Today we look at the top 10 most dangerous prisoners held inside what many still call San Quentin State Prison.
10 – Vincent Edward Brothers
Convicted American murderer Brothers, gained national attention due to the shocking nature of his crimes, including the murder of his wife, his three children, and his mother-in-law.
Brothers was a well-educated individual who worked as a vice principal at an elementary school in Bakersfield, California.
His victims are thought to have totalled five people, however, Initially, Brothers had an alibi suggesting he was on a trip to Ohio at the time of the murders.
Forensic evidence, such as insect fragments found in the radiator of his car, indicated that the car had traveled through the desert to California and back during the time of the murders.
Other evidence included discrepancies in his travel logs and phone records, while prosecutors suggested Brothers was motivated by personal and financial issues.
Additionally, life insurance policies taken out on the family members added a financial angle to the motive.
Arrested in April 2004, Brothers trial became national news and he was later convicted on five counts of first-degree murder.
He was sentenced to death and remains on death row at San Quentin.
9 – Richard Allen Davis
Best known for the 1993 kidnapping and murder of Polly Klaas, who was abducted from her home during a sleepover with friends.
On December 4th, 1993, Davis confessed to the crime and was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and murder.
Davis’s trial began in 1996 with the evidence against him being overwhelming, including forensic evidence and his own confession.
He was convicted of first-degree murder with special circumstances, as well as kidnapping and other charges.
Davis displayed a lack of remorse during the trial, even making a controversial statement suggesting Polly’s father was partly to blame for the tragedy, a claim that was widely condemned.
On August 5, 1996, Davis was sentenced to death and remains on death row at San Quentin.
The crime and case were a key factor in the passing of California’s “Three Strikes” law, which imposes harsher sentences on repeat offenders.
8 – Bobby Beausoleil
Former associate of the infamous Manson Family, a cult led by Charles Manson, Beausoleil is best known for his involvement in the murder of Gary Hinman.
Before becoming involved with the Manson Family, he was a musician and aspiring actor, appearing in underground films and playing in bands. while being associated with the counterculture scene in Los Angeles.
In July 1969, Charles Manson ordered Beausoleil and other followers to visit Hinman, who they believed had money to contribute to the group.
When Hinman refused to hand over his assets, Beausoleil, along with Susan Atkins and Mary Brunner, held him hostage for two days.
Beausoleil claimed the murder was instigated by Manson and others, though he ultimately carried it out himself and attempted to frame a racial group named the Black Panthers.
Convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death, his sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment when California abolished the death penalty in 1972.
While incarcerated, he has pursued music and art, recording music and creating visual artwork, gaining some recognition in underground and counterculture circles for his creative output.
7 – Bruce Davis
Growing up in a religious household and attending college, Davis eventually dropped out and became involved in the counterculture movement of the 1960s.
He joined Charles Manson and his followers in 1967, becoming a trusted member of the group.
He was present during the events leading to Gary Hinman’s death, though he did not directly participate in the killing.
Davis, along with Manson and other followers, was directly involved in stabbing and beating Donald Shea to death after beliving he was a police informant.
Arrested in 1970 along with other members of the Manson Family, in 1972, he was convicted of first-degree murder for both killings.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment where he apparently became a born-again christian and earned a doctorate in religious studies.
6 – Billy Ray Waldon
Involved in a series of violent crimes across Oklahoma and California during the mid-1980s.
Waldon’s crime spree began in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in October 1985, involving multiple robberies and shootings.
He then moved to San Diego, California, where his offenses escalated to include murder, rape, arson, and robbery.
Notably, in December 1985, he was responsible for the deaths of Dawn Ellerman and her 13-year-old daughter, as well as the murder of Gordon Wells during a police pursuit.
After being placed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in April 1986, Waldon was apprehended in June 1986 following a traffic stop in San Diego.
In 1992, he was convicted of multiple charges, including three counts of first-degree murder, and was sentenced to death.
In January 2023, the California Supreme Court overturned Waldon’s conviction and death sentence, citing that the trial court had improperly allowed him to represent himself.
As of January 2025, Waldon remains incarcerated, awaiting a new trial following the overturning of his previous convictions.
5 – Jon Dunkle
Convicted of murdering three young boys in California during the early 1980s, Dunkle was also involved in other violent incidents, including assaults and hit-and-runs.
Dunkle murdered John Thomas Davies, Lance Turner and Sean Gregory Dannehl and became known as the Peninsula Serial Killer.
After being observed entering a home in Rancho Cordova while under police surveillance, Dunkle was arrested and linked to the murders through investigative work.
He was sentenced to death in January 1990 despite being diagnosed with severe schizophrenia and even assigned a legal guardian.
4 – Skylar Deleon
Former child actor Deleon became notorious for the brutal killings of Thomas and Jackie Hawks in 2004 and once starred in the “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” series.
In November 2004, Deleon, accompanied by his then-wife Jennifer and accomplices, including John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Alonso Machain, attacked and killed Thomas and Jackie Hawks at sea.
Deleon was arrested after police uncovered evidence linking him to the crime and other criminal activities.
Deleon was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in 2009.
Skylar Deleon has claimed that a troubled childhood and financial difficulties contributed to his criminal behavior.
The case is remembered as one of the most shocking and cold-blooded murders in California’s recent history.
3 – Joseph Danks
Known as the “Koreatown Slasher” for a series of murders he committed in 1987, Danks struggled with mental health issues and led a transient lifestyle in his early years.
In 1987, Joseph Danks murdered six homeless men in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, and targeted vulnerable individuals, stabbing them to death in quick succession.
Authorities described the killings as unprovoked and exceptionally brutal, and Danks showed no apparent motive beyond a deep-seated desire to kill.
In 1990, while serving a life sentence for the Koreatown murders, Danks committed another murder in prison.
He strangled his cellmate, Walter Holt, to death and this additional crime demonstrated his continued dangerousness even behind bars.
Joseph Danks was initially sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the Koreatown murders, however, after the prison murder of Walter Holt, he was tried and sentenced to death.
Danks has since been diagnosed with severe antisocial personality traits and other mental health disorders.
2 – Wayne Adam Ford
Another American serial killer whose crimes came to light in a particularly shocking manner, Ford preyed on vulnerable women, killing at least four victims between 1997 and 1998.
Ford served in the U.S. Marine Corps and later worked as a truck driver while struggling with mental health problems, including depression and suicidal tendencies.
Between 1997 and 1998, Ford targeted primarily sex workers and homeless women with his method of killing being particularly gruesome.
Ford’s crimes came to light on November 3, 1998, when he walked into a sheriff’s office in Eureka, California, and confessed to the murders.
After his confession, investigators linked Ford to four murders, but some authorities believe there may have been more victims.
During his trial, Ford’s defense argued that he suffered from mental illness, which impaired his ability to control his actions.
In 2006, Ford was convicted of four counts of first-degree murder and he was subsequently sentenced to death.
1 – Rodney Alcala
Often referred to as the “Dating Game Killer,” Alcala became one of the most notorious killers in California history thanks to his chilling charm and intelligence.
Alcala’s crimes primarily targeted young women and girls, beginning in the late 1960s.
His method of operation included luring victims under the pretense of photography, as he presented himself as an aspiring professional photographer.
Once isolated, he would assault and kill his victims, often displaying a calculated and disturbing level of cruelty.
The use of photography in his crimes later played a significant role in identifying potential victims and connecting him to multiple cases.
In 1978, while actively committing crimes, Alcala appeared on the popular television show The Dating Game.
Alcala was arrested multiple times over the years, but the full extent of his crimes remained hidden until advancements in DNA technology linked him to numerous murders.
He was eventually convicted of multiple counts of murder and sentenced to death in 2010.
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