What Laws Did David Koresh Actually Break?

David Koresh, born Vernon Wayne Howell, was an American cult leader who played a central role in the Waco siege of 1993. Koresh was the head of the Branch Davidians, a religious sect, and claimed to be its final prophet. He was subject to various allegations, including polygamy, child sexual abuse, and stockpiling weapons. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) and the FBI raided the group's compound, leading to a 51-day siege and Koresh's death. While the full details of his life and actions are unclear, Koresh allegedly broke multiple laws, including unlawful possession of destructive devices and automatic weapons, and sexual relations with underage girls.

Alleged illegal possession of a destructive device

On February 28, 1993, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) attempted to serve an arrest warrant for David Koresh, charging him with unlawful possession of a destructive device, in violation of 26 United States Code, section 5845(f). The ATF had planned a surprise raid on the Branch Davidian compound, but their cover was blown when a local reporter who had been tipped off about the raid asked Koresh's brother-in-law for directions.

The ATF agents came under heavy gunfire when they attempted to serve the warrants. Four agents were killed and 15 were wounded. The shootout resulted in the deaths of six Branch Davidians, and the remaining 62 adults and 21 children began a 51-day standoff with the government.

The ATF had obtained a search warrant for the compound, citing evidence that Koresh was stockpiling illegal weapons. They believed the community had nearly 250 weapons, including semi-automatic rifles, assault rifles, shotguns, revolvers, pistols, and hundreds of grenades. The ATF also suspected Koresh of running a methamphetamine lab at the compound.

During the 51-day standoff, the FBI was able to secure the release of 44 people. Koresh had 117 conversations with FBI negotiators that lasted about 60 hours. However, negotiations stalled when Koresh delayed his surrender, and tensions escalated on April 19, 1993, when the FBI began moving their tanks closer to the compound and throwing tear gas inside. Amid the chaos, a fire engulfed the building, killing 75 people, including Koresh.

The origin of the fire is disputed. The FBI claims the Branch Davidians deliberately started the fire, while the Branch Davidians argue that the FBI was responsible. An independent arson investigation concluded that the fire was started from within the building.

Alleged unlawful possession of fully automatic machine guns

On February 28, 1993, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) attempted to serve an arrest warrant for Vernon Howell, also known as David Koresh, and a search warrant at the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas. The arrest warrant charged Koresh with the unlawful possession of a destructive device, in violation of 26 United States Code, section 5845(f). The search warrant authorised a search of the premises for evidence relating to the unlawful possession of fully automatic machine guns and destructive devices.

While attempting to serve these warrants, ATF agents came under heavy gunfire from individuals in the compound. As a result, four ATF agents were killed and fifteen were wounded. This marked the beginning of the 51-day Waco siege, during which Koresh was seriously injured by a gunshot.

During the standoff, Koresh and his closest male associates negotiated delays, claiming that he needed to complete the writing of religious documents before his surrender. Koresh's conversations with the negotiators were dense and filled with biblical imagery.

The siege ended on April 19, 1993, when U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno approved the FBI's recommendations to forcibly remove the Branch Davidians from the compound. In an attempt to flush Koresh out, the FBI pumped CS gas into the compound with the aid of an M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle. However, the compound caught fire, and 79 Branch Davidians, including Koresh, perished in the blaze.

After the siege, federal authorities found 156 assault rifles, a heavy machine gun, several boxes of grenades, and grenade launchers—all of which Koresh had obtained and possessed in violation of federal weapons laws.

Alleged polygamy

David Koresh, born Vernon Wayne Howell, was the leader of the Branch Davidians, a religious sect based at the Mount Carmel Centre outside Waco, Texas. In the early 1990s, he became the subject of allegations of polygamy and child sexual abuse by former Branch Davidian associates.

Koresh's doctrine of the House of David led to "marriages" with both married and single women in the Branch Davidians. He had spiritual weddings with female followers of all ages, and it is said that he had as many as 20 "wives", some of whom were under the age of 17 (Texas' legal age of consent). Koresh had a legal spouse, Rachel Jones, with whom he had two children: Cyrus and Starr. However, he also had a spiritual marriage to Rachel's younger sister, Michele, when she was 12 years old. This marriage was concealed by assigning her a surrogate husband, David Thibodeau, for the sake of appearances.

In his book, James Tabor states that on a videotape that was sent out of the compound during the 51-day siege, Koresh acknowledged that he had fathered more than 12 children by several "wives". On March 3, 1993, during negotiations to secure the release of the remaining children, Koresh advised hostage negotiators that: "My children are different than those others," referring to his direct lineage versus those children whom he had previously released.

In 1992, a six-month investigation of sexual abuse allegations by the Texas Child Protection Services failed to turn up any evidence. However, the FBI's justification for forcing an end to the 51-day stand-off was predicated on the charge that Koresh was abusing children inside the Mount Carmel Centre. Allegations had been made that he had fathered children with underage girls in the Branch Davidians. Attorney General Janet Reno told reporters, "We had specific information that babies were being beaten." However, FBI Director William Sessions publicly denied the charge and stated that they had no such information. A careful examination of the other child abuse charges found the evidence to be weak and ambiguous, casting doubt on the allegations.

Alleged child sexual abuse

David Koresh, born Vernon Wayne Howell, was the leader of the Branch Davidians, a religious sect based at the Mount Carmel Centre outside Waco, Texas. In the early 1990s, he became the subject of allegations of child sexual abuse, which led to a six-month investigation by the Texas Child Protection Services in 1992.

Koresh was accused of having "marriages" with both married and single women in the Branch Davidians, including minors. A former compound member described how Koresh would invent theological justifications for his sexual desires, whether they involved having sex with young girls or with other men's adult wives. Evidence suggested that Koresh had wives" who were in their mid-teens, and that he taught young girls that it was a privilege for them to become old enough to have sex with him.

In an interview with a Texas social worker, a young girl who was a former compound resident described how Koresh had touched her inappropriately when she was ten years old. She also reported that she knew of another girl, Michelle Jones, who had had sex with Koresh when she was fourteen. Michelle Jones died in the fire that ended the Waco siege on April 19, 1993.

In addition to the allegations of sexual abuse, Koresh was also accused of physically abusing children. Ex-members claimed that Koresh had spanked his son Cyrus severely on multiple occasions. In another report, a man involved in a custody battle visited the Mount Carmel Centre and claimed to have seen a young boy being beaten with a stick.

The FBI's justification for ending the 51-day standoff was based on the charge that Koresh was abusing children inside the compound. Attorney General Janet Reno told reporters that they had "specific information that babies were being beaten." However, FBI Director William Sessions denied this, stating that they had no information about child abuse inside the compound.

The allegations of child abuse came primarily from detractors and ex-members of the Branch Davidians. The 1993 Justice Department report cited allegations of child sexual and physical abuse, but legal scholars pointed out that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) had no legal jurisdiction in matters of child protection. It was suggested that these accounts may have been inserted by the ATF to strengthen the case against Koresh.

Despite the allegations, the six-month investigation by Texas Child Protection Services in 1992 found no evidence of sexual abuse. It is possible that the Branch Davidians concealed the spiritual marriage of Koresh to Rachel Jones' younger sister, Michele, who was twelve years old at the time, by assigning her a surrogate husband.

Bruce Perry, the chief of psychiatry at Texas Children's Hospital who led the team that cared for the children who survived the siege, concluded that the children did not appear to have been victims of sexual abuse. However, he noted that they were likely exposed to inappropriate concepts of sexuality and subject to destructive emotional techniques, including shame, coercion, fear, and intimidation.

Alleged stockpiling of weapons

David Koresh, born Vernon Wayne Howell, was the leader of the Branch Davidians, a religious sect based at Mount Carmel Centre, outside Waco, Texas. Koresh's apocalyptic biblical teachings attracted various followers, and he claimed to be the final prophet of the Branch Davidians.

Koresh and the Branch Davidians were accused of stockpiling weapons, which led to a raid on their compound by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) in February 1993. This raid resulted in a 51-day siege that ended with the destruction of the compound in a fire, and the deaths of Koresh and 78 of his followers, including 21 children.

The allegations of weapons stockpiling were based on several pieces of evidence:

• A UPS driver reported delivering large shipments of gun parts, ammunition, grenade hulls, chemicals, and military gear to Koresh and his followers.
• The McLennan County Sheriff's Department reported explosions and automatic gunfire at Mount Carmel.
• ATF investigators determined that the group was amassing an arsenal, including the means to make illegal weapons.
• Former followers of Koresh stated that he taught them that he was the "Lamb of God" and that the weapons were for an apocalyptic battle in which they would be killed, after which he would be resurrected to slaughter and judge God's enemies.
• Koresh and his followers spent large sums of money on weapons, with prosecutors in the Branch Davidian trial marching around 40 gun and ammunition dealers into the courtroom to describe the hundreds of guns, ammunition, and parts that the cultists had hoarded.
• Kathryn Schroeder, one of Koresh's former wives, testified that Koresh prepared and armed his followers for an apocalyptic war with the government, stating that he told them, "If you can't kill for God, you can't die for God."
• During the trial, witnesses testified that they frequently saw one of the cult's chief gun buyers, Paul Fatta, selling guns and related items at gun shows.
• The Davidians' suppliers included people with spotted pasts, such as Cynthia Aleo, her husband, and her father, who had pleaded guilty to felony firearms violations in 1990.
• After the fire that consumed Mount Carmel, an FBI agent found a loaded Interarms .22-caliber pistol in the glove compartment of Koresh's Camaro.
• Texas Ranger Lt. James Miller testified that about 300 assault rifles and pistols were found in the charred remains of the Branch Davidian compound.
• Lt. Ray Coffman testified that 22 weapons were removed from underneath bodies in a concrete vault where many Branch Davidians were found, and an unexploded grenade was found underneath one body.

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