California Men's Colony - Notable Inmates

Notable Inmates

• Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris met at CMC in 1978, before they committed their crime spree.
• In 1996, Christian Brando was released from CMC "after serving five years of a 10-year term in the fatal shooting of his half sister's boyfriend."
• Richard Allen Davis was paroled from CMC in June 1993 "after serving half of a 16-year sentence" for kidnapping.
• Jim Gordon, the drummer, spent some time at CMC after killing his mother in 1983. As of 2005, however, he was in Atascadero State Hospital.
• Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson was in CMC between 1984 and October 1986 "for sexually assaulting two teen-age girls and then trying to bribe them not to testify against him."
• Charles Keating Jr. began his stay at CMC in 1992, but his state and federal convictions were overturned, so he was released in October 1996.
• Suge Knight was incarcerated at CMC beginning in February 1997 but was later transferred to Mule Creek State Prison.
• Timothy Leary was imprisoned at CMC after being sentenced in March 1970 for possession of marijuana, but escaped from the West facility in September 1970 with the assistance of the Weatherman organization. He had been placed in "the least security-rated institution in the state" because "he did not 'represent either violence potential or serious escape risk'." After spending time with Eldridge Cleaver in Algeria and attempting to "gain political asylum" in Switzerland, Leary was arrested in Afghanistan in January 1973. After being convicted of "escape from a minimum security prison," he was sent to California Medical Facility.
• Herbert Mullin "spent nearly 20 years" at CMC "before being transferred to Mule Creek in 1993."
• Current inmate Craig Peyer's next parole hearing will be in 2027.
• Mark Rogowski. Pleaded guilty to March 20, 1991 murder (first-degree) and rape of Jessica Bergsten. Denied parole on February 7, 2011. He will not be eligible for parole until February 2018.
• Lawrence Singleton in 1987 "earned an early release through a work program and good behavior" after having served 8 years of a 14-year sentence.
• Edgar Smith, now at High Desert State Prison (California), had a parole hearing in March 2007.
• Ike Turner served 18 months of a four year sentence at CMC between March 1990 and September 1991 for cocaine possession offenses.
• Charles "Tex" Watson was at CMC between the early 1970s and 1993, where he "married and fathered three children during conjugal visits" and "began operating a nonprofit Christian ministry that distributed audio tapes and solicited donations." He was then transferred to the medium-security Mule Creek State Prison. A spokesman for the prison stated that the move was "part of the routine shuffling of inmates around the state"; however, others said that it was related to pressure from the family of Sharon Tate, recommendations of the state Board of Prison Terms, and the actions of a state senator.
• Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell was at CMC between 2000 and 2004. Much of the film documentary Hooked: The Legend of Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell was filmed while Hook was at CMC. Since being released from CMC Hook has started Project Straight Path, a non-profit organization committed to raise the consciousness of youths, desire of youth's interest in education and raise cultural consciousness.
• Bobby Beausoleil, another convicted murderer associated with the Manson Family (though convicted of a crime pre-dating the Tate/LaBianca murders), was incarcerated at CMC during the 1990s. His wife, Barbara, lived nearby for years.
• Bruce McGregor Davis, convicted Manson Family murderer serving two life sentences for his parts in two Manson Family murders.
• Joshua Swindell, sentenced to 15 years to life for second degree murder of Keith Ogden