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Rachel Koresh was one of many who died tragically during the Waco siege in 1993. She was portrayed by Melissa Benoist in the Netflix series Waco, which originally aired on Paramount in 2018. She was only a teenager when she and David Koresh were married, but she quickly followed his faith and they had two children together. Both of their children also died during the Waco siege.
Rachel Koresh Is Buried in Restland Cemetery
Rachel Koresh is buried in the Restland Cemetery in Waco, Texas, according to Find a Grave. The daughter of Perry and Mary Belle Jones, she was only 23 when she died.
The Waco Tribune reported that David Koresh had three children with Rachel who also died in the fire: Cyrus, Star, and Bobbie Lane.
David Koresh Had Children with Other Women, Including Rachel’s Younger Sister
Even though Rachel was David’s only legal wife, he had children with other women including Rachel’s younger sister, The Washington Post reported in 1993. Even Rachel’s younger sister, Michelle (sometimes spelled Michele), reportedly had both her children (Serenity Sea Jones and Bobby Lane Koresh) with David Koresh, according to the Post.
David Thibodeau, who escaped the siege, wrote about how David Koresh decided to start sleeping with Michele Jones too. He said that Koresh had a “vision” when he was in Israel that commanded him to have a child with Michele. After some convincing, Rachel finally agreed after she dreamed that Koresh would die if he didn’t follow that vision. David Koresh slept with Michele when she was only 12.
Michelle was only 18 when she died at the Branch Davidian compound. Her children died there too.
David himself admitted to fathering 12 children, but it’s possible that he fathered even more than that.
Rachel Was Only 14 When She & David Married. The Once Bubbly Teen Later Became More Quiet & Serious.
Rachel married David when she was only 14, the Washington Post reported in 1993. They were married for nine years before they died, and Rachel gave birth to Cyrus and Star. Rachel was only 23 when she died.
Rachel was one of David’s most passionate followers. She was described as pretty, with long blonde hair, and dressed casually in slacks and sweatshirts while living at the compound. One of the last people who talked with David Koresh told the Post that Rachel was “polite and pleasant and very quiet.” He said she was always careful to let David run his business.
Mark Bunds, who knew Rachel Jones and her family, told the Post that she was very bubbly, happy, and fun as a kid. “She didn’t seem to be the same way when I came back to Waco,” he said. “She was definitely more serious and quiet.”
The FBI Bugged Some of Rachel’s and David’s Conversations
The FBI bugged parts of the compound, PBS reported, including some of Rachel and David’s conversation. They recorded a conversation where David asked Rachel: “Keep those children under control. They won’t be singing today.”
Rachel seemed to never question Koresh, The Washington Post reported in 1993.
Melissa Benoist explained about Rachel to Collider: “She was born into the church and that was all she had ever known… I still approached Rachel with an open mind and an empathetic heart. There’s no other way to tell her story.”
Her Brother, David Jones, Was David Koresh’s Bodyguard
Rachel Koresh’s entire family seemed to be involved with David Koresh. Her older brother, David Jones, also died in the siege at the age of 38. David was an ardent follower, one of Koresh’s trained “Might Men” warriors.
David Jones a USPS mail carrier, but also a bodyguard of sorts for David Koresh, according to The Washington Post. He slept with a firearm next to his bed, The Washington Post reported, and died of a single gunshot wound to the side of his head. It wasn’t known if that wound was self-inflicted.
Rachel’s Father, Perry Jones, Died in the February 28 Shootout at the Compound
Rachel’s parents seemed to go along with David Koresh’s beliefs, including his desire to sleep with multiple women. Rachel’s father, Perry Jones, lived at the compound when David married Rachel and slept with Michele.
Perry died in the February 28 shooting at the compound. He was 66. He was Koresh’s “chief errand runner,” The Washington Post reported in 1993, working with Waco contractors and often overseeing construction projects. He was described as being older and frail, but also very nice and polite. The Jones family were followers of an independent Seventh-Day Adventist sect that had summer camps at the compound years before Koresh started leading the group.
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