LOS ANGELES - Gov. Jerry Brown says a former Charles Manson family member's failure to fully acknowledge his responsibility in the murders of a musician and a stuntman was central to the governor's decision to deny his release.

Brown on Friday reversed a parole board's approval of the release of 70-year-old Bruce Davis, who has served more than 40 years in prison.

In his decision handed to The Associated Press, Brown said Davis "poses a danger to society if released from prison."

The decision outlined in gruesome detail the killings of musician Gary Hinman and stuntman ranch hand Donald "Shorty" Shea.  

Davis long maintained that he was a bystander in the killing of the two men. In recent years, he has said his presence may have emboldened others because he was an elder of the group.