European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 7, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse J sunday March 7, 1993 the stars and stripes a Page 3waco cult Leader claims self defense Waco Texas api a the Leader of the armed religious sect holding Federal agents at Bay no longer says he a Jesus Christ and says his followers fired on authorities in self defense the Fri said Friday David Koresh Leader of the Branch Davidian sect also has expressed remorse for the shootout last sunday that led to the deaths of four Federal agents and a reported 10 cult members authorities said a but there is also very mulch a tendency to justify what did occur by saying that in fact it was Quot an attack on his residence and that he was responding with like Force a Fri agent Bob Ricks said Friday. In another development a Federal official speaking on condition of anonymity said Federal agents raided the compound after receiving a tip from the state department that the group was contemplating mass suicide. The state department had relayed information from australians connected with the sect that Koresh was contemplating a mass suicide in the compound according to the at official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The shooting erupted when the agents of the Treasury a Bureau of alcohol tobacco and firearms arrived with warrants to search the compound and arrest to Rush. Branch Davidian cult member Paul Fatta who was away when the shootout occurred and has not been allowed to return told the new York times the sect is a peaceful and diverse group. A a we re Ordinary people a Fatta told the paper. A the Only thing that brought us together was the but he acknowledged the cult has a 10-by-10-foot room filled with weapons which Fatta said Are for self Quot action after rivalry Between Koresh and a former eader six years ago ended with a gunfight. A i done to like guns personally a said Fatta who acknowledged he was in Austin about 100 Miles South of Waco trying to sell some guns when the shootout happened. Though Koresh has previously called himself Christ Ricks said the cult Leader now resents the comparison. A the describes himself As a Prophet a Ricks said. There had been speculation that Koresh might kill himself on a Friday the same Day of the week the Bible says Christ died. But Ricks said authorities asked to Rush directly if he planned to take his life and he denied it. In the meantime Koresh freed a 2lst child from the heavily armed compound Friday. That brought to 23 the number of people who have left. Sex employee credit Union in Over by Chuck Roberts staff writer Wiesbaden Germany a a former Andrews Federal credit Union employee claims she was forced to resign her Job because she exceeded her accrued vacation time when she went to visit her dying Grandfather. However credit Union officials said that Lara Wedel never applied for extended vacation time and left knowing that her Job As a loan assistance officer might terminate during her absence. A we did not terminate her Quot said Henry Addison senior vice president for arcu operations at his office in Frankfurt Germany. A she left on her own and she a Welcome to come Back when she a ready to go to a a a a. Wedel said she was sceptical of Addison s offer and Felt it was made Only because circumstances surrounding her former Job had been brought to the attention of the stars and stripes. Wedel said she feared harassment if she returned to work and said she would not receive a scheduled pay raise and Bonus. Addison said it is company policy that employee records Start from Square one if someone is rehired. However Addison said the probation period would be waived and that her salary would be based on the past experience. Wedel said she received a phone Call Jan. 23 from her Stepfather in Texas who said her Grandfather was dying. When a red Cross message came the next Day requesting her presence Wedel called her manager Paul l. Shockley and told him she needed to take two weeks of vacation. Shockley called her later that evening and suggested that she bring a letter of resignation with her to his office at Sas Chuck Robert Lara we Del sitting with husband senior airman Scott Wedel and daunt her Heather says she lost her credit Union Job while visiting her dying Grandfather. Wiesbaden a. Wedel discussed the matter with her husband and decided to write the letter. In his office the night of Jan. 24, Shockley told her that she had Only Ivi weeks or vacation and that he did no to think Addison would Grant additional vacation time. He said she never asked to fill out the form requesting the additional time but Wedel said she did not know that was required of her. Wedel said that it Wasny to possible to get an earlier flight Back to Germany and that they needed at least two weeks vacation because they were travelling with their 10-month-old daughter Heather Nikolic. Shockley told her he would turn in her resignation Only As a last resort if she could t return in ski weeks. When Wedel called Shockley from Texas later that week Shockley told her that he had decided to accept her resignation. Shockley said he made that decision because Wedeles repeated absence from work was causing morale problems among other staff members. He said we Del had been granted seven Das vacation without pay the previous november because her other Grandfather died in Florida. At that time we Del told Shockley that she planned to visit her sick Grandfather in Texas after her visit to Florida but she never made it to Texas. We Del said she did no to go to Texas in november to visit her Grandfather because it would have Cost an extra $800. In his office the night of Jan. 24, Shockley reminded her of that november trip and said he did t think she was eligible for additional vacation without pay. According to Shock by her reply was �?o1 done to care Abou the Job. In a going Shockley said he suggested the letter of resignation because he did t want her work record to show that she had been fired for abandoning her Job. A i done to want to Sec that on anyone a record a said Shockley adding that he would re hire we Del. When Shockley told Wedel on the phone that he had terminated her Job he said Wedel did no to seem upset and told him that everything was Shockley said we Del also slopped by the office when she returned from Texas and showed no regret Over losing her Job and that she never mentioned the possibility of being rehired. She said she never mentioned getting another position with the credit Union because she did t think they would rehire her. Addison also noted that we Del never contacted the arcu grievance committee. Addison described Wedeles work fir Mormance As Quot competent and above evil Quot but noted that she had a a terrible attendance says victim of slaying went to visit defendant by Craig Martin staff writer Rhein main a Germany a a witness in the court martial of an air Force technical sergeant testified Friday that a woman who was later found dead was on her Way to the defendants Home the night she disappeared. Maj. Ronald Gregory called the witness who said the victim Yolanda Pengson took a Streetcar in route to tech. Sgt. James Ancell Thomas House the night of sept. 7,1991, the last time she was seen alive. Thomas 34, assigned to the 435th civil engr so at Rhein main is charged with premeditated murder and desecration of a Corpse Pengson s Torso was found sept. 9, 1991, burning in a forested area near Karlsruhe Germany. Her head and hands were missing and have never been found. Teresita Justice who was recalled to the stand by the prosecution on Friday said she had Pengson at her House for dinner the saturday night Pengson disappeared. Justice testified she walked Pengson to a Streetcar Stop about 9 30 . She said Pengson was going to Thomas Cohen Thomas civilian attorney questioned Pengson was going to see Thomas. Cohen said the report indicated that Justice thought Pengson was going to Karlsruhe to see a Friend identified Only As Steve. Justice admitted she had made the statement to the German police. Prosecutors still Arentt certain where or How Pengson 27, was killed. They believe she was killed on or near the Rhein main base five Miles South of Frankfurt. They have no witnesses. Another prosecution witness Scott Decker who worked at the Auto skills Center at Rhein main where Thomas had a part time Job testified he saw Thomas about 10 . Sept. 7,1991, and told him a woman with an Oriental accent had called for him. Witnesses testified thursday that Thomas rented a Ford Sierra from Hertz at Rhein main on sept. 6,1991. Gregory called a witness Friday who testified seeing a car Matching the description of the one Thomas rented speeding from a Remote area in the Forest in Kronau near Karlsruhe about 7 . Sept. 9, 1991. Pengson a burning Torso was found by a Forest Ranger about an hour later. Justice about a statement she filed with German police ad0ul an Nour Lacr sept. 21, 1991, in which she had said she did no to believe German police testified finding what eventually was identified As blood on the trunk and Driver s seat of the rental car. They also found an a at Thomas workplace that had bloodstains on it. The samples were sent to the Baden a Wurttemberge state criminal Laboratory in Stuttgart Germany for Dan testing. Dan or detox ribonucleic acid is the genetic code for living things. Much of the prosecution s Case linking Thomas to the killing involves the scientific identification process commonly called genetic fingerprinting. Air Force Legal officials in Washington say they Are unaware of any previous courts martial in which Dan testing played a role according to maj. Bob Potter an air Force spokesman at the Pentagon. However Potter said the service a has no system of records that tracks courts martial by Type of evidence Cohen says the Dan identification methods used by the government were earlier this week Gregory told jurors that the government can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Thomas a applied a lethal amount of Force to miss Pengson a head neck and the trial will move into its 10th Day at 1 . Today. If convicted Thomas faces life in prison reduction to the lowest enlisted rank and a dishonourable discharge. Contributing Lottus Ruport St Al writer Chuo Vinch in Washington. D c
