parole cases of those who committed their crimes when they were under the age of 26. (Pen. Code, § 4801, subd. (c).) Mr. Beausoleil committed this crime when he was 21 years old. At the time of the crime, Mr. Beausoleil demonstrated hallmark features of youth, including immaturity, aggression, impulsivity, susceptibility to negative peer influence, and inability or lack of desire to extricate himself from disadvantageous circumstances. These factors diminished his culpability under youth offender laws. I have examined the record for evidence of Mr. Beausoleil’s subsequent growth and increased maturity since his life crime. He has been incarcerated for more than 55 years and has made efforts to improve himself in prison. He earned a GED, completed two vocational programs, participated in self-help programming, maintained a positive work history, and enrolled in college courses.

Under elderly parole laws, I must also give special consideration to whether current age, the amount of time served, and any diminished physical condition reduce risk of future violence. Mr. Beausoleil is now 77 years old. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2021 and underwent surgery to remove the lung. Currently, Mr. Beausoleil’s health is stable. The evaluating psychologist found that Mr. Beausoleil’s physical condition does not meaningfully impair his functioning and, cognitively, he did not exhibit any signs of experiencing age-related decline.

In April 2019, I reversed Mr. Beausoleil’s January 2019 parole grant based on his lack of insight into his substance use and his underlying motives for his antisocial and violent conduct. Since then, Mr. Beausoleil engaged in additional programming to address his risk factor for substance use relapse. I commend him for taking these steps and encourage him to continue on this positive path.

After assessing Mr. Beausoleil’s record and giving great weight to the relevant youthful offender factors and special consideration of the elderly parole factors, I conclude that these mitigating factors are outweighed by negative factors that demonstrate he remains unsuitable for parole at this time.

Mr. Beausoleil played a significant role in the first of the Manson Family’s notorious murders. Mr. Manson, Mr. Beausoleil, and other Manson Family members tortured Mr. Hinman for several days after he refused to provide money for their planned apocalyptic race war. Mr. Manson sliced Mr. Hinman’s throat and severed his ear. Mr. Beausoleil let Mr. Hinman bleed out for two days before Mr. Beausoleil stabbed Mr. Hinman and smothered him to death.

Mr. Beausoleil has not sufficiently addressed his insight deficits. While Mr. Beausoleil accepts responsibility for stabbing Mr. Hinman, he still has not adequately articulated the internal processes that led him to engage in such extreme violence. Mr. Beausoleil tends to minimize his conduct and the injuries that Mr. Hinman sustained during the final days of his life. Mr. Beausoleil’s inadequate insight is further demonstrated in his November 2024 letter to Mr. Hinman’s niece, in which Mr. Beausoleil tends to portray himself as a victim.

During his parole proceedings, Mr. Beausoleil has continuously attempted to separate himself from Mr. Manson and the Manson Family. Mr. Beausoleil told the panel, “I want as much distance between me and [Mr. Manson] as possible.” However, Mr. Beausoleil has repeatedly chosen to participate in interviews related to the Manson Family and their crimes. The psychologist wrote, “In the opinion of this evaluator, Mr. Beausoleil has experienced adulation from others, in prison and in the community, and this experience has likely contributed to the maintenance of personality traits that have made it difficult for him at times to understand how some of his attitudes and behaviors can be problematic.” If released on parole, Mr. Beausoleil will have to prosocially manage challenges resulting from his notoriety. He must demonstrate improved judgment and coping skills in this area.

I encourage Mr. Beausoleil to further develop his self-awareness into victim impact and develop the skills he will need to appropriately manage and mitigate his notoriety.

CONCLUSION

I have considered the evidence in the record that is relevant to whether Mr. Beausoleil is currently dangerous. When considered as a whole, I find the evidence shows that he currently poses an unreasonable danger to society if released from prison at this time. Therefore, I reverse the decision to parole Mr. Beausoleil.

Decision Date:
May 2, 2025
GAVIN NEWSOM
Governor, State of California