Summary

• Waco survivor Kathy Schroeder expressed sympathy, and even admiration for, Branch Davidian leader David Koresh in the documentary Waco: American Apocalypse
• Schroeder was candid about the fact she would have stayed with the Branch Davidian's had the 1993 Waco siege never happened.
• Following controversy arround her interviews in the documentary, Kathy Schroeder has appears to dissavow some of her comments, claiming that editing had portrayed her answers out of context.

Contains mention of abuse, sexual assault, suicide, and real-life violence.

In the documentary Waco: American Apocalypse, Kathy Schroeder surprisingly still expressed borderline admiration for Branch Davidian leader David Koresh. Schroeder joined the cult as a married adult with her husband and two children. Schroeder joined because she believed in Koresh, despite the events of the Waco siege and the fact Koresh was sleeping with minors. In the Waco documentary, Schroeder said she doesn't believe Koresh was wrong because, as she reasons, girls come of age around 12 years old. Disturbingly, Schroeder compared having sex with Koresh to bible study, her views remaining despite decades passing since the siege.

Kathy Schroeder's husband was killed during the FBI siege. While she made it out alive, she initially contemplated taking her own life as David Koresh ordered her to throw a grenade and kill herself and everyone else in the room if the situation got any worse. Schroeder was arrested and sentenced to three years in prison, but her term was shortened because she agreed to testify about her experience with the Branch Davidians. While Kathy Schroeder respects Koresh, she chose not to stay in Texas unlike some of the other Branch Davidian members who survived the 1993 Waco siege.

Kathy Schroeder Moved After The Events Of Waco: American Apocalypse

Kathy Went Back To Her Home In Florida

While Kathy Schroeder seemed to stand behind Koresh and his message, she didn't remain in Waco after the siege. According to The Cinemaholic, Schroeder left Texas and returned to Florida, where she was originally from. In 1999, six years after the siege, she welcomed her fifth child with her boyfriend. Schroeder currently resides in Tampa, Florida, where she's in contact with all of her children. Unlike fellow Waco survivor Heather Jones, who ultimately turned against religion, Kathy Schroeder still believes in God and considers religion a big part of her life.

Schroeder was able to justify Koresh's actions, no matter how horrifying.

In a YouTube video shared by Catherine Wessinger, Kathy Schroeder says she would have remained in the Branch Davidians had the siege never happened. However, if her children didn't want to stay with her, she wouldn't have forced them. David Koresh had a massive impact on Schroeder, which differed from other victims. She seems to believe he was a good guy as her morals align with what he taught her, and not what the majority of society believes. Schroeder was able to justify Koresh's actions, no matter how horrifying.

Why Kathy Schroeder's Story In Waco: American Apocalypse Is So Important

Kathy Shows How People React Differently To Trauma

Kathy Schroeder's perspective differs tremendously from other survivors who speak out in Waco: American Apocalypse — David Thibodeau and Heather Jones. While Jones expresses a lot of trauma around the situation, and Thibodeau seems pretty neutral about Koresh as a leader, Schroeder defends him. Most documentaries showcase how drastically different individuals are decades after their experience. In Jones' case, she ran from everything she believed in as a child.

However, Kathy Schroeder appears as if she hasn't changed much at all. She continues to stand by her religious beliefs and put her faith in God, and also her belief in David Koresh and the specific version of the Bible followed by the Branch Davidians. Her story in Waco: American Apocalypse adds a fascinating angle, exploring how each survivor dealt with the trauma differently.

Kathy Schroeder Claims She Was Misinterpreted On The Show

The Waco Survivor Goes Back On Her Quotes

In a 2023 press conference, Kathy Schroeder went back on many things the Waco documentary showed her saying. In her opening statement, Schroeder said documentaries often edit things to make a point, and it is not always what is accurate to what a person said or meant. Schroeder also said the documentary took liberties by splicing together "sound bites." She got choked up and said her interviews were heavily taken out of context, making it look like her comments had meanings she did not "originally intend."

Schroeder then said that, in opposition to what people saw in the documentary, she does not "condone or excuse the sexual exploitation of anyone, of any kind, regardless of age." She also went on to say that she does not agree with violence of any kind, going on to say that she has never fired a shot at anyone, "not even an animal" (via YouTube). While she never mentioned the sexual consent of minors that she condoned in Waco: American Apocalypse, she seems to be stepping back somewhat from her documented quotes.