David Koresh

Background

David Koresh (born Vernon Wayne Howell; August 17, 1959 – April 19, 1993) led the Branch Davidians religious sect. He believed himself to be the final prophet until a 1993 raid by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and a subsequent siege by the Federal Bureau of Investigation ended with the burning of the Branch Davidian ranch.

Koresh was born in Houston, Texas to a 14-year-old single mother, Bonnie Sue Clark. Clark became pregnant with Koresh after sleeping with a 20-year-old carpenter named Bobby Howell. Clark and Howell remained unmarried. Two years later Howell’s father met another woman and left. Koresh never knew his father and was raised by "a harsh stepfather". Koresh described his early childhood as lonely, and it has been alleged that he was once raped by older boys.

Koresh was a poor student because of dyslexia and dropped out of high school. By the age of 12, he had learned the New Testament by heart.

When he was 19, Koresh had an affair with a 16-year-old girl who became pregnant and left him because she considered him unfit to raise a child. He became a born-again Christian in the Southern Baptist Church but soon joined his mother’s church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

At the Seventh-day Adventist Church, he fell in love with the pastor’s daughter. While praying for guidance, he opened his eyes and found the bible open at Isaiah 34, which stated that none should want for a mate. Convinced this was a sign from God, he approached the pastor and told him that God wanted him to have his daughter for a wife. The pastor threw him out, and when he continued to persist with his pursuit of the daughter he was expelled from the congregation. A member of the congregation is reported to have said that he never "thought above his belt buckle."

In 1981, he moved to Waco, Texas, joined the Branch Davidians, and became part of a religious group originating from a schism in the 1950s from the Shepherd’s Rod, which itself had excommunicated members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the 1930s. The group established its headquarters at a ranch about 10 miles out of Waco called the Mount Carmel Center (after the Biblical Mount Carmel), which was established in 1955.

Ascent to leadership of the Branch Davidians

In 1983, Koresh began claiming the gift of prophecy. He had an affair with Lois Roden, the prophetess and leader of the sect, who was then in her late sixties. He eventually claimed that God had chosen him to father a child with her, who would be the Chosen One. In 1983, Roden allowed Koresh to begin teaching his own message, which caused controversy in the group.

Lois Roden’s son George intended to be the group’s next leader and considered Koresh an interloper. When Koresh announced that God had instructed him to marry Rachel Jones, there was a short period of calm at Mount Carmel, but it proved temporary.

In the ensuing power struggle, George Roden, claiming to have the support of the majority of the group, forced Koresh and his group off the property at gunpoint. A further splinter group led by Charles Joseph Pace moved out of Mount Carmel and set up home in Gadsden, Alabama. Koresh and around 25 followers set up camp at Palestine, 90 miles from Waco, where they lived rough for the next two years.

During that period, Koresh undertook recruitment of new followers in California, the United Kingdom, Israel and Australia. In 1985, Koresh traveled to Israel and had a vision that he was the modern day Cyrus.

The founder of the Davidian movement, Victor Houteff, wanted to be God’s implement and establish the Davidic kingdom in Palestine, Israel. Koresh also wanted to be God’s tool and set up the Davidic Kingdom in Jerusalem. At least until 1990, he believed the place of his martyrdom might be in Israel, but by 1991 he was convinced that his martyrdom would be in the United States. He instead said the prophecies of Daniel would be fulfilled in Waco and that the Mount Carmel center was the Davidic kingdom.

At the Palestine, Texas, camp, Koresh "worked it so that everyone was forced to rely on him, and him alone. All previous bonds and attachments, family or otherwise, meant nothing. His rationale was if they had no one to depend on, they had to depend on him, and that made them vulnerable."

By this time, he had begun to give the message of his own "Christhood," proclaiming that he was "the Son of God, the Lamb who could open the Seven seals". Lois Roden died in 1986.

Doctrine and polygamy allegations

Up until then, Koresh had been teaching that monogamy was the only way to live, but he suddenly announced that polygamy was allowed for him. In March 1986, Koresh first slept with Karen Doyle, aged 14, and claimed her as his second wife. In August 1986, Koresh began secretly sleeping with Michele Jones, his wife’s younger 12-year-old sister. In September 1986, he began to preach that he was entitled to 140 wives: sixty women as his "queens" and eighty as concubines, based on his interpretation of the Biblical Song of Solomon.

Koresh built a new theology around his "marriage" to Doyle, called the "New Light," with a doctrine of polygamy for himself, which he called "The House of David." Under this doctrine, Doyle was supposed to have a daughter named Shoshanna who would then be married to Koresh’s firstborn son Cyrus. Doyle failed to conceive, and Koresh transferred attention to his wife’s sister.

Former Davidian David Bunds said that Koresh’s doctrine of polygamy "rose out of his deep desire to have sex with young girls. Once he was able to convince himself that it was God's will then he was able to be free of guilt and have sex with as many young girls as he could get his hands on."

By late 1987, George Roden’s support had withered. To regain it, he challenged Koresh to a contest to raise the dead and dug up one corpse to practice on it. Koresh returned to Mount Carmel in camouflage with seven armed followers. All but one escaped follower were arrested by local police after being alerted by the sound of gunfire. Deputy sheriffs arrived and ended the shoot-out.

The deputy sheriffs found Koresh and six followers firing rifles at Roden, who had already suffered a minor gunshot wound and was pinned down behind a tree at the Compound. As a result of the incident, Koresh and his followers were charged with attempted murder. At the trial, Koresh testified that he went to Mount Carmel to uncover evidence of corpse abuse by George Roden. Koresh’s followers were acquitted, and in Koresh’s case a mistrial was declared.

In 1988, Roden murdered Dale Adair with an axe blow to the skull after Adair stated his belief that Koresh was the Messiah. Roden was convicted of murder. Mount Carmel was placed for sale due to Roden owing thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes. Koresh and his followers raised the money and purchased the property, which he renamed "Ranch Apocalypse."

A methamphetamine laboratory was discovered on the property. Koresh reported it to the local police department and asked to have it removed.

Name change and biblical interpretations

Koresh believed himself to be a modern-day Cyrus who delivered the Jews from Babylon. Koresh is the Hebrew word for "Cyrus". In the documentation involved, Koresh stated that the change was for "publicity and business purposes." The switch arose from his belief that he was now head of the biblical house of David, from which Judeo-Christian tradition maintains the Messiah will come.

The name Koresh was described as a transliteration of the Hebrew name of Cyrus the Persian king who allowed Jews dispersed by Nebuchadnezzar to return to their homelands. Both King David and Cyrus were referred to as Messiah (literally anointed one) in the Hebrew Bible, with King David referenced in multiple places and Cyrus referenced in Isaiah 45:1.

During the siege, Koresh explained to FBI negotiators what he said "koresh" meant:

Koresh: "What is Christ revealed as, according to the fourth seal?"
FBI: "Pale... a rider on a pale horse."
Koresh: "And his name is what?"
FBI: "Death."
Koresh: "Now, do you know what the name Koresh means?"
FBI: "Go ahead..."
Koresh: "It means death."

Accusations of child abuse and statutory rape

Koresh advocated polygamy for himself and asserted that he was married to several female residents of the small community. Some former members of the cult alleged that Koresh felt he could claim any of the females in the compound as his. It was alleged that he fathered at least a dozen children by the harem, including girls as young as age 14. The other adults at the compound were told by Koresh not to tell anyone else about this "because they wouldn't understand."

The 1993 U.S. Department of Justice report set out detailed evidence of historical child sexual and physical abuse. ATF Special Agent David Aguilera interviewed former Branch Davidian Jeannine Bunds, who claimed that Koresh had fathered "...at least fifteen children with various women and young girls at the compound. Some of the girls who had babies fathered by Koresh were as young as 12 years old. She had personally delivered 7 of these children. According to Ms. Bunds, Howell annuls all marriages of couples who join his cult. He then has exclusive sexual access to the women. He also, according to Mrs. Bunds, has regular sexual relations with young girls there. The girls ages are from 11 years old to adulthood."

A further claim in the narrative was that Koresh acknowledged on a videotape sent out of the compound during the standoff that he had fathered more than 12 children by several "wives," some as young as 12 or 13 when they became pregnant. DNA testing of the women and children in the video who died in the subsequent fire confirmed that the children were his.

At the time in Texas, the age of parental consent for a minor to marry was 14, as was the age for consent to sex.

Kiri Jewell, daughter of Branch Davidian Sherri Jewell, claimed in testimony before Congress in 1995 that she was sexually molested at the age of 10 by Koresh, who then read to her from the Bible. She originally related the incident in a 1992 custody battle, and a judge ordered that she be kept away from Koresh and Mount Carmel. It was stated that while Schneider’s attorney expressed doubts about her veracity, Jewell’s testimony may be "100 percent true,".

Children released during the siege

Twenty-one children, aged from 5 months to 12 years, were released from Mount Carmel over a 3-day period at the beginning of the siege. These children were placed in the custody of the Child Protective Services and housed together in a single cottage.

Over the next two months, the children received constant care from a multidisciplinary treatment team with child care and mental health professionals from a variety of institutions and organizations. The team concluded that the children had been raised in an abusive setting and that Koresh’s regime at Mount Carmel was clearly "a psychologically destructive environment for children."

The children were described as having been raised in a setting where Koresh undermined the traditional parent-child relationship and replaced it with dependence upon a central figure, himself. The children said they were instructed to call their natural parents "dogs" and to call Koresh "father." Children who were not biologically Koresh’s or "adopted" by Koresh were called "bastards." The narrative stated that Koresh continuously undermined relationships within the Branch Davidian community, including sibling relationships, husband and wife relationships, and friendships.

The children were described as showing inappropriate age-inappropriate behaviors and significant gaps in understanding, reflecting practices present in the compound. Child psychologists concluded that the children were significantly traumatized by harsh disciplinary techniques, including severe corporal punishment, extended isolation and severe food restrictions. The children were described as being continually exposed to "harsh, capricious, and humiliating" disciplinary techniques.

Children, as young as 8 months, were described as beaten for trivial matters, and older children were beaten for not fighting hard enough in bouts arranged by Koresh between the children as part of their "paramilitary training". One child asked new guardians:

"Do you have a whipping room down there?"
'"No, do you have one?" "Yes," said the little girl. "When they don't want everyone to hear us, they take us down there."'

The children were also described as being threatened with death if they revealed aspects of life inside the compound to "non-believers." The children were described as convinced that Koresh would return from the grave and punish them if they betrayed the Davidians by interacting with or disclosing information to law enforcement and non-Davidians.

The children were also described as being exposed to inappropriate sexual content through Koresh’s sermons and prepared to view sex with Koresh as normal, appropriate, and desirable as part of "God's plan." The narrative stated that one older girl expressed distress that she would not be able to be picked by Koresh as one of his brides.

Dr. Bruce D. Perry concluded:

"The fact that the name of God and religion were used to obscure this exploitive and abusive practice make these activities even more heinous and destructive to the long term development of these children. The fact that responsible adults, either parents or 'academics', would minimize these activities is shameful. David Koresh systematically exploited the members of the Branch Davidian community, slowly but surely coercing that community to play out the tragic and destructive visions of his own disturbed inner world."

Raid and siege

On February 28, 1993, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms raided Mount Carmel. The raid resulted in the deaths of four agents and six Davidians. Shortly after the initial raid, the FBI took command, and contact was established with Koresh inside the church.

Communication over the next 51 days included telephone exchanges with various FBI negotiators. Koresh, who was seriously injured by a gunshot wound, and his closest male leaders negotiated delays, possibly so he could write religious documents he said he needed to complete before he surrendered. His conversations with negotiators were described as dense with biblical imagery.

The federal negotiators treated the situation as a hostage crisis despite a two-hour video tape sent out by the Davidians in which the adults and older children/teens appeared to explain why they chose of their own free will to remain with David.

The 51-day siege ended after U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno approved recommendations of veteran FBI officials to proceed with a final assault to remove the Branch Davidians from their building by force. During the assault, the church building caught fire.

The cause of the fire was later alleged by the "Danforth Report" to be deliberate actions by some Branch Davidians inside the building. This hypothesis was described as disputed by the documentary "Waco: The Rules of Engagement," which argued the fire was deliberately set when the FBI fired an incendiary device into the building after loading the building with CS gas, which is highly flammable.

At the subsequent trial of the surviving Branch Davidians, the jury listened to edited parts of a tape recording from hidden microphones inside Mt. Carmel during the final attack and fire of 19 April. The jury heard sounds of static during which a faint voice said "...fire..." A government expert testified that electronic enhancement reconstructed clearly incriminating comments even if the jury could not hear them. It was also stated that the FBI concealed tiny listening devices in milk cartons when meeting Koresh’s demands to send in milk for children’s wellbeing.

Barricaded in their building, seventy-six Branch Davidians, including Koresh, did not survive the fire. Seventeen of these victims were children under the age of 12. The Danforth Report claimed those who died were unable or unwilling to flee and that Steve Schneider, Koresh’s right-hand man, probably shot Koresh and killed himself with the same gun. "Waco: The Rules of Engagement" claimed FBI sharpshooters fired on and killed many Branch Davidians attempting to flee the flames. Testimony by the few Branch Davidians who successfully fled supported this claim. Autopsy records indicated at least 20 Branch Davidians were shot, including 5 children, and the Danforth Report claimed adults who died of gunshot wounds shot themselves after shooting children.

David Koresh was buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Tyler, Texas. Branch Davidians believed Koresh would someday return to Earth. Some hoped it would occur 1,335 days after his death: December 14, 1996. The Hidden Manna faction believed it would take place on August 6, 1999, then October 20, and now March 2012. Other survivors avoid date-setting.

Timeline

• 28 February — BATF raided Mount Carmel; raid resulted in deaths of four agents and six Davidians.
• 28 February 0500 — 76 agents assembled at Fort Hood for the drive to the staging area at the Bellmead Civic Center.
• 28 February 0945 — ATF agents moved in on the compound; a gun battle began.
• 28 February 0948 — Wayne Martin called 911.
• 28 February 1130 — Cease fire reached.
• 28 February 1600 — The first message from Koresh was relayed over KRLD Radio in Dallas.
• 28 February 1655 — Mike Schroeder was shot dead returning to the compound.
• 28 February 1700 — ATF spokesman Ted Royster said gunfire continued sporadically through the afternoon.
• 28 February 1930 — David Koresh was interviewed by CNN; the FBI instructed CNN not to conduct further interviews.
• 28 February 2015 — ATF spokesperson Sharon Wheeler said negotiations continued with Davidians and gunfire had ended.
• 28 February 2200 — By then, 4 children had exited (2 Sonobe children, 2 Fagan children).
• 28 February 2205 — Koresh talked for about 20 minutes on KRLD describing his beliefs and saying he was the most seriously wounded of the Davidians.
• 19 April 0550 — Agents called the Davidian compound to warn they were going to begin tank activity and advised residents "to take cover".
• 19 April 0600 — Surveillance tapes recorded a man inside the compound saying "Everybody wake up, let's start to pray," then "Pablo have you poured it yet" ..."Huh" ... "Have you poured it yet"... "in the hallway"... "things are poured, right?"
• 19 April 0604 — An armored vehicle with ram and delivery device ripped into the front wall, leaving a hole 8 feet high and 10 feet wide.
• 19 April 0610 — Surveillance tapes recorded "don't pour it all out, we might need some later"... "throw the tear gas back out"; Byron Sage was recorded saying "It's time for people to come out."
• 19 April 0612 — Surveillance tapes recorded Davidians saying "They're gonna kill us," then "They don't want to kill us."
• 19 April 0723 — Surveillance tapes recorded a male Davidian saying, "The fuel has to go all around to get started." then another male said, "Well, there are two cans here, if that's poured soon."
• 19 April 0800 — An armored vehicle ripped into the second floor of compound and another hole was punched into the backside; vehicles withdrew.
• 19 April 0900 — The Davidians unfurled a banner which read "We want our phone fixed."
• 19 April 0913 — An armored vehicle powered through the front door to deliver more gas.
• 19 April 0916 — Surveillance tapes recorded a conversation between David Koresh and Steve Schneider: Koresh said, "They got two cans of Coleman fuel down there? Huh?" Schneider said, "Empty"; Koresh said, "All of it?"; Schneider said, "Nothing left."
• 19 April 1000 — A man waved a white flag on the southeast side; he was advised over loudspeakers to come out if surrendering.
• 19 April 1130 — More gas was inserted through the front, punching another big hole.
• 19 April 1140 — Surveillance tapes recorded a man saying "I want a fire around the back," then "Let's keep that fire going."
• 19 April 1143 — Another gas insertion took place as the armored vehicle moved into the building.
• 19 April 1203 — Armored vehicle turret knocked away first floor corner on right side.
• 19 April 1208 — First visible flames appeared in two spots in the front of the building and a third spot in the back side.
• 19 April 1209 — Ruth Riddle exited with a computer disk in her jacket containing Koresh’s Manuscript on the Seven Seals.
• 19 April 1210 — Flames spread quickly, fanned by high winds.
• 19 April 1212 — 911 call placed for the fire department; two Waco FD trucks and two Bellmead FD trucks were dispatched.
• 19 April 1225 — Large explosion occurred on the left side; an object hurtled into the air, bounced off the top of a white bus and landed on grass.
• 19 April 1230 — Part of the roof collapsed; witnesses reported gunfire attributed by the FBI to live ammunition cooking off throughout the compound because of fire.
• 19 April 1255 — Fire began to burn out; the compound was leveled.
• 19 April 1545 — A law enforcement source said David Koresh was dead.

Investigation, trial, and legal proceedings

The narrative included accounts of accusations and trial proceedings involving other Branch Davidians and referenced federal and appellate court decisions in Branch Davidian cases. It also referenced a jury finding some surviving Branch Davidians guilty. It stated that the federal trial and appellate courts agreed that an affidavit contained ample proof of probable cause for search and arrest warrants for firearms and explosives charges.

The eleven surviving Davidians accused of murder in the deaths of the four ATF agents killed in the initial assault were acquitted on grounds of self-defense. Congressional Inquiry by the House Committee on Government Reform concluded that the Davidians started the fires. The Danforth Report concluded with "100% certainty" that the Davidians started the fires.

The narrative further said that a federal prosecutor, Bill Johnston, pled guilty to charges of obstructing an investigation for withholding evidence of the use of pyrotechnic devices. An advisory jury in the civil case found in favor of the government on all claims and found specifically that the BATF agents acted within the law in returning fire on February 28, 1993, and that the FBI neither caused, nor contributed to, the fire.

Convicted Davidians (names and outcomes stated)

• Kevin A. Whitecliff — convicted of voluntary manslaughter and using a firearm during a crime.
• Jaime Castillo — convicted of voluntary manslaughter and using a firearm during a crime.
• Paul Gordon Fatta — convicted of conspiracy to possess machine guns and aiding Davidian leader David Koresh in possessing machine guns.
• Renos Lenny Avraam — convicted of voluntary manslaughter and using a firearm during a crime.
• Graeme Leonard Craddock — convicted of possessing a grenade and using or possessing a firearm during a crime.
• Brad Eugene Branch — convicted of voluntary manslaughter and using a firearm during a crime.
• Livingstone Fagan — convicted of voluntary manslaughter and using a firearm during a crime.
• Ruth Riddle — convicted of using or carrying a weapon during a crime.
• Kathryn Schroeder — sentenced to three years after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of forcibly resisting arrest; she was the only Davidian to testify against the others.

Disputed interpretations and controversies

The narrative described ongoing disputes regarding the cause of the fires, gunfire claims, and investigation conduct.

It stated that some controversies involved criticism of the ATF for proceeding despite being aware that the Davidians knew of the offensive and months-long surveillance of Mount Carmel. It also stated that other critics questioned why the ATF agents turned down a direct invitation in which Koresh spoke with the agents by phone and asked that they come talk with him about their concerns.

The narrative also discussed disputes over the search warrant content and over who fired first, including claims and counterclaims about helicopters firing and alleged incoming fire evidence at entry doors.

It also discussed disputes on how CS gas was delivered and whether unsafe injection could have started a fire, with discussion about multiple fires starting well inside the building. It reported that between 1993 and 1999, FBI spokesmen denied use of pyrotechnic devices, and that in 1999 spokesmen were forced to admit they had used grenades that dispense CS gas through an internal burning process, including claims about timing of fires relative to grenade firing.

The narrative described disputes about whether gunfire came from FBI weapons during the assault, including references to infra-red FLIR footage flashes and differing expert explanations.

Aftermath

The narrative said various documents and groups made claims about firearms used by the Branch Davidians, and it stated that later reviews and investigations differed in their accounts regarding .50 caliber rifles and firearm items recovered.

It also described that the site was bulldozed by Texas state authorities on May 12, preventing further forensic evidence gathering.

Various documentary films and books addressed the siege, including films described as critical and films described as promoting the government’s view, along with later scientific studies described as disproving certain claims about gunshots and fire initiation.