Davidian Trial, San Antonio, Texas

February 2-3, 1994                  Day 18 -19                              Post 7

Kathy Schroeder began her testimony today. Kathy spent more than six weeks in a federal mental facility. She had been charged, along with the other 11 Davidians currently standing trial, with conspiracy to murder federal agents. Kathy has a pending plea bargain in exchange for testimony. Sentencing under the plea bargain has not been held yet. She did testify that while the plea was being negotiated the government claimed that an BATF agent would claim that bullets came out of her room, and that the government had a letter from Victorine Hollingsworth saying that she (Hollingsworth) saw Kathy with a rifle. Her (Kathy) testimony was that she did not shoot out of her room, but that someone did shoot into her room, which discredits the BATF claims that they returned fire to locations from which they received fire. She testified that she was not a part of any conspiracy. She also testified that she had signed a movie deal and then was questioned as to why she still had a court appointed attorney if she had received an advance on the deal.

Kathy testified that she did not know who fired the first shot. She also testified that she observed Kevin Whitecliff shooting at the helicopters. She did not say whether the helicopters fired at the Center. She testified that Brad Branch and Livingstone Fagan had both claimed to have shot BATF agents. She then testified that she felt that the BATF would come in and kill everybody inside, and that she felt comfort when Brad and the other men stood guard at the windows.

Her testimony shows no more than has been established already, that the Davidians actions were the actions that would be expected from anyone who was defending their own home. Kathy had been expected to be the prosecutions big witness. It appears that if this is all that the government has to offer, perhaps the Davidians have acted no differently than any other person put into the same, or similar, circumstances.

There was testimony that the Davidians had, based upon their religious beliefs, anticipated that they might come under attack by agents of evil, based upon biblical belief. This puts the trial more in the light of a heresy trial than a conspiracy trial. The religious beliefs of a group of Christians are being put on trial because the government chose to assault them (dynamic entry) in an attempt to serve search and arrest warrants. The Davidians then defended against this assault, resulting in the deaths of 4 BATF agents and six Davidians The moral courage of the religious group, sensing persecution, caused them the hold up the federal forces for fifty one days. They had anticipated surrender upon the completion of David Koresh’s writing the Seven Seals (which we know now was in progress), as agreed to by the FBI according to statements made at the time by Bob Ricks. The government, reversing themselves on this agreement, determined that the siege would not continue and began implementing a plan which, "contemplated that the building would only be dismantled if after 48 hours not all the people had come out" (Justice Report, page 59). The FBI then violated it’s own plan and began the methodical dismantling of the building which, directly or indirectly, resulted in a fire which demolished the building within 8 hours of the implementation of the plan and resulted in the death of 86 people.

I wonder how history will look upon the events that have occurred in Texas these past twelve months.

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