2 Allowed to Leave Texas Cult Compound : Standoff: Australian man and a mother of 4 come out. Woman’s children were released earlier, husband was killed in Feb. 28 shootout.
WACO, Tex. — The showdown at the Branch Davidian compound took a turn for the better Friday when two cult members who had been asking to leave were finally given permission to do so by leader David Koresh.
Kathryn Schroeder, 34, left the besieged compound Friday morning, stirring hopes that she would be the first in a string of people to exit. Schroeder is the mother of four children who left the compound last week and the widow of Michael Schroeder, who was killed in the Feb. 28 shootout with federal agents. His body was found in the opening days of the standoff about 350 yards behind the compound, clutching a handgun.
More than seven hours later, a man believed to be Oliver Gyarfas, an Australian citizen, left, officials said. He is one of three men who have been saying for two days that they want to leave the compound.
Earlier in the day, FBI spokesman Richard Swensen said cult members had said “it wasn’t time†to release Gyarfas, 19, Kevin Whitecliff, 32, and Brad Branch, 34.
Schroeder and Gyarfas’ exit brought to 25 the number of people who have left the cult compound, which is ringed by federal agents, tanks and armored personnel carriers. In the ill-fated raid attempt, four Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents were killed and 16 others were wounded.
Swensen said negotiators were still hoping that Whitecliff and Branch would come out of the compound, as had been promised Thursday.
There also was action on several other fronts, including an apparent change of tack by federal negotiators, a renewed call by lawyers that they be allowed into the compound and an admission by the ATF that it had tipped the Dallas media the day before the Feb. 28 raid that a major operation was about to commence.
But Dan Conroy, the ATF spokesman, said the media was apprised that something was going to happen in Dallas, not Waco. Conroy said the ATF public affairs officer in Dallas had called the media the day before the raid. Conroy maintained that he was baffled about the presence of local newspaper and television staffers when the raid began.
“We have no idea how the local media knew the raid was going to take place,†he said at a morning news briefing.
The question about prior knowledge by the media came up shortly after the shootout, when the ATF alleged that Koresh had been tipped off to the raid. It is still unclear who called Koresh with a warning or advance information.
Also at the morning briefing, Conroy signaled a change of tack by announcing that those cult members who were not charged with a crime would be held as material witnesses and eventually be allowed to return to the compound. That seemed to differ from previous ATF positions, including an affidavit filed by ATF agent Earl Dunagan of Austin on March 2, in which he stated his belief that everyone inside the compound participated in the shooting.
“It is my belief that all of the conspirators actively participated in firing weapons,†the affidavit said. “The heavy fusillade of bullets that came from within the site was such that all of the conspirators were involved.â€
Lawrence K. Lyons, one of the lawyers working on behalf of the cult members, again called for an independent mediator to step in and take over from government negotiators.
“Choose someone and let’s stop dragging our feet,†he said.
But Swensen said he did not know if Koresh had even asked for a lawyer.
“As far as I know, he has not asked for counsel,†he said.
Swensen said Koresh talked to negotiators Thursday evening, the first time in two days. Swensen said there is some worry about the amount of drainage coming from one of Koresh’s bullet wounds but that his injuries are still not considered life threatening.
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