George Roden
Encyclopedia
George Roden was a leader of the Branch Davidian
sect, a Seventh-day Adventist
splinter group, and the former husband of Amo Bishop Roden
. In 1987, he was evicted from the Mount Carmel Center
near Waco
, Texas
by his rival David Koresh
. He was later confined in a Texas mental hospital for a 1989 murder, until his death in 1998.
George Roden was the presumed successor to his mother Lois Roden
, who had become president of the Davidians in 1978, when her husband and group leader Benjamin Roden
had died. However, Vernon Howell (after 1990 known as David Koresh) arrived at Mount Carmel and began a sexual relationship with Lois Roden who was then in her seventies. Koresh justified their relationship by claiming that God had chosen him to father a child with her, who would be the Chosen One
. George Roden felt that his position of leadership was threatened and was deeply offended by Koresh's relationship with his elderly mother. He would file a lawsuit in federal court
alleging that Koresh had raped Lois and brainwashed her into turning against him.
In 1984 Koresh left the compound for Palestine, Texas
with the vast majority of the group's followers. Roden renamed Mount Carmel "Rodenville". In a videotaped interview Roden led a tour of "Rodenville" using an M1 carbine
as a pointer and declared: "It's basically a holy jihad, Khomeini versus Israel, that's what Vernon Howell has with me." Three years later, resentful of Koresh's power over the Davidians, Roden challenged Koresh, saying that whoever could resurrect the dead was the true leader. While Roden prayed over the body of Ana Hughes, dead two decades earlier, Koresh reported Roden to the McLennan County
sheriff's office for corpse abuse. The police told Koresh that he needed evidence to back up his accusation.
On November 3, 1987, Koresh and seven followers returned to Mount Carmel heavily armed and wearing camouflage clothing
. They stealthily entered the compound, allegedly to obtain a photograph. However they did not bring a camera, and carried military grade weaponry, and a map of the grounds with positions to occupy. They found Roden crouched behind a tree with an Uzi submachine gun
and a gun battle ensued for several minutes. Roden fled the property with wounds to his hand and chest. Koresh's compatriots were found not guilty after a two week trial for attempted murder
in Waco, and a mistrial was declared in Koresh's case. Their weapons, five .223-caliber
semi-automatic
assault rifles, two .22-caliber
rifles and two 12-gauge shotguns, which had been confiscated by the police were returned as well. The shoot out at Mount Carmel would be described by the New York Times as a foretelling of the violence of the Waco siege
, a warning that the world chose to ignore.
Two years later in 1989, Roden killed his roommate (Wayman Dale Adair (56)) with an ax in Odessa
, Texas, and claimed that the man had been sent by Koresh to kill him. Put on trial for murder, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity, and confined to a state mental hospital
in North Texas. David Koresh would later be killed in the fire that consumed Mount Carmel Center
during the siege by federal authorities.
On September 30, 1993 Roden walked away from the Big Spring State Hospital and went missing for a day. The Big Spring Police Department was assisted in the search by the Odessa Police Department and the Texas Rangers
. He was captured the next day in Abilene, Texas
, and returned to Big Spring by the Taylor County
sheriff's department. Five years later on December 8, 1998, Roden was found dead on the grounds of the Big Spring State Hospital, of a heart attack. It was his third escape from a mental institution since the first in 1993.
Branch Davidian
The Branch Davidians are a Protestant sect that originated in 1955 from a schism in the Davidian Seventh Day Adventists , a reform movement that began within the Seventh-day Adventist Church around 1930...
sect, a Seventh-day Adventist
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
splinter group, and the former husband of Amo Bishop Roden
Amo Bishop Roden
Amo Paul Bishop Roden is the former wife of George Roden, a rival of David Koresh for leadership of the Branch Davidians. After the 1993 fire, she attracted notice by beginning a one-woman reoccupation of the sect's Mount Carmel property...
. In 1987, he was evicted from the Mount Carmel Center
Mount Carmel Center
Mount Carmel Center was the name of the Branch Davidian home outside of Waco, Texas, led by Benjamin Roden and later David Koresh. Named after the Biblical Mountain in northern Israel, it was here that the infamous 1993 Waco Siege occurred in which four ATF agents and 83 Branch Davidians died...
near Waco
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
by his rival David Koresh
David Koresh
David Koresh , born Vernon Wayne Howell, was the leader of a Branch Davidian religious sect, believing himself to be its final prophet. Howell legally changed his name to David Koresh on May 15, 1990. A 1993 raid by the U.S...
. He was later confined in a Texas mental hospital for a 1989 murder, until his death in 1998.
George Roden was the presumed successor to his mother Lois Roden
Lois Roden
Lois Irene Scott Roden was a president of the Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventist Church, an apocalyptic Christian sect which her husband, Benjamin Roden founded. The sect began in Texas in 1955 as a succession to the Shepherd's Rod movement led by Victor T...
, who had become president of the Davidians in 1978, when her husband and group leader Benjamin Roden
Benjamin Roden
Benjamin Lloyd Roden was an American religious leader and the prime organizer of the Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventist Association....
had died. However, Vernon Howell (after 1990 known as David Koresh) arrived at Mount Carmel and began a sexual relationship with Lois Roden who was then in her seventies. Koresh justified their relationship by claiming that God had chosen him to father a child with her, who would be the Chosen One
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
. George Roden felt that his position of leadership was threatened and was deeply offended by Koresh's relationship with his elderly mother. He would file a lawsuit in federal court
United States federal courts
The United States federal courts make up the judiciary branch of federal government of the United States organized under the United States Constitution and laws of the federal government.-Categories:...
alleging that Koresh had raped Lois and brainwashed her into turning against him.
In 1984 Koresh left the compound for Palestine, Texas
Palestine, Texas
Palestine is a city in Anderson County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 17,598, and 18,458 in the 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Anderson County and is situated in East Texas...
with the vast majority of the group's followers. Roden renamed Mount Carmel "Rodenville". In a videotaped interview Roden led a tour of "Rodenville" using an M1 carbine
M1 Carbine
The M1 carbine is a lightweight, easy to use semi-automatic carbine that became a standard firearm for the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and was produced in several variants. It was widely used by U.S...
as a pointer and declared: "It's basically a holy jihad, Khomeini versus Israel, that's what Vernon Howell has with me." Three years later, resentful of Koresh's power over the Davidians, Roden challenged Koresh, saying that whoever could resurrect the dead was the true leader. While Roden prayed over the body of Ana Hughes, dead two decades earlier, Koresh reported Roden to the McLennan County
McLennan County, Texas
McLennan County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in Central Texas. In 2000, its population was 213,517; in 2008 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated its population to be 230,213. Its seat is Waco. The county is named for Neil McLennan, an early settler....
sheriff's office for corpse abuse. The police told Koresh that he needed evidence to back up his accusation.
On November 3, 1987, Koresh and seven followers returned to Mount Carmel heavily armed and wearing camouflage clothing
Military camouflage
Military camouflage is one of many means of deceiving an enemy. In practice, it is the application of colour and materials to battledress and military equipment to conceal them from visual observation. The French slang word camouflage came into common English usage during World War I when the...
. They stealthily entered the compound, allegedly to obtain a photograph. However they did not bring a camera, and carried military grade weaponry, and a map of the grounds with positions to occupy. They found Roden crouched behind a tree with an Uzi submachine gun
Uzi submachine gun
The Uzi is a family of Israeli open bolt, blowback-operated submachine guns. Smaller variants are considered to be machine pistols. The Uzi was one of the first weapons to use a telescoping bolt design which allows for the magazine to be housed in the pistol grip for a shorter weapon.The first Uzi...
and a gun battle ensued for several minutes. Roden fled the property with wounds to his hand and chest. Koresh's compatriots were found not guilty after a two week trial for attempted murder
Attempted murder
Attempted murder is a crime in England and Wales and Northern Ireland.-Today:In English criminal law, attempted murder is the crime of more than merely preparing to commit unlawful killing and at the same time having a specific intention to cause the death of human being under the Queen's Peace...
in Waco, and a mistrial was declared in Koresh's case. Their weapons, five .223-caliber
.223 Remington
The .223 Remington is a sporting cartridge with almost the same external dimensions as the 5.56×45mm NATO military cartridge. The name is commonly pronounced either two-two-three or two-twenty-three. It is loaded with a diameter, jacketed bullet, with weights ranging from , though the most common...
semi-automatic
Semi-automatic rifle
A semi-automatic rifle is a type of rifle that fires a single bullet each time the trigger is pulled, automatically ejects the spent cartridge, chambers a fresh cartridge from its magazine, and is immediately ready to fire another shot...
assault rifles, two .22-caliber
.22 Long Rifle
The .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge is a long established variety of ammunition, and in terms of units sold is still by far the most common in the world today. The cartridge is often referred to simply as .22 LR and various rifles, pistols, revolvers, and even some smoothbore shotguns have...
rifles and two 12-gauge shotguns, which had been confiscated by the police were returned as well. The shoot out at Mount Carmel would be described by the New York Times as a foretelling of the violence of the Waco siege
Waco Siege
The Waco siege began on February 28, 1993, and ended violently 50 days later on April 19. The siege began when the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms attempted to execute a search warrant at the Branch Davidian ranch at Mount Carmel, a property located east-northeast of Waco,...
, a warning that the world chose to ignore.
Two years later in 1989, Roden killed his roommate (Wayman Dale Adair (56)) with an ax in Odessa
Odessa, Texas
Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small portion of the city extends into Midland County. Odessa's population was 99,940 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Odessa, Texas Metropolitan...
, Texas, and claimed that the man had been sent by Koresh to kill him. Put on trial for murder, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity, and confined to a state mental hospital
Mental Hospital
Mental hospital may refer to:*Psychiatric hospital*hospital in Nepal named Mental Hospital...
in North Texas. David Koresh would later be killed in the fire that consumed Mount Carmel Center
Mount Carmel Center
Mount Carmel Center was the name of the Branch Davidian home outside of Waco, Texas, led by Benjamin Roden and later David Koresh. Named after the Biblical Mountain in northern Israel, it was here that the infamous 1993 Waco Siege occurred in which four ATF agents and 83 Branch Davidians died...
during the siege by federal authorities.
On September 30, 1993 Roden walked away from the Big Spring State Hospital and went missing for a day. The Big Spring Police Department was assisted in the search by the Odessa Police Department and the Texas Rangers
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...
. He was captured the next day in Abilene, Texas
Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
, and returned to Big Spring by the Taylor County
Taylor County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 126,555 people, 47,274 households, and 32,524 families residing in the county. The population density was 138 people per square mile . There were 52,056 housing units at an average density of 57 per square mile...
sheriff's department. Five years later on December 8, 1998, Roden was found dead on the grounds of the Big Spring State Hospital, of a heart attack. It was his third escape from a mental institution since the first in 1993.