Abstract
This
document will provide a critical retrospective forensic evaluation of the events
that occurred between the United States Government, and the Branch Davidians of
Mount Carmel, in Waco Texas, in 1993. It is through such analysis that you
should gain a better understanding of this tragedy, and the lives of nearly 100
lost souls.
Introduction
It
has been15 years since the 51-day standoff in Waco, Texas between the Branch
Davidians of Mount Carmel and the United States Government. Yet, society has
made little to no progress in understanding the complexities of this tragic
event. Maybe this is because we think we need to demonize the Davidians and
exonerate the United States Government, or demonize the United States Government
and exonerate the Davidians. Either way our society continues to have many
outstanding questions.
The
fact is there are three sides to this story; the Davidians, the Governments, and
the truth. Therefore, what I must do, as an independent forensic psychologist,
is approach the situation with an open mind, and then realize that each party
may have actually experienced the situation differently. If I do this, then
maybe I will be able to weed through the over whelming mounds of opinions and
evidence, and accomplish some sort of conclusion.
Case History
- In 1985, Vernon Howell
married Rachael Jones (14), and through contributions from the group took
a trip to Israel. It was in Israel that Vernon became anointed, and began
to envision himself as the modern day Cyrus (Samuelson, 1993). Upon
returning to Texas, Rachael gave birth to their son Cyrus Ben-Joseph
Howell, and purchased a 40-acre property in Palestine, Texas (Samuelson,
1993).
- In 1986, Marc Breault, and Howell’s mother
Bonnie joined the group (Samuelson, 1993). Howell made his first trip to
Australia where he managed to gain acceptance from several of Ben and Lois
Roden’s previous members (Samuelson, 1993), and he began practicing
polygamy. It was at this time that he claimed Karen Doyle (14) as his
second wife, and Michele Jones (12) his third (Samuelson, 1993).
- This is the same year that George Roden, the son
of Ben and Lois Roden, dug up a 25-year-old corpse, and challenged Howell
to revive it. Koresh not only refused to participate in such foolishness,
but he also alerted local authorities. But, they required more than the
word of Koresh, which caused Koresh and his followers to formulate a plan.
Then, despite warnings from the sheriff to use caution, Koresh lead
several armed followers to Mt. Carmel with hope to collect photographs of
a body in a casket, and leave. Things did not go as planned. Roden caught
the 8 vigilantes and began to shoot at them; which lead to his being shot.
After which, Jack Harwell, the sheriff of McLennan County, called Koresh
to inform him and the others that they were being charged with attempted
murder. He suggested that the men relinquish their weapons, and turn
themselves in. To this day, records show that the Davidians were more than
accommodating, and that the charges were eventually dropped after a jury
ruled 9-3 in favor of the Davidians; who by the way had purchased their
firearms in a completely legal manner. At this point, Howell took his
rightful place as leader of the Branch Davidians. He even paid 16 years
worth of back taxes (Samuelson, 1993).
- In 1989, Nicole Gent left for Australia to have
her baby. Hostility between Howell and Breault began. Breault’s wife
Elizabeth returned to Australia as Breault waited for a visa that would
allow him to join her. During this time, Breault attempted to reconcile
with Howell and while it worked for a time, it was never the same.
Therefore, Marc Breault left Mount Carmel, never to return (Samuelson,
1993). Basically, from that point on the two men became opposing forces
over a battle concerning the Davidians in Australia; most left Howell
(Samuelson, 1993).
- In 1990, Vernon Howell legally became David (King
David) Koresh (Hebrew for Cyrus). Koresh tried to establish a branch of
his sect in Israel that year, and his attempts failed. Unfortunately, this
would not be the best that the year had to offer; especially since Robyn
Bunds broke away from the sect, and three warrants, for statutory rape,
were issued against him (Samuelson, 1993). Obviously, things looked dim,
and it was not about to get better anytime soon. To say the least eight
Australians alleged that: Koresh was guilty of child abuse, including
statutory rape, food and water deprivation, neglecting education, and
exposing children to explicit episodes of sex and violence. They said that
they feared that he would eventually engage in child sacrifice if
something were not done to prevent it. During this time, they also accused
Koresh of assault with a deadly weapon, tax fraud, failure to register the
births of his children, possessing and carrying concealed weapons, and
massive immigration violations. All of which would play into his plan to
enrage authorities into an apocalyptic gun battle (Samuelson, 1993).
- Joyce Sparks of the Texas Department of Human
Services in Waco made
unannounced visits to Mont Carmel, and her investigations came up empty
handed. (Samuelson, 1993) allegations of weaponry, were declared false
when The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives (AFT) checked local gun store records and found
everything to be in order. Koresh offered to allow the ATF to inspect his
guns, but they declined. Obviously, they did not feel the need (Samuelson,
1993). Then again, maybe they were more interested in snooping than they
were checking the guns in the first place, for two undercover agents
rented a house that sat about 300 yards away from the Davidians
(Samuelson, 1993).
- The Dallas Morning News obtained an FBI memo. It
stated that no information had been found to verify Michigan allegations
of "child abuse and neglect, tax evasion, slavery and reports of
possible mass destruction." (Samuelson, 1993). In addition,
“in January 1993, CS Gas was banned at the Chemical Weapons
Convention in Paris (Samuelson, 1993).”
- On February 25, 1993, Agent Aguilera's submitted
an affidavit that became U. S. Magistrate Greene’s sole reason for
issuing a warrant (Samuelson, 1993). The ATF then sidestep local
authorities. They called the impending raid "Operation Trojan
Horse" (Samuelson, 1993), which at first consisted of a plan to bait
Koresh away from the Davidian complex in order to avoid involving innocent
women and children. However, when the element of surprise became lost,
they changed their minds and chose to act immediately (Samuelson, 1993).
Interestingly enough they had already told the media to prepare for a big
blow out (Samuelson, 1993).
- On February 27, 1993, articles concerning the
Branch Davidians “cult” appeared in the Waco Tribune-Herald. However,
the ATF was not pleased with such reports, and so they privately
criticized the Waco paper for such publication (Samuelson, 1993).
- Feb
28, 1993, One hundred AFT agents were deployed and arrive at The Branch
Dravidian’s home/church in Mount Carmel, Waco Texas with a mission to
serve a warrant on David Koresh. While attempting to serve this warrant, a
gun battle began, which ultimately resulted in the death of 4 ATF agents
and 6 Branch Davidians. With only 40 rounds of ammunition left, the AFT
began to retreat and made a request for the FBI hostage Rescue Team to
provide assistance. In return, FBI SWAT was deployed, and communication
between the two began. At first, Koresh agreed to release women and
children if the FBI would allow him to broadcast a national message. The
FBI agreed (Dennis, 1993).
- Feb
29, 1993 Matteson and Lawson left the Davidians with 4 children. These
women were then arrested and charged for conspiracy to murder. While
charges, which were later dropped, the women were still held as material
witnesses. Then, on this day against recommendations by negotiators and
behavioral specialists, military vehicles were deployed to the estate
(Dennis, 1993).
- March
5, 1993, Koresh requests suture kit, 6 gallons of milk, and a video of the
previously released children. These requests were granted. He also
requested to be allowed to remove Peter Gent’s body, which was also
granted. Lastly, Koresh requested a direct line to the media and for the
military equipment to be removed. These requests were denied (Dennis,
1993).
- March
8, 1993 The Davidians continue to request a line to the media, three
Davidians are permitted to bury Peter Gent’s body in a shallow grave in
the front yard, and Koresh sends out money so that agents can purchase 6
more gallons of milk. At this point, a videotape of the children was
released for publication, however the FBI chose to suppress the tape in
fear that such a release would create a sympathy bond between the viewers
and Koresh (Dennis, 1993).
- March
9, 1993, Agents cut off and on power to the “Home” several times. The
Davidians hang a sheet out the window with the words, “GOD HELP US WE
WANT PRESS.” (Dennis, 1993)
- March
10, 1993, the power again is turned off and on as the FBI begins to
“clear” the grounds; while destroying Davidians property in the
process (Dennis, 1993).
- March
12, 1993, Kathy Schroeder leaves so that she can be with her children.
Once out, she calls back in. 6 more gallons of milk are delivered, and
against negotiators, advice the power is cut off again (Dennis, 1993).
- March
14, 1993, Gyarfas and Schroeder both are permitted to call the compound.
They assured the Davidians that they were being treated well and that they
had access to telephones and the press (Dennis, 1993).
- March
16, 1993, Koresh requests a copy of the Feb. 28, 1993 warrant, but
doesn’t receive this copy until Feb. 19 (Dennis, 1993)
- March
17, 1993, Agents send in a video of the “released” members (Dennis,
1993).
- March
18-19, 1993 FBI continues to cause property damage as they bulldozed
around the property. Koresh pleaded with them to stop (Dennis, 1993).
- March
20-21, 1993, Victoria Hollingsworth, Annetta Richard, Rita Riddle, Sheila
Martin, and Ofelia Santoyo leave (Dennis, 1993).
- March
22, 1993, FBI continues clearing out property against negotiators advice
(Dennis, 1993).
- March
23, 1993, Livingstone Fagan leaves and supposedly refuses to call back to
the home (Dennis, 1993).
- March
24, 1993, Louis Alaniz, a non-Davidian, managed to bypass authorities and
break into the home (Dennis, 1993).
- March
24, 1993, The Davidians complain about destruction to children’s
motorcycles and the fact that bibles were being taken away from the
individuals who had left. When further negotiations failed, the FBI
resumed destructive measures and decided to refuse to allow anyone to exit
the home to care for their animals (Dennis, 1993).
- March
26, 1993 Jesse Amen breaks passed the agents and enters the building and
Davidians hang another sheet out the window. It read “TANK BROKE THE
PHONE LINE.” (Dennis, 1993)
- March
27, 1993 Kathy Schroeder was charged with conspiracy to murder. Again,
negotiations failed and FBI retaliated by bulldozing the fence in front of
the home. They were however kind enough to deliver 6 more gallons of milk.
- Over
the next few days several people attempted to exit the building, but were
flashed banged by the FBI agents (Dennis, 1993).
- April
9, 1993 Davidians complain that tanks were unnecessarily running back and
forth over Gents grave, and that agents were engaging in derogatory
actions. They stated that agents were “flipping the finger”, and
“mooning” the Davidians women if they peered out their windows. They
also complained of being flash banged for coming out (Dennis, 1993).
- April
10, 1993, Agents install razor wire around the perimeter (Dennis, 1993).
- April
14, 1993, Koresh agrees to surrender if permitted to write the 7 seals. He
estimates that it would take about 14 days. Negotiators agree and tell him
to take his time (Dennis, 1993).
- April
16, 1993, Koresh has finished the 1st seal and continues
working on the 2nd (Dennis, 1993).
- April
17, 1993, Louis Alaniz leaves the Davidians. Janet Reno plans to gas
(Dennis, 1993).
- April
18, 1993, Reno’s plan is sent to President Clinton. Koresh’s prize car
is removed, and typing supplies are delivered (Dennis, 1993).
- April
19, 1993, FBI announces that they are about to unleash non-lethal gas into
the compound. Davidians open fire against the gas filled vehicles. By
noon, fire erupts from three separate locations of the Davidians home. 9
Davidians manage to escape, and 82 individuals (including 21 children.)
parish in the flames (Dennis, 1993).
- From
this point on, everything turns chaotic as the Government demonized the
Davidians and the Davidians demonize the Government.
Psychological
analysis.
“The Davidians”
By
examining the “facts”, it becomes easy for me to understand why the United
States Government believed that the events of 1993 were a direct effect of the
Branch Davidian “cult’s” own doing. On the other hand, these same facts
also explain how the Branch Davidians could be so terrified of authorities that
they would died defending their beliefs. For instance, lets examine David Koresh
and his fellowship.
From
the moment the situation at Waco became public, Government officials used the
media to create an illusion of David Koresh and his followers that could not
have been farther from the truth. The government used criteria from a warrant
obtained by the ATF to publicly accuse the Davidians of stockpiling illegal
firearms, drug production, and bogus child abuse allegations (Gazecki, 1997
& Committee, 1996). They also made a mockery of the group’s apocalyptic,
and polygamy beliefs, which helped to gain support from not only government
officials like Attorney General
Janet Reno, and president Bill Clinton, but also the public in general for their
initiative (Committee, 1997). In other words, they wanted viewers to believe
that this man had become so committed to his own apocalyptic prophecy that he
was not only willing face execution, but was also willing to allow his followers
to martyr themselves as well. This in hindsight meant that the Government agents
could use unnecessary force against innocent people, without backlash for their
actions. Of course, before they could act out their sadistic plan, they had to
force society to believe that this group was “brainwashed” enough that they
no longer cared about anything else; including their children. Unfortunately,
none of the above allegation was true.
The
fact is the officials in charge knew very little about Koresh, and the
Davidians. Therefore, they did what seemed only logical. They compared David
Koresh to a variety of other “cult” leaders and stand off cases that had
previously made negative impacts on society, and this use of ethnocentrisms
became the first of many mistakes (Committee, 1997).
This
is why I feel it is important to analyze Koresh and his people without bias.
This does not mean you cannot evaluate his life, and his personality, or that
you cannot compare him to other seductive leaders. What it means is that you
must also evaluate religious “cults” as a whole, and make room for the
theory that the United States Government was in the wrong and violated these
individual’s Constitutional rights; which is impossible to do with out
examining the real meaning of the word cult.
The
title “cult” is a derogatory term. In fact, the word “cult” could be
used to describe any organized religion (Watters, 2009), because cults carry
certain characteristics that most organized religions have. For instance, cults
have a leader who recruits his or her supporters by misleading them, and then
robs them of their own individual identities (Viswanathan, 2007); a technique
that experts call “thought reform”. In general, thought reform includes two
steps. First, the leader must break down the individuals current belief system (Viswanathan,
2007). Second, they must reeducate the individual so that they become a new
person (Viswanathan, 2007). An example of this process can be witnessed on any
given day as Christian fellowships seek out and recruit “sinners” in order
to save them from enduring an afterlife in Hell (Viswanathan, 2007). This, by
the way, in most cases is nothing short of a believer shoving biblical emotional
baggage on to the shoulders of a non-believer, until they accept the message
that is being taught; thus being something that Koresh did not do.
Actually,
David Koresh was quite open with his teachings, sure, he held strong beliefs and
taught those beliefs; but he never really manipulated anyone. He was even known
in universities nationwide. Therefore, it is logical to say that the Davidians
were not brainwashed. They had pre-developed thoughts, feelings, and bonds of
their own, and when they chose to join David’s group they did so willingly,
because they felt they had finally found a “home” and a leader who could and
would guide them in the direction that “THEY” wanted to go (Branch
Davidians, 1993). Simply put, these people were just like most Americans. They
read their bibles, listened to a teacher’s interpretations, and either
accepted it as truth or they did not. That means that this acceptance was the
result of reasoning, not a result of Koresh’s malfunctioning personality.
Therefore, it becomes easy to see that unlike the “People of Jonestown,”
these people were not hostages in fear for their lives or being held against
their will (Branch Davidians, 1993). They were free to leave at any given time
(Branch Davidians, 1993, Samuelson,
1993 & Dennis, 1993). (Special note: in order to say that Koresh used
psychological religious manipulation methods to control his fellowship, you must
realize that all religious leaders participate and use some type of these same
actions) Of course, that means that
the Government deceived us. Right? Well, even this interpretation is risky.
However,
such an inconsistency will definitely place a barrier in the decision making
process when it comes down to deciding who made the most makes. Therefore, in
order to continue, I felt the need to look at this group as individuals. Were
they a group of psychotics who abused each other and the children, or were they
law-biding citizens who had simply decided to live a life style that was deviant
to “American” culture?
Despite
popular belief, the fact is that further investigation suggests that the
Davidians in general, were law-biding individuals (Samuelson,
1993). They never even tried to evade authority figures. For that matter,
in the past, this group had cooperated fully with both McClennan
County Sheriff Jack Harwell, and Joyce
Sparks of the Texas Department of Human Services,
and in every investigation, the allegations were unsubstantiated (Samuelson,
1993). This is including an investigation where the Davidians’ firearms
were removed, inspected, and returned (Samuelson,
1993). These details suggest that the AFT overstepped its boundaries
before even setting one foot onto the Davidians property. So let us move on to
the events of February 28, 1993, and the ATF’s malicious way of issuing a
warrant.
“February 28, 1993”
As
seen in the case history, the ATF were well aware of the “family” atmosphere
within the Davidians’ home, and that the “family” consisted of
approximately one-hundred men, women and children. This in and of it’s self
should have forced the agents to use caution (Committee, 1996), but it did not.
Instead, the AFT deployed one hundred armed, “military trained” agents to
the Branch Dravidian home, where they stormed the scene (Committee, 1996).
[Please note that the military training they were not entitled to because the
ATF made false allegations that the Davidians were involved in drug
manufacturing procedures, a charge that was never verified (Committee, 1997).]
Such acts caused the Davidians to retaliate, which may or may not have caused
the death of 4 ATF agents.
I
say may or may not have because after reviewing post-released film of the event,
I personally see evidence that is contractive to these allegations (Gazecki,
1997). In fact, these videos clearly show that one ATF agent shot his self in
the leg while climbing the ladder, and then after three other agents blasted
their way through a window, he opened fire into the same window. [Special note:
the majority of the holes seen in the home were produced by outside weapons. (Gazecki,
1997)] Therefore, the four deceased agents could have been the result of ATF
activity, instead of what was perceived as Davidian rage. Not to mention the
Davidians were less than anxious to continue firing, once ATF agents began to
retreat; along with their willingness to allow agents to retrieve their deceased
agents from within the home. [Special note: While the ATF had somewhere around
40 rounds of ammunition left, the Davidians had enough to eliminate the
remaining agents had they have chosen to (Committee, 1997).]
However,
the agents were not as kind, for they allowed Mike Schroeder, a Branch Davidian
whose only desire was to get home to his wife and children, but was shot with 9
rounds. Then left to hang on a fence (like a trophy) by ATF and FBI agents for
several days; despite the fact that the man’s wife and children could see him
from near by windows (Thompson, 1993). [Special note: When the FBI finally did
remove Schroeder’s body, they used a grappling hook, and deposited it in a
nearby field where wild dogs feasted on the carnage until it was destroyed
(Thompson-2, 1993).]
“The
Stand-Off”
Once
the ATF massacred Mike Schroeder and five others, and then tucked their tail to
retreat, the negations process was handed over to the FBI (Dennis, 1993). This
is about the time that things became even more controversial, because those
inside the “compound” were faced with extremely rough decisions. They could
come out and face the agents, who had played judge, jury and executioner or they
could remain inside and wait for a sign from God. They decided to wait for God.
Over
the first week, early negotiations brought reasonable results. 21 children and
two elderly women exited the building. However negotiation efforts were
sabotaged by the less than professional way that the FBI continuously over rode
the negotiator. The fact is, I cannot say that the Davidians were completely
innocent, because they did refuse to come out. However, I can state that the
Government officials made such a plan less than inviting. You see, despite
recommendations from behavioral specialists, the agencies used a variety of
abusive, barbaric tactics. They continuously turned on and off the power supply
to the home (Dennis, 1993 & Committee, 1997). They ran over and destroyed
the Davidians’ property, and Peter Gent’s grave with tanks (Dennis, 1993).
They used psychological warfare methods, such as floodlights through windows,
blasting repetitive irritating music, and the sounds of rabbits being
slaughtered from loud speakers (Dennis, 1993 & Committee, 1997). They
refused to allow the Davidians to contact the media (Dennis, 1993 &
Committee, 1997). They flash banged anyone who exited (Dennis, 1993 &
Committee, 1997). Then, as if that was not bad enough, the agents flipped them
off and dropped their pants to shine their backside at the women if they peeked
out of the windows (Dennis, 1993). If you ask me, I believe that any normal
person would chose to hide in the safety of his or her own home over facing a
corrupt mob of government officials such as this.
Then
again, as stated before several did eventually decide to leave the building.
Lucky for them, there were agents ready to ship them off for interrogations, and
then place them in holding just incase they could be used as material witnesses,
which was nothing short of false imprisonment (Dennis, 1993). After all, the
original search warrant was for David Koresh, and the rights to search for
illegal firearms, not to capture, incarcerate, and interrogate innocent people
(Committee, 1993). Right?
Basically,
the entire 51-day siege was a torturous event, and just when the Davidians
thought they might escape, the government changes the rules again. David Koresh
had negotiated a deal with the FBI negotiator that if he were permitted to
follow “God’s” will and write out his interpretation of the 7 Seals, then
he would willingly walk out with his people. However, before he could even
finish the second Seal, President Clinton, Attorney General Janet Reno, and the
FBI decided to use tanks to bust holes in the Davidians home, and use CS gas
against them. This cruel and unnecessary procedure would place in action a chain
of events that would set fire to the Davidians home, send 9 Davidians to prison,
and cause the agonizing deaths of 82 others, of which 21 were innocent babies.
“The Cover Up”
After the smoke cleared, many
interesting things happen. Videotapes became lost (Committee, 1997). The FBI
refused to allow anyone other those networking directly with the FBI to enter
the scene. The bodies were poorly stored. Even scientists who had been sent to
test the weapons were turned away and told that the FBI would conduct the tests.
Above all, they totally demolished, and even hid all evidence that may have
placed them at blame. In other words, the FBI covered their tracks and got off
scott free, while the survivors of this holocaust paid for crimes that they did
not commit.
Conclusion
After sifting through as much
of the available “public” information as possible in the time frame
allotted, it is with great concern that I must conclude that the events of Waco
1993 could have definitely been prevented. For one, the American Government and
affiliates should have validated all allegations, and eliminated any and all
sources that may have been invalid; such as Mr. Breault and the others in his
group who had a personal grudge against the Davidians. Secondly, the agencies
should have invested their time in research, so that they could gain a clear
understanding of the true nature of Koresh and the Davidians before they jumped
into getting the warrant. Third, the agencies should have worked on a less
threatening way to enforce a warrant, such as waiting until Koresh left the
home. Then again, I think everyone would have benefited if the agencies had
displayed patience, and withheld their own prejudice long enough to for whatever
negotiation to happen in order to ensure that innocence was not lost. Of course,
we cannot turn back the hands of time, therefore the United States Government
becomes ultimately responsible for the deaths of nearly a hundred individuals;
including 21 innocent children and two pregnant women.
References:
Branch
Davidians (1993) Branch Davidian People Hillary Clinton Killed. Retrieved on
March 2, 2009
Committee On
Government Reform and Oversight (1996). Investigation Into The Activities Of The
Dennis, E.
(1993) Evaluation of the Handling of the Branch Davidians Stand-Off In Waco
Texas.
Thompson,
L. (1993) Waco; The Big Lie. Retrieved on March 3, 2009 from the You tube
website:
Thompson,
L-2 (1993). What Happen At Waco. Retrieved on March 3, 2009 from the serendipity
Viswanathan,
S. (2007) Cults: Dangerous Devotion. Retrieved on March 1, 2009 from youtube.com
website:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHmkmRB3Ap0
Stewart, C.
& Stewart, D. (2007) Waco. Retrieved on March 16, 2009 from the Encyclopedia
of
Van Horn, K. (1994) Assault on
Waco. Retrieved from the skepticfiles.org website:
Watters,
R. (2009). Eight Marks of a Mind-Control Cult.
Retrieved on Feb 27, 2009 from the Free
Personal Statement:
My
primary reason for choosing this topic is because the case mentioned above
happen right before my eyes. I still recall lying on the bed, and screaming at
the television as news showed the tanks plowing their way through the walls of
the Davidians home. Of course, back then at 19, I really did not understand what
was happening. All I knew was that my two children were playing in the other
room, while I kept hearing that the Davidian children were still inside and that
the parents wouldn’t come out because they were apart of some child abusing,
illegal weapon hording cult. It still feels so real to me, and this assignment
gave me the chance to really dig into the past and find the answers that I have
so desperately yearned for over the past 15 years. Therefore, while, I realize
that this paper may spark some interesting conversation, I hope that it will
also help answer someone else’s questions.
Thank
You.
