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David Koresh's hair-raising story is set to be explored in the upcoming three-part documentary series titled, Waco: American Apocalypse. The title will focus on the infamous cult leader who played a pivotal role in the horrifying 1993 Waco siege. It will debut exclusively on Netflix on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, at 3.00 am ET.
The official synopsis of Waco: American Apocalypse reads:
"This immersive three-part Netflix documentary series is the definitive account of what happened in Waco, Texas in 1993 when cult leader David Koresh faced off against the federal government in a bloody 51-day siege."
It continues:
"Released to coincide with the 30th anniversary of this national tragedy, the series is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Tiller Russell (Night Stalker) and features exclusive access to recently unearthed videotapes filmed inside the FBI's Hostage Negotiation Command Post, as well as raw news footage never released to the American public, and FBI wiretap recordings."
Born into a dysfunctional family, Koresh became a member and thereafter was the leader of the Branch Davidian movement at the Mount Carmel Center outside Waco, Texas.
Since the official trailer for Waco: American Apocalypse was dropped by Netflix, the audience has been curious to learn all about the cult leader.
All about infamous cult leader David Koresh's early life and death at 33
David Koresh was born to a 14-year-old single mother
Originally named Vernon Wayne Howell, Koresh was born on August 17, 1959, in Houston, Texas. He was born to a single mother named Bonnie Sue Clark, who gave birth to him when she was only 14 years old. Koresh's father was Bobby Wayne Howell, who left his mother even before Koresh was born after he met another girl.
After David Koresh's birth, his mother began residing with an alcoholic and violent individual. In 1963, Bonnie Sue went on to leave her son, who was four years of age at the time, in the care of Earline Clark, his maternal grandmother before she left with her alcoholic boyfriend. She returned after three years when David was 7 years old.
By then, his mother Bonnie was married to Roy Haldeman, who was a carpenter by profession. The married couple also had a son together in 1966, named Roger. David never met his father until he turned 17 years old.
As a young boy, Koresh struggled with dyslexia, poor eyesight, and study skills, which led to him being enrolled in special education classes. His fellow school students nicknamed him "Vernie". He later went on to drop out in his junior year at Garland High School.
Koresh died of a gunshot to the head in 1993
Later on, Koresh became associated with the Seventh-Day Adventist church. However, he was let go from there. He then moved to Waco, Texas, in the early 1980s, where he became a member of the Branch Davidians. The Branch Davidians were a religious group and a direct descendant of Seventh-Day Adventists.
Eventually, David Koresh became hungry for more power, so he created his own group in the religious community and left with his followers to return to the home base of the group, Mount Carmel. By 1990, he had gained control of the entire Branch Davidian and went on to legally change his name from Vernon Wayne Howell to David Koresh.
Koresh was considered the final prophet by his group members as they believed that he spoke on behalf of the true God. David Koresh also had multiple wives, some of whom were underage girls. While this did not draw the government’s attention, something else did. The ATF discovered that the religious group had a stockpile of illegal weapons.
On February 28, 1993, when the ATF attempted to search their compound, a gun battle broke out where several ATF agents and members of Branch Davidian lost their lives. After the ATF, the FBI got involved in the case. Koresh then hinted that he would surrender, but did not do so for several weeks.
The FBI became deeply concerned regarding what was going on in their compound. To put an end to the 51-day siege, they decided to use tanks, tear gas, and guns. Soon, the entire compound went up in flames.
The fire killed dozens of people inside the compound. David Koresh’s dead body was also found when authorities later raided the area. He reportedly died on April 19, 1993, due to a gunshot to the head, at the age of 33.
Don't forget to watch Waco: American Apocalypse, which will arrive on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, at 3 am ET, on Netflix.
