Mixology and Murder by Kierra Sondereker

Author:Kierra Sondereker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ulysses Press
Published: 2021-10-19T00:00:00+00:00

Founded on the outskirts of Waco, Texas, in 1955, the Branch Davidians, an offshoot of the religious sect called the Davidians, was formed. When Branch Davidian leader Benjamin Roden died, there were major disputes over who would lead the Branch Davidians next: Benjamin’s son George Roden, or Vernon Howell, a man favored by Benjamin’s widow to be the successor. After years of George and Vernon fighting for leadership, fights that included some Branch Davidians splitting into smaller factions, legal battles, and even a gunfight, Vernon finally became the group’s new spiritual leader in 1989. He changed his name to David Koresh, claiming he was a descendant of the biblical King David and the world’s final prophet.

As Koresh settled into his new role as leader of the Branch Davidians, he enacted many practices that would later cast the Branch Davidians in a very unfavorable light. Koresh told members that God wanted him to create a new “House of David,” which meant he had to procreate with the women in the group while all other men remained celibate. Then in 1993, a local Waco, Texas, newspaper began publishing a series on Koresh, with allegations that he committed both physical and sexual abuse against children at the Mount Carmel compound. The newspaper reported that Koresh had more than 100 wives, some whom he had married when they were as young as 12, and had fathered at least a dozen children. There were also reports of Branch Davidians stockpiling weapons at Mount Carmel. These allegations were a major trigger to the infamous Waco Siege.

In February 1993, a 51-day standoff began at Mount Carmel between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) and the Branch Davidians. ATF attempted to serve a search and arrest warrant on Mount Carmel for alleged sexual abuse charges and illegal weapons violations, but they were met with bullets and barricades from David Koresh and his followers. The FBI then took over and was able to negotiate the release of 19 children, but Koresh refused to cease fire completely. Suddenly, on April 19, numerous fires broke out across the Mount Carmel compound, soon destroying it. To this day, it’s disputed whether it was the Branch Davidians or the FBI who started the fire. The blaze claimed 79 Branch Davidians, almost one third of whom were children. When the FBI investigated, they discovered that Koresh had died from a gunshot wound to the head sometime during the fire. It’s unclear if he died by suicide or was shot by someone else. In the months after the siege, some of the surviving Branch Davidians were tried and convicted of various firearm and manslaughter charges. Today, nothing remains of the Mount Carmel compound. A few surviving members of the Branch Davidians built a small church on the site and still meet as a congregation, now calling themselves Branch, The Lord Our Righteousness.

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