Ep. 80 | The SICKENING Waco Cult Leader | David Koresh

Texas in the early 1990s, a stretch of flat, dusty land just outside of Waco, it's quiet. At first glance, it seems like just another compound. A few ramshackled building, some trailers, and a playground for kids. But inside those walls, something else was brewing, something dangerous and deeply devoted. A man who called himself the Lamb of God, a prophecy of the End Times, and an arsenal stockpiled for war. This is a story of faith twisted into control, of prophecy, power, and the quiet terror that can grow behind locked doors. It's about how one man became David Kuresh and how he let a community down a path they would never return from. Crime, conspiracy, cults, serial killers, and murder, all things that I love to consume, and I know you do, too, you sick, twisted, beautiful, intellectually minded. Didn't expect that, did you? Or maybe you did. I don't really know anymore, but today we are diving into another cult. It's been a minute since we dove into one of those, and my god, did I not miss it? This is a doozy. Some of that further ado, let's unbuckle our seat belts, go mock five down the highway slam of the brakes, and bust through this windshield into this disturbing cult together. David Kuresh was born Vernon Wayne Howell on August 17th, 1959 in Houston, Texas, and his mother, Bonnie Sue Clark, was only 14 years old at the time, and his father was 20-year-old Bobby Wayne Howell, and actually abandoned the family before Vernon was even born. Really bad start. And Bonnie's brief marriage to another man ended soon after she was being treated very, very poorly, if you know what I mean, forcing her to leave Vernon in the care of his maternal grandmother, Irline Clark, when he was about four years old, so already four years old he's already going through a lot in life, seemingly not really being wanted by anybody. So young Vernon spent his early childhood believing his grandmother was his mother actually, and a charade that the family actually kept up during Bonnie's occasional visits, and when she would pose as Vernon's aunt. But age five, that illusion was shattered when Bonnie married a man named Roy Holdman, and just reclaimed her son. I can't imagine just being this kid. I feel bad for a little kid, David, because that's a lot to go through at just the age of five. So they just revealed to this confused boy that his aunt was actually his real mother, and his mother that he thoughtless his mother was actually his grandmother, and his father was somewhere else, nowhere to be found, you know. So this revelation had a profound impact on Vernon. Not giving excuses, by the way, just it had a profound impact, who reportedly carried this emotional wound for the rest of his life. So returning to live with Bonnie and his new stepfather Roy in the Dallas area, Vernon's childhood did not become any easier. And starting around this time as a kindergartener, he was actually as fine older male relative. And in July of 1965, Bonnie and Roy had a son together, and Vernon's half-brother was named Roger. So the turbulent life of Vernon, it just keeps stacking on itself, and it's terrible. So the family settled in Richardson, Texas, but Vernon's relationship with his stepfather was rocky and marked by very strict discipline. And he would later tell of harsh spankings from Roy that made me fly like a kite, and even an incident where Bonnie beat him in front of guests at his 13th birthday. And by contrast, Vernon remained very attached to his grandmother, often begging to return to her home after visits. And relatives recall seeing him chase their car on his bicycle, crying whenever he had to stay with his mother and Roy. And academically, young Vernon struggled, because he suffered from dyslexia and poor eyesight, leading to placement in special education classes, and making him a target for merciless bullying. And classmates dubbed him Mr. Retardo? Kids are just mean, man. Especially back then, I'm not saying it. Okay, these are the kids that said it to him. Poor little guy. Again, I'm not like we're gonna get into some other stuff. Obviously, this doesn't excuse what an adult man does, but my god did this kid have it. He had a pretty rough. And that nickname was due to his repeated failures in school. And Vernon himself later admitted, "There's not one grade in school that I didn't fail. I failed first grade twice, so I failed second grade." So the constant ridicule left him socially isolated and, very lonely, so seeking refuge in religion, Vernon developed an intense interest in the Bible from a young age. And by his early teens, he was devoting hours to prayer and scripture, and he allegedly had even memorized large portions of the Bible by heart at age 12. That is very, very hard. Coming from someone who was made to read the Bible as a kid, it does not make sense to a kid. I would think, I read it now as adults sometimes, and I'm just like, "What?" And it was around that same time when he found a positive outlet in sports, which improved his confidence somewhat. But academics remained a challenge. And he would bounce back and forth between living with his mother and grandparents through his adolescence. And when he was 16, his family enrolled him in the Dallas Junior Academy, a private church run seventh day Adventist school, hoping a religious environment might help him. And Vernon, attended for a time, but got into disputes with teachers and conflicts at home, and eventually dropped out in the 10th grade without graduating. But despite his troubles at school, teenage Vernon had a knack for practical skills and music, actually, and he taught himself guitar on an old instrument that he found, taking a few lessons at a local music shop. And he formed a small garage band in his teens dreaming of rock and roll stardom, though these bands fell apart. And he later blamed that on other members' drug use. So socially, he started to attract attention at this point, especially from the ladies. And when Vernon was living again with his grandmother in Tyler, Texas, he fixed up a backyard shed into a private hangout decked with rock posters and a black light. And neighborhood girls would drop by just drawn to the handsome teen who played guitar and had his own place behind the house. A glorified shed with a black light in posters sounds terrifying to me, but to each their own. And it said that, quote, everybody that met Vernon liked him, unquote, during this period, which seemed to be a trait he would carry on through his life as we will see, as we know he was, a cult leader. But this was one of the very few relatively happy interludes in his youth. But it ended abruptly when tensions with his grandmother's husband led to Vernon being sent back to live with Barney and Roy yet again. So he had just endured a very chaotic upbringing, an absent father, a teenage mother, shuffling between households, learning disabilities, abuse, and relentless bullying. And all of this would shape the troubled, driven young man who was about to seek a new identity and a just a general new purpose in life. The Vernon stumbled into adulthood with little direction, obviously. And in 1977, at around the age of 19, he allegedly had his first serious romantic relationship with a 16-year-old girl in the community. And it was a relationship that quickly led to pregnancy, teenage pregnancy. And according to later accounts, Vernon was shocked at the prospect of becoming a father. He quote said, "Me, Mr. Retardo, going to have a baby?" "I'm sorry, that's just crit the 70s were a different time." So his girlfriend would give birth to a daughter, but she decided that Vernon was unfit to be a parent and would actually move away, cutting him out of the child's life. That stings. So Vernon never got to even see his infant daughter. And as if that weren't enough, allegedly, Vernon had the opportunity to meet Bobby Howell, his biological dad, and what should have been a joyful meeting was actually sadly detached, as Bobby had little desire to build any sort of relationship with his son, and they would never meet again after that. So these just rejections were heavy blows and reinforce his feelings of inadequacy and failure. So with many of his relationships in disarray, Vernon turned back to his two main outlets, and that was religion and music. And then Vernon claimed that he had become a born again Christian. And he first joined a local Southern Baptist church, but soon gravitated toward the faith of his childhood, which was his mother's denomination. The 7th day Adventist Church, or the SDA. And in the late 1970s, he began attending an SDA congregation in Tyler, Texas, hoping to find his place and redemption in devote faith. And for a time, Vernon Howell was just another young church member, fervent, awkward, and eager to belong. But he could not suppress his intense personality. As Vernon in his early 20s became fixated on a 15 year old girl in the Tyler Church, the daughter of the pastor. Big no-no, not just because of the pastor's daughter, but she's 15, and he's 20. But he believed God had shown him a sign in Scripture that she was to be his wife. Now we're getting into the "goo-goo-goo" realm, right now it's starting to become unforgivable. And he later recounts that he opened his Bible and saw a verse, Isaiah 34/16, that he interpreted as divine permission for him to take this girl as his "mate." God, I hate that term. So convinced it was God's will, Vernon approached the SDA pastor and declared that the Lord wanted him to marry this man's underage daughter, and the pastor was, rightfully, fucking horrified and immediately forbade Vernon from ever seeing her. But Vernon, however, refused to back down, continuing this secret relationship for nearly two years, and his behavior alarmed the congregation, obviously. And church members found Vernon's intensity and fixation on sex and prophecy deeply unsettling. Because again, we see this with most cult leaders, they just kind of cherry pick things out of the Bible or whatever Scripture that they're reading to benefit whatever they want. And in Vernon's case, that was relations with girls he shouldn't have been having relations with. And confronting church elders during services, arguing about doctrinal issues and even interpreting sermons with his own long-winded interpretations of Scripture. And in one Sabbath, he marched up to the pulpit and launched into a rambling speech of biblical prophecy, testing the leadership's patience. And when he did it again the very next week, the deacons had had enough. And they physically intercepted Vernon and gave him an ultimatum. And that was to leave quietly on your own or be thrown out. And he didn't leave. And the Tyler Seventh-day-Advented Church formally disfellowshipped, in other words, expelled. Vernon, declaring him unwelcome for his destructive and immoral behavior. Fair enough, fair enough. And the scandal of his affair with the pastor's daughter and his self-righteous outbursts had made him an outcast in the congregation, so Vernon left in disgrace. But also with a sense of grand destiny unfulfilled now. So now the ego's starting to just be pumped up, you know, he thinks he's better than everyone else. And he got disavowed. He got abandoned like he got in his childhood and he feels like he needs revenge like he's better than everyone else. So what's he going to do, guys? What's he going to do? We will see. You know, we already know. He's going to make a goal. Alright, because he's still harbored the dreams of rock music success from his teens as well. So he actually would start to stab at a music career, moving to Los Angeles for a time in hopes of becoming a rock guitarist. However, this venture proved to be an utter failure, how sh*t. Stamp on another failure for Vernon, and Vernon would just return to Texas with little to show for it. So cut off from the church of his upbringing and humbled by his musical experience as an LA, he was now a religious rebel in search of a new spiritual home at in the perfect time period, the 70s, you know, 60s and 70s ultimate cult period, you know. So the 22 year old went to a place that he had heard about on the fringe of the Adventist world, which was a small apocalyptic sect living on a rural property just outside of Waco, Texas. So Vernon Howell's turbulent youth was over, and he was about to reinvent himself. So in 1981, Vernon Howell arrived at the Mount Carmel Center near Waco, Texas, the compound of a breakaway Adventist sect known as the Branch Dividians. The group was led by Lois Rodin, a widow over 40 years' Vernon's senior, and Lois and her late husband Benjamin Rodin had founded the Branch Dividians in the 1950s after splitting from the mainstream 7th day Adventism. And when Benjamin died in 1978, Lois assumed leadership, and into this environment walked young Vernon, a high school dropout with a head full of scripture eager to prove himself a man of God in his own convenient way. So he kind of had like a pre-made cult, you know, for him he just kind of walked in at this point. He would be welcomed as a new member, and he initially kept a low profile, doing odd jobs and handyman work around the rural compound to earn his keep, but it didn't take long for Vernon to make his presence felt, because as we know he had a very, very big personality. And by 1983, the earnest newcomer began claiming he had "the gift of prophecy." A tale as old as time. And the cult leader world, why are they all prophets? They all just like, you know, I know, you know, this guy did it in the 60s, this guy did in the 70s, now we're in the 80s, I think we'll just try it again, see if it works, you know, and it does, for whatever reason. And he would spend countless hours pouring over the Bible, especially the apocalyptic books of Daniel and Revelation, and he started sharing bold new interpretations that he insisted were divinely inspired. And in private, and then in Bible study groups, Vernon revealed his doctrine, which was a complex controversial teaching he said God had given to him. And sensing his potential, Lois Rodin allowed Vernon to teach his message to the branch dividends. And his serpents roots, lessons, as they were called, touched on esoteric interpretations of biblical lineage and sin, which raised eyebrows and created rifts within the community. But Lois herself was evidently impressed by the charismatic young man. And allegedly, Vernon and Lois grew disturbingly close. Despite their age gap, he's going the other way now, he's going up, and at least it's legal. This time, it's widely believed that Vernon Howell entered into a romantic relationship with Lois, who was in her late 60s at this point. And Vernon was in his 20s. And Davidian member David Thabodeu later wrote that Vernon's speculated God chose him to father a special child with Lois, an heir to leadership called the Chosen One. And such whispers unsettled Lois's son, George Rodin, who was widely expected to succeed his mother as leader. So to George, Vernon was an interloper seducing his elderly mother and usurping his position. This is literally like turning into Game of Thrones up in here. So Mount Carmel escalated into an all-out power struggle, and Vernon fanned the flames by making a bold prophetic move. And he would announce that God had instructed him to marry Rachel Jones. And now we're going, we're going back down, who was a 14-year-old branch dividend girl whose family were long time members. And in 1984, Vernon took Rachel as his wife, and her parents consented because their idiots adding "cresh" to her last name. And this was a significant early use of the surname he would later adopt himself as we know. And Rachel would eventually have two children with Vernon, a boy named Cyrus, and a girl named Star. So for a brief moment, this marriage just seemed to stabilize the community. And Vernon's union with Rachel tied him to a prominent branch dividend family, and momentarily stopped talk of impropriety. But the calm of this group was very short-lived in that same year, a mysterious disaster struck Mount Carmel. And a fire broke out and burned down a $500,000 administration building, including the sex printing press. So the blaze gutted a key facility for the entire group, and in the aftermath, George publicly accused Vernon of "Arson," claiming Vernon had set the fire to sabotage him. Sounds pretty, pretty, pretty accurate to me, but what do I know? But Vernon, coolly denied it, saying, quote, "No man set that fire." Framing the blaze as divine judgment as if God himself had cast a vote in the leadership conflict, how convenient. Or Vernon, he's already doing all the convenient things, he's like, "Op, what in me?" You know, this guy upstairs, I think he's trying to tell us something, you know? What's that gas can behind me? It's nuts. And this lighter in my hand, I, you know, you should, I think you've been drinking, God. All right, we need to wrap this up. All right. So the fire further poisoned the atmosphere of the entire group. And George, already furious at Vernon's growing influence over his mother, and the flock, was convinced Vernon was out to steal the sect, and he decided to take action. So backed by a band of loyalists and armed with guns, George forced Vernon and his followers off Mount Kermell at gunpoint in late 1984. So Vernon and about 25 of his supporters hastily packed up and fled the property, leaving it for now to George. So the exile group retreated to the east, setting up a makeshift camp in a rural town of Palestine, Texas, about 90 miles away. And they lived in crude conditions, betting down in rusty buses and tents in the woods. And for two years, Vernon's devotees endured hardships in the wilderness refuge. But they stayed because they believed they were like the biblical David running from Saul. persecuted by a wicked ruler who was George, but destined by God to reclaim the kingdom. So Vernon's rise had been temporarily checked, but his resolve only intensified in exile. Because as we know, if this guy fails or gets exiled or gets abandoned, he doubles down. So banished from Mount Carmel, Vernon's set about consolidating his following and plotting his return. So from 1985 through 1986, his little encampment in Palestine, Texas became the incubator for a more radical, messianic version of his message. And Vernon, now in his mid-twenties, styled himself as a prophetic leader in waiting. And he recruited new followers aggressively, venturing far beyond Texas to spread his apocalyptic gospel. And he traveled to California and throughout the US and even made trips overseas. And by his own account, Vernon preached and sought converts in the United Kingdom, Israel, Australia, attracting young seekers intrigued by his command of scripture and end times teachings. And during a visit to Israel, Vernon experienced a dramatic vision in Jerusalem. And he claimed that God revealed to him that he was a modern-day Cyrus, the ancient Persian king, anointed by God in the Bible. And like Cyrus, Vernon believed he was chosen to lead God's people and establish a divinely ordained kingdom. And even as he proclaimed these revelations, Vernon and his followers endured a highly regimented and disciplined life in the Palestine camp. And they made their existence in primitive shelters, scraping by on mecha resources and faith. And then, a turning point came in 1986. Lois Rodin died, leaving the branch divinian leadership in flux. And many exiles wondered maybe they could reclaim Mount Carmel now that their patron was gone. And Vernon's charisma and conviction had secured the loyalty of the majority of branched dividends by this time. And even some that remained at Mount Carmel sympathized with him. So the stage was set for a confrontation with George. And it would prove deadly. So in late 1987, the bizarre power struggle between Vernon and George reached its violent climax. And George exhumed corpse from the Mount Carmel community cemetery. And though he allegedly said he was just moving the cemetery, Vernon claimed that he had issued a challenge. And that was whoever could resurrect the body would prove divine favor and rightful leadership. Guy thinks he's Jesus Christ, basically. So Vernon sees this stunt as evidence of George's depravity. And he actually went to law enforcement in Waco to report George for illegally disturbing a grave. But authorities told Vernon he needed proof, such as the photograph of the exhumed corpse to pursue charges. So Vernon decided to get that proof himself. And on November 3, 1987, Vernon and seven armed followers crept back onto Mount Carmel undercover of night, carrying cameras and guns. And their goal was to photograph the dug up coffin to incriminate George. But George would discover the intruders and a gun fight erupted in the dark grounds of Mount Carmel. And bullets flew between the rivaled opinions. And by the time the sheriff arrived, Rodin had been shot and was cowering behind a tree wounded and outnumbered. And Vernon and his men were arrested and charged with attempted murder for the armed insertion. And the ensuing trial took place in 1988. And Vernon testified that he only went to Mount Carmel to gather evidence of criminal disturbance of a corpse. And that George had opened fire first. And the jury ultimately believed there was reasonable doubt. So all seven of Vernon's followers were acquitted, and the case against Vernon ended in a mistrial when the jury deadlocked. So he walked free. And he was emboldened by this to say the least. And he saw it as a sign of God's favor. Meanwhile, George's fortunes plummeted. And in 1989, in a separate incident, he murdered a fellow Davidian named Wayman Adar with an axe. What the hell? Whom he deliriously believed Vernon had sent to kill him. Guy was starting to get a little crazy, okay? Actually, he already was crazy. I thought it was Jesus Christ, but he lost it. And he was declared criminally insane and locked away in a state psychiatric hospital eliminating him as a factor. So with the George out of the picture, Vernon finally moved to reclaim Mount Carmel. So the property had by now fallen into neglect and was burdened by unpaid taxes during George's tenure. So Vernon and his followers pooled their resources and raised the money to pay off the back taxes, thus assuming legal ownership of the Mount Carmel compound in 1989. So when they took possession, and they found that George had rented parts of the land to outsiders who operated methane-fedamine labs on the premises. George was going wild with it. So Vernon immediately notified local police about the meth lab and had it removed. A calculated move to demonstrate that his branched dividends would not be criminals or drug dealers. They would just be doing other illegal stuff, you know? So Vernon was now the uncontested leader at Mount Carmel. And by 1990, the one's wayward high school dropout had reinvented himself as the prophetic leader of the branched dividends. To mark his new era, he petitioned for a legal name change. And on May 15, 1990, in a California court, Vernon Wayne Howell officially became David Kuresh. And the name had a deep symbolic meaning, obviously. David aligned him with the biblical King David, a messionic lineage of a prophesized end time king. And Kuresh is the Hebrew form of Cyrus, the aforementioned Persian king whom God anointed in Isaiah. Guy thought a lot of himself. That's basically the big picture here. So by taking this name, Kuresh signals that he was a spiritual Cyrus destined to free God's people. And in effect, David Kuresh was proclaiming himself Messiah, the anointed one to lead the faithful in the last days. And with Mount Carmel back under his control and a new name declaring his biblical authority, Kuresh began to exert total control over the branched dividends. And most of the community accepted him as their rightful prophet, especially after George's disgrace. And they believe Kuresh had outlasted satanic opposition and proven himself chosen by God. And Kuresh's teachings also evolved in these years, becoming more and more and more extreme. And in 1989, he introduced what he called the new light doctrine. And in it, he declared that all women in the community were spiritually his wives, even if legally married to other men. And that all men followers besides himself, of course, must remain celibate. Oh, the convenience of the cult. Yeah, so basically he had a lot of wives and all the men had to be celibate. So he got to do all the spicy tango dances if you know what I mean. And he claimed this command came straight from God as part of establishing the House of David. And again, it always comes from God. So he can't take any flack. He's like, gosh, I'm just the messenger. All right, don't shoot the messenger. It's the guy upstairs. He's crazy, but I'm just going with it. I know it's crazy. The House of David is his growing clan of children. Who would allegedly reign in God's kingdom? So starting around 1986, Karech had taken spiritual wives from among the sect. But after 1989, he openly taught that every female member, whether single or married, belonged to him, as we said. So men were no longer allowed to have any sort of relations at all, even with their own legal spouses. While Karech himself took a harem of women and girls as his own. Afe, disgusting monster. So under this new light teaching, Karech pressured parents to give their daughters to him and convinced husbands to surrender their wives. And some of Karech's wives were young to say the least. Too young, OK? Michelle Jones, the youngest sister of Karech's wife, Rachel, was just 12 years old when Karech claimed her as a bride. And she would end up boring one of his children's later on. And another girl, Kiri Jewel, later alleged that Karech took her as a wife at only the age of 10. 10, a child. Like grade 3, 4, just disgusting. Like, he's a fucking disgusting piece of shit. But Karech justified these acts with twisted scripture, telling followers that God wanted him to father 24 children by many women to serve as the 24 ruling elders in the impending kingdom of God. In many branch divinity and women, conditioned to revere Karech considered it an honor to be chosen as a wife of the lamb. So all of this doctrine being placed just laid the groundwork for future conflict with authorities because a lot of illegal stuff was going down. And it was at the same time that Karush was redefining sexual and family life at Mount Carmel. And he was also turning the community into an armed, apocalyptic sect on top of everything. So in the late 1980s, Karush began stockpiling weapons. And the dividends acquired firearms at an astonishing rate, outwardly as a means of income buying and selling guns at gun shows, but also clearly to prepare for an anticipated final battle with the forces of evil. And they spent a large sums purchasing military-style semi-automatic rifles, shotguns, pistols, and ammunition in bulk. And they even ordered grenades and 50 caliber armor piercing rounds. Those are huge! They're massive. That's very scary. And by the early 1990s, Karush's followers had a mast over 200 firearms and at least a million rounds of ammunition at Mount Carmel. And many of these weapons were bought legally through mail order and at gun shows. In Texas gun culture, at the time, it made such purchases pretty easily. But there were signs the dividends were illegally modifying some guns to make them fully automatic and assembling homemade grenades, which were serious federal offenses. A garage preached that this arsenal was to defend the faithful in the coming apocalypse. And the name at Mount Carmel gave way to a foreboding new nickname among followers, and that was Ranch Apocalypse. Really? That's, I feel like that's really obvious, but what do I know? But Grash truly believed and told his flock that they were gods chosen army, destined to clash with the corrupt government. Babylon. So as 1990 ended, David Grash had completely transformed the branch dividends, and he was their undisputed prophet, their lamb of god, with many wives and children, and an armory fit for war. So by the early 1990s, David Grash presided over the branch dividend sect as an absolute ruler. A tyrant, if you will, and vigorously prepared his flock for what he insisted were the end times at Ranch Apocalypse. And daily life under Grash's leadership became even more regimented and extreme, and he would continue to collect wives. And former members later estimated Grash ultimately took on at least a dozen spiritual wives and fathered more than a dozen children within the group. And he controlled every aspect of the compound members' lives. Women were made to dress modestly in long blouses, and forbidden to wear makeup or jewelry, and Grash even dictated their diets. He actually banned sugar, processed flour, and dairy products, saying, quote, "Milk is what you drink when you're a baby, and we're adults now," unquote. And cutting off anything he deemed a worldly indulgence. And adult males, aside from Grash, of course, were still expected to remain celibate, dictating themselves wholly to Bible study and labor. And the men's marriages were essentially annulled by Grash's decree, and meanwhile Grash continued to bed, whomever he pleased, claiming divine sanction. So their lifestyle was audacious and disturbing, but inside the cult Grash's word was law. And Grash's apocalyptic teachings also intensified. And as sermons and Bible classes held frequently and sometimes at marathon length, not unlike Jim Jones, focused on the impending end of the world. And Grash cultivated in us versus them mentality, which is just cult 101, like, be more creative. You know, it's just the same thing every time, and it's fucking sickening. But that was the outside world was Babylon, utterly evil, and destined for destruction, and he warned his followers that anyone who left the group would forfeit salvation and be doomed when the end came. So we're putting just fear into everyone, just in case they want to leave. They can't, and they're like burn and hell. Brimstone, fire and brimstone, and this kept many in line out of just sheer terror. And they were taught that to abandon Grash was to invite eternal damnation. And to enforce loyalty and isolation, Grash strongly discouraged outside influences. Just completely insulating them, saying quote, "You're supposed to separate yourself from the world. The world is sin." Unquote. Former member David Buns explained of the branch to video mindset. So Grash drilled this into his followers, insisting they avoid contact with worldly family and friends who might lure them away from the truth, the truth, you know. So in 1991 and 1992, Grash continued his recruitment efforts abroad. And he sent emissaries to Australia and the United Kingdom, where he planted seeds during the 1980s. And Grash's charisma was undeniable, unfortunately. And despite only a ninth grade education, he could quote scripture effortlessly and exude confidence. He was the epitome of fake it till you make it. And he convinced people from all over the world to pack up their entire lives and move to central Texas to join his apocalyptic community. And he didn't even need to leave Texas to do so. As one observer noted, even decades later, true believer struggled to articulate the pull that he had. Quote, "There was just this force within him." Unquote. A force that made people uproot themselves to follow Grash's vision. However, defectors from the group also began to emerge, carrying alarming stories to outsiders. Like Mark Brolt, an Australian devotee who had been an inner circle member, became delusioned by Grash's sexual access and left the sect in 1989. And Brolt immediately started warning authorities about Grash. And he contacted police and media in Texas, but was largely dismissed as a disgruntled ex-member. And Waco Sheriff allegedly waved off Brolt's reports as "sour grapes." What a fucking idiot. The sky's telling the police that Grash is taking wives that are much too young and they're just like, "Ah, he's just mad. They paid their taxes. It's fine." But Brolt would reach out to anyone who would listen in the outside world. And he found an ally in David Jewel, a man whose ex-wife had become one of Grash's wives and took their young daughter into the cult. And in March of 1992, Jewel and Brolt contacted at least two U.S. congressmen, desperately warning that Grash was S.A.N. girls and might orchestrate a mass cancellation if cornered. If you know what I mean. And these warnings were relayed to the FBI nearly a year before the Waco tragedy, but apparently were not acted upon at the time. Brolt had better success soundly alarm in Australia where both the media and even the U.S. Embassy took his information seriously. You know, like you should. And they sent a cable to Washington warning that a mass cancellation at the ranch was imminent. And that Grash would kill anyone who tried to arrest him. But despite these massive red flags, Grash's reign at Mount Carmel continued unchecked through 1992. And that year, Texas State authorities did attempt a closer look, prompted by whispers of child abuse inside the compound. And the Texas Department of Child Protective Services, or the CPS, opened an investigation into the allegations against Grash, specifically in mistreating children. And case workers interviewed Grash and actually some of the children, but the branch dividends were evasive and well-coached. And crucially, the group hid Grash's underage marriages by falsely assigning younger girls to men their own age as cover. Absolutely disgusting. For example, 12-year-old Michelle Jones was presented as being married to member David libido, who was 10 years younger than Grash, to disguise the fact that Grash was actually her husband. What is going on here? And why is that okay? You know, CPS investigators never found concrete evidence to substantiate the abuse claims. And no child would implicate Grash, and no one would admit to the spiritual polygamy. And after six months in June, the child abuse investigation was closed with no action taken. But in retrospect, this was a hugely missed opportunity to intervene before things escalated. But by late 1992, another branch of government had curesh on its radar. And that was a US bureau of alcohol, tobacco, and firearms, otherwise known, as the ATF. And reports from various sources indicated that Curesh's group was amassing a massive arsenal of weapons and possibly converting semi-automatic rifles into machine guns. An ATF opened an investigation into the branch Davidian's firearm activities. An agent learned that the Davidians had ordered hundreds of high-capacity gun magazines, dozens of AR-15s, and AK-47-style rifles, grenade components, and black powder. And a package of inner grenade casings had even burst open on delivery, alarming a UPS driver who reported it to Sheriff. And by the fall of 1992, the ATF was growing in increasingly concerned. I love how the government's more concerned about firearms than children being mistreated, but what do I know? So here was a cult led by a man accused of mistreating children predicting an apocalyptic showdown and stockpiling an armory of military-grade weapons in a compound with scores of children. And in early 1993, authorities were closing in. In a local newspaper, the Waco Tribune Herald, was finishing an extensive investigative series on Kharash titled, "Sinful Messiah, Poised to Expose, His Abuses and Arraignments," at least someone stepping up. And the ATF, for its part, was preparing a major raid on Mount Carmel, and they requested that the series release be delayed so as not to interfere with their operations. So as David Kharash preached to his followers about the looming end of days, law enforcement's net was tightening around the Branch Davidians, prepping for that fateful siege that would make Kharash infamous. So David Kharash created an elaborate theology to justify his actions and solidify his hold over the Branch Davidians. And at the core of his doctrine was Kharash's claim to be the one true interpreter of scripture. Literally, the only person on earth who understood the Bible's deepest secrets, isn't? Just the most convenient job in the world. And he taught that the prophecies of the book of Revelation were unfolding in real time and that he was the lamb of God, prophesied in Revelation. And in the Christian New Testament, only the lamb often understood as Jesus Christ is worthy to open the mysterious seven seals that usher in the end of the New World. But Kharash, like George, just basically thinks he's Jesus Christ. And he appropriated that rule for himself, of course. Declaring that he had a unique God-given authority to decode and execute the divine plan at the end times. In other words, Kharash convinced his followers that their eternal fate hinged on him. He, as the lamb, held the keys to unlock the final chapter in history. And because of this, Kharash insisted that only his interpretations of scripture were valid and anybody, anything anybody else said, was absolute a BS, according to Kharash. And former Davidians recalled that Kharash presented himself as the conduit of God's truth. No one else could correctly interpret the Bible except Kharash himself, no pastor, scholar, or elder. And he poured over prophetic books like Daniel Isaiah and Revelation for hours on end, weaving an intricate end time scenario. And according to Kharash, the apocalypse was imminent, unfolding in the now. And the Davidians firmly believed they were living in the final generation of Earth's history. Kharash taught that the prophecies of Daniel would be fulfilled at Waco. And that the Mount Carmel Center was essentially the new Jerusalem where Christ's return would occur. The community lived in a constant state of expectancy, convinced that any day the forces of Babylon or secular government would attack and trigger a holy war. Kharash's sermons bristled with violent imagery and warnings of doom for the wicked. And he emphasized passages about God's wrath and the annihilation of unbelievers instilling fear as a means of control, fire and brimstone, as we said before. And children were raised on terrifying tales of the end of the world. And one young survivor remembered, quote, Kharash constantly told us the end of the world was coming, unquote, leaving her in perpetual fear. I remember as a kid just being so scared of the rapture, I only heard about it once as a kid, about how a rapture could happen. And I woke up every day like if my parents were like not in the room that you are or my siblings weren't. And I thought everyone was gone. I thought the rapture happened. And I was the only one left on Earth. So I can't imagine how these kids felt, just getting it pushed into them every single day that they'll go to hell if they don't do everything that they're told and all the stuff. It's just so sad. And in Kharash's apocalyptic framework, the branch Davidians held an exalted place. He taught that his followers were the chosen elect, the 144,000 mentioned in Revelation who would be saved out of the dying world. Very strange, precise number. And this conferred on the group as a powerful sense of purpose and superiority, right? They were God's end time army, the very first fruits of salvation. And everybody else was just, ah, they're just going to be all damned and they suck. And they're not as good as us, you know? So this wasn't just some rag tag cult on a farm in Texas. Kharash even hinted that once the final battle was won, his offspring would reign as princes in God's kingdom. I guess the girls just didn't matter at all. And he reportedly used Psalm 45 to prophesize that he needed to father 24 children who would be the future princes ruling the new kingdom of God. And his followers believed that they were literally living out biblical prophecy under Kharash's leadership. And departing the group meant losing one's place among God's elite. Which was a fate worse than death in their minds. So it's really hard to overstate the psychological domination this represented. He rationalized these relationships by claiming God's law superseded man's and Kharash enforced this by coercion and charisma and most followers eventually accepted it as God's will. However painful it was. So from the outside looking in, the branch to Vidyans under David Kharash looked like a classic closed cult world of fanaticism and coercion. And it can be hard to fathom why dozens of seemingly ordinary people would join and remain in such a group. But those who were inside Mount Kharmal describe a mix of factors that bound them to Kharash, even as his demands grew, darker. Charisma and spiritual allure were certainly part of it. And David Kharash possessed a magnetic persuasive presence. And he had an uncanny ability to quote scripture and weave elaborate explanations of biblical prophecy. He was really good on the spot, leaving listeners just totally entranced. One of the followers was quoted to say, Kharash was charismatic. This was someone who only had a ninth grade education, but he had a knack for memorizing and repeating Bible sections. So his sheer confidence and command of the Bible convinced many that he truly was to finally inspired. But in actuality, he was just really good at memorizing stuff. That's about it. That was his super power. And New Recruits often encountered Kharash during his recruitment tours or Bible studies and were taken in by his intense conviction and apparent mastery at the word of God. And he would often promise to reveal the secrets of revelation and to open the seven seals, something that felt incredibly profound and special. And oftentimes people that join cults don't feel special. They feel extremely lost. Similar to how Kharash felt, but he just honed it in and abused it. And he found people that were lost and broken. And he took them in and basically brainwashed them with fear. 'Cause newcomers, 'cause newcomers to the branch of Indians often report being loved bombed at the start, showered with warmth, biblical camaraderie, and a sense of being chosen. And the communal living meant shared meals, group prayers multiple times a day, and a break from loneliness in the outside world. So Kharash just cultivated an atmosphere of collective devotion where everyone called each other brother and sister. And it's just fostered strong emotional bonds. And the isolation just reinforced those bonds. So by the time of the Waco standoff, many branched to Indians were so entrenched that surrendering or betraying Kharash was completely unthinkable. It wasn't an option. And they had given him their minds, their bodies, their souls. And in the end, most would also give their lives. So February 28th, 1993 was Operation Showtime. And just before 9.30 a.m. on a quiet Sunday, ATF agents in full tactical gear stormed the Mount Carmel Center to execute search and arrest words on Kharash and his followers. But the element of surprise was lost because the Davidians had been tipped off the raid was coming. And it was actually a local reporter who unwittingly alerted Kharash's brother-in-law while asking for directions. And Kharash and his men were armed and waiting. So as ATF agents approached the ramshackle compound, gunfire erupted in a furious two-way shootout. And within minutes bullets tore through walls, doors, and windows. And the agents of the yard scrambled for cover as lead pelted them from the building. And inside, terrified women and children crouched low while Kharash and his mighty men were termused within the group to describe his core of trusted male defenders, returned fire with assault rifles. And the firefight was intense and prolonged. And several ATF officers went down. And by the time ceasefire was negotiated, the firefight had exited a deadly toll. Four ATF agents lay dead and 20 more were wounded. And on the branch Davidian side, five members were killed in the gun battle that morning. And another member was allegedly executed later that day for attempting to flee. And Kharash himself was severely wounded at this point, but he survived. to the initial clash. The ATF's raid had failed catastrophically devolving into a complete bloodbath, with bodies on both sides, so it began as a law enforcement action now spiraled into one of the longest standoffs in American history. So the morning's violence quickly brought in the FBI, which has jurisdiction whenever federal agents are killed. By that evening, the FBI's hostage rescue team, or the HRT and negotiation unit, had taken over the scene. They established a perimeter around Mount Carmel, and thus began the 10th siege that held the nation in thrall from February 28th to April 19th, 51 days. Waco was a tale of a religious fringe group that decided to fight back against the federal government. There's a man standing in the room with an AK-47. The FBI takes over. After 51 days, they began ramming the main building. And in the first days, telephone negotiations were opened with Koresh and his top lieutenants. Nursing, his gunshot wound, Koresh spoke a dense biblical rhetoric, making it hard for FBI negotiators to get straight answers. And though initially there were some signs of progress, Koresh agreed to release some of the children inside, and in a surprising move on day 2 of the siege, he allowed a local radio interview, because he loves attention. And Koresh would deliver an hour-long sermon over the airwaves, proclaiming his identity and message to the world in a rambling monologue. And in exchange for that, moment of glory, Koresh did send out a group of his followers. And over the next week, about 35 people left the compound voluntarily, including 21 children, thank goodness, and 14 adults. But Koresh refused to let any able-bodied men, the mighty men, exit. And each soul that emerged was whisked away by agents. And the children, some as young as infants were placed in custody of social services, and they told harrowing stories to psychiatrists of life under Koresh. And tales of beatings and of David's young wives, inside Mount Carmel, and roughly 130 dividends remained, including Koresh dozens of loyal men and women and still many children and Koresh's own and others. So as days dragged on, the FBI grew very frustrated, and negotiators pleaded with Koresh to surrender peacefully. And Koresh would promise to come out, then go back on his word, just constantly taunting the FBI. And at one point early on, Koresh said he would lead everyone out if one of his sermons was broadcasted on national TV. Remember, he's just always wanted to be famous, and the FBI actually arranged for a taped message of Koresh to be broadcasted. But once it aired, Koresh changed his mind and refused to surrender, claiming God had told him to wait. In Psalm 40, you learned by the key of David, I waited patiently on the Lord. He incline to me when he heard my cry. He brought me up out of a horrible pit, and out of the Māori clay, and established my feet on the rock. Where's the rock at, class? And this pattern just kept peeping, just delays and broken promises, while inside the compound conditions started to deteriorate. And Koresh said he needed time to write down his religious revelations, particularly a lengthy manuscript explaining the Seven Seals prophecy, and only when that was completed would God permit him to surrender. So, as weeks passed, the FBI became more aggressive in its tactics, and they cut power and water to the compound, and they blasted high-decipled noises through loudspeakers at night, including asleep depriving sounds like jet engines, pop music, and even the screams of rabbits being slaughtered. Oh my god, that sounds terrible! And I don't feel bad for Koresh and his men, but I feel bad for the children, you know, they kind of endure that, but I mean they're trying to save them, I get that, but my Lord, tanks rumbled around, flattening the Davidians' cars and outer fences. This was a full-on war zone in the middle of Texas. And the FBI was just trying to apply pressure and stress to force a breakthrough, but to the Davidians it felt like their profits predictions just coming true. Because Koresh had long said Babylon, the U.S. government, would attack them, and now care it was, with tanks and flood lights. And the unique problem the Bureau faced at Waco was that nearly all those inside wanted to remain there, and there were no hostages to rescue one analysis noted, which is stupid because there's literal children in there, they don't have a choice. What? But indeed, the branch Davidians just hunkered down, interpreting the FBI's actions as fulfillment of Scripture. The negotiators did manage to coax out a few more individuals over March, but the majority stayed with Koresh. And in total, around 46 people left alive during the siege, and by mid-April patients in Washington had worn thin. And after 51 days, Attorney General Janet Reno approved the FBI's plan to end the stalemate by force. And Koresh had still not surrendered or finished his so-called manuscript at this point. And the FBI believed negotiations were at an impasse, and there were increasing fears, justified or not, that Koresh might orchestrate a mass cancellation or execute a violent breakout. So, in the pre-done hours of April 19, 1993, the FBI put their final operation in motion. And at 6am, loudspeakers blared a warning to those inside. This is not an assault, encouraging them to surrender peacefully. And then, armored vehicles began punching holes in the compound walls. And through these breaches, FBI agents pumped in massive amounts of CS gas, a powerful tear gas intended to flush people out of bunkers, and for several hours, the tanks intermittently smashed and gasped the building. And the dividends, however, had prepared by putting gas masks, at least the adults had masks, but tragically the children did not, so unfortunately the FBI and the government were gassing children at just so awful. And they all just huddled in interior rooms, and the expected rush of panicked people fleeing just never happened. And shortly after 12pm, a fire ignited inside Mount Carmel. And within seconds, flames were visible on multiple sides of the sprawling wooden building. And the fire spread with explosive speed, accelerating by strong winds, and supposedly flammable materials within. And television cameras broadcasting live caught this horrific sight, with flames shooting out of windows and thick column of black smoke rising into the Texas sky. And the compounds makeshift construction turned it into a tender box, and walls and tunnels collapsed as the blaze consumed everything. And some dividends attempted to flee at the last minute, and a handful of men, women and children burst out through a rear breach and jumped from windows, and some were burned. But most would remain trapped inside, unfortunately. And the fire raged intensely in golfing Mount Carmel and burning it to the ground in less than an hour. And government firefighters who had been kept at a distance for safety arrived too late to save the structure or those within. And when the smoke cleared, the scope of the tragedy became very evident. And 76 branched dividends, including David Correst himself, perished in the blaze. And only 9 people inside survived by escaping the fire. Everyone else was dead, either from the flames or smoke inhalation or by gunshot wounds. And autopsies revealed that many dividends, including Correst, died of a single gunshot wound to their head. So it appeared that as the fire closed in, some devotees, or Correst himself, chose mercy killing or cancellation over burning alive. And at least 20 dividends had been shot, some of which were not adults, and that is. Gut wrenchingly heartbreaking. Correst's body was found charred beyond recognition, identified later on by dental records. And the Waco siege had ended in unspeakable horror as a flaming apocalypse that eerily mirrored the Doomsday Correst had prophesized. And Correst's death marked to the end of the branch dividend standoff, but the tragedy was far from over in the public's consciousness. As the smoldering ruins of Mount Carmel became a scene of national trauma and controversy. The siege had lasted 51 days, and its final day would spark decades of debate over why it ended the way it did. And who was to blame? So the immediate aftermath of the Waco siege saw shock, outrage, and a demand for accountability and the US government moved quickly to prosecute the branch dividends who survived the fire. And in total, 12 members were charged with various crimes ranging from murder of federal agents to weapons violations, and one woman made a plea deal and 11 dividends to trial in 1994 in San Antonio. And the trial outcome was a surprising rebuke to the government, and the jury actually acquitted all 11 of the most serious charges of murder and conspiracy in the deaths of the 4 ATF agents. So essentially, jurors did not hold the survivors directly responsible for initiating the gunfight, and many observers felt the jurors placed more blame on the ATF's tactics. However, the dividends were not off the hook entirely, and five members were convicted of voluntary manslaughter, a lesser charge for aiding and abetting, the deaths of federal agents, and seven were convicted on various firearm charges. In all, eight branched dividends received prison sentences raging up to 40 years, though most were around five to 15 years, and the judge in prosecution expressed disappointment, but the verdict indicated the jury felt the dividends had acted in what they believed was self-defense during the raid. And over time, these individuals served their sentences and were released, and by 2007, all the imprisoned dividends had regained freedom. In public controversy, over Waco only intensified in the years following 1993, and the fiery end of the siege provoked multiple investigations and congressional hearings. In 1995, the U.S. Congress, particularly the House of Representatives, under pressure from a skeptical public, held extensive hearings on Waco. And testimony from survivors, ATF and FBI officials, and experts was presented to determine if the government had acted recklessly or if Koresh bore sole blame. Because the optics of tanks and gas, and a charred compound of bodies amongst them, non-adults, led many to condemn federal tactics. And conspiracy theories also blossomed, like claims that the FBI deliberately started the fire or shot the escaping dividends, etc. And to address lingering doubts, in 1999, the Justice Department appointed former Senator John C. Danforth as a special counsel to conduct an independent investigation. And after an exhaustive review of evidence, the Danforth report delivered clear conclusions. And that was that quote, "Government agents did not start the fire at Waco. Government agents did not shoot at the branch dividends on April 19, 1993. There was no mass conspiracy to cover up wrongdoing." And Danforth placed the blame for the tragedy squarely on David Koresh and certain branch dividends, stating that they quote, "Burn down the complex and shot at least 20 of their own people." And the report exonerated high officials like Attorney General Reno and the FBI leadership of malicious intent, though it did criticize some operational lapses. And despite these official findings, a debate persists to this day. It's some believe the FBI's use of CS gas and aggressive tactics precipitated the disaster, but others hold that Koresh was hell-bent on a deadly end regardless of what authorities did. But what is undeniable is that Waco became a symbol, a rallying cry for anti-government groups, and a case study in how not to handle a cult standoff. And the legacy of Waco took a dark turn on April 19, 1995, exactly two years after the Mount Carmel fire. Because that morning, Timothy McVey, an army veteran with anti-government views, detonated a truck bomb at the Mira Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people, including a daycare in the worst act of domestic terrorism in US history. And McVey explicitly cited the Waco siege, and the earlier Ruby Ridge incident, which saw an innocent woman shot and killed by federal agents in an 11-day armed standoff, as his motivation and justification for what he did. Because he saw the Waco fire as government murder and chose April 19 as a symbolic date of revenge. And thus, the Oklahoma City bombing was a grim fallout from Waco, demonstrating how the tragedy in Texas fueled the anger of the militia movement and extremists who viewed the federal government as tyrannical. And in the decades after 1993, Mount Carmel became a somber memorial and a point of pilgrimage for different groups. And not long after the siege, a few surviving Dominions and some supporters returned to the property, and in 1999, survivors actually built a small chapel on the site to serve as a church and a memorial to those who passed. And the names of the deceased Dominions and even the names of the four ATF agents were inscribed on simple memorials. And a chain-link fence that once surrounded the compound gradually filled up with homemade tributes, crosses, and flowers from visitors. The handful of Prince to Vidyan survivors continued to meet for Bible study and worship every Saturday on the grounds, keeping their faith very much alive. And chief among them was Clive Doyle, an Australian-born Davidian who had escaped the fire with burns on his hands. And Doyle remained in Waco and became the de facto keeper of the Mount Carmel site and the branch to Vidyan memory. And he steadfastly believed Kresh would one day be resurrected and vindicated. And for nearly 30 years out of the siege, Doyle led quiet Sabbath services in the little chapel, sometimes joined by other survivors like Sheila Martin, who lost her husband and children in the fire, and in parallel a new branch to Vidyan faction emerged. And a man named Charles Pace, who claimed to be a successor to Kresh's mission, though not a prophet himself, yet, I guess, moved on to Mount Carmel in the early 2000s. And Pace gathered a small community of about a dozen people living in a cluster of mobile homes on the site, and they called their group "branch the Lord our righteousness." They built their own new church on a monument at Mount Carmel. And Pace's community, like Kresh's, preaches apocalyptic Adventist beliefs and awaits end times. And though Pace distanced himself from Kresh's more criminal behaviors, may he well? Tensions sometimes arose between Pace's group and Doyle's survival circle over who represents the true branch to Vidyan's. But both factions have the same ultimate expectation, the fulfillment of end time prophecy. And though Pace denounced Kresh overall, while Doyle continued to defend Kresh's teachings and character in interviews, quote, "People ask me, well, how come you still believe in David after all these years?" And Doyle said, "Well, I didn't buy into David as a person. I bought into an idea he presented. I still believe in that idea, the foundation of which is a Bible." So Doyle remained faithful to the end, and he died in Waco in June 2022 at the age of 81, never wavering from his conviction that David Kresh was chosen by God and would rise again. And with Doyle's passing, one of the last direct eyewitness voices from Inside Mount Carmel fell silent, and Pace remains alive and continues to lead his followers today. But the tragedy that unfolded in Texas in 1993 remains one of the most controversial and haunting events in American history. And its lessons paid for in blood and door. But that is that for the deep dive on David Kresh and the branched avidians. It was a lot. But let me know what you think of this whole case down in the comments below. We can have a discussion about it. And if you have any other cases you want me to dive into, let me know down below. I always read the comments. And until then, and I will see your beautiful face and stay safe, okay? Bye.