Ruby Ridge standoff

Ruby Ridge refers to a violent confrontation and siege involving Randy Weaver, his family, Weaver's friend Kevin Harris, federal agents from the United States Marshals Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The events started on August 21, 1992 on the Weaver family property, located on a hillside between Caribou Ridge and Ruby Creek near Naples in northern Idaho.

In the months leading up to the incident, Weaver had failed to appear in court to answer charges relating to possession of an illegally-shortened sawed-off shotgun for which he had not paid a $200 tax, and the U.S. Marshals Service was directed to serve a warrant for his arrest. Weaver failed to show up on his court date, as the warrant had been issued with an incorrect date stating Weaver was to attend court on March 20th. The actual date of the hearing was February 20th.

The confrontation began when the Weavers' dog detected someone outside the cabin and began barking. Weaver, his friend Kevin Harris, and his 14 year old son, Sam, went to investigate. Federal agents shot Samuel's dog, sparking a firefight which resulted in the deaths of Samuel and US Marshal William Degan. As a result, Federal agents laid siege to the house for 12 days. On day two, Lon Horiuchi, an FBI sharpshooter, shot at Weaver and Harris, injuring them and killing Vicki Weaver as she held their baby daughter. The stand-off was ultimately resolved with a truce arrangement, following which Weaver and Harris were arrested. Weaver was ultimately acquitted of all charges except missing his original court date and violation of his bail conditions, for which he was sentenced to 18 months and fined $10,000. Credited with time served, Weaver spent an additional 4 months in prison. Harris was acquitted of all charges.

The surviving members of the Weaver family filed a wrongful death suit and Randy Weaver received a $100,000 settlement while his daughters received $1 million each. Weaver wrote a 1998 paperback book, The Federal Siege At Ruby Ridge, about the incident. Kevin Harris received a $380,000 settlement.

Family backgrounds and affiliations

Randy Weaver served in the United States Army Special Forces at Fort Bragg, North Carolina during the Vietnam War, eventually rising to the rank of sergeant, while Vicki Weaver had worked for the United Way of America.

After the onset of the Yom Kippur War and the oil-related issues that followed, the Weavers became disillusioned with their church for not reacting properly to what they saw as Apocalyptic happenings. The Weavers began researching the Amish and other self-sufficient lifestyles.

In 1978, Vicki allegedly began having visions of a mountain-top home where she and her family would be safely buffered from the end of the world. They purchased a 20-acre parcel in Idaho for $5,000 and began raising their children in an environment away from what they believed to be a "sinful world"; the cabin was about 40 miles south of the Canadian border, and they moved there from Iowa in 1983. At the time the 1992 siege took place, the Weavers had four children, Sara, 16, Sammy, 14, Rachel, 10, and Elisheba, 10 months. Elisheba had been born at the cabin.

In July 1986, Randy attended the World Congress of Aryan Nations at their headquarters near Hayden Lake. He attended at least three major Aryan Nations functions during his time in Idaho, though he denied being a member of the Aryan Nations church. US News and World Report later reported that it was not thought at the time that Weaver was a member of the Aryan Nation.

First arrest

Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) had been trying to infiltrate the Aryan Nations group based at Hayden Lake, Idaho near the Weaver property.

At the 1986 Aryan World Congress, a biker named Gus Magisono befriended Randy Weaver. In actuality, Magisono was undercover ATF informant Kenneth Fadeley.

Magisono was focused on Frank Kumnick, who was believed to be a major firearms trafficker. Weaver was a friend of Kumnick, who was described in government documents as the "mentor" of Weaver's "far right beliefs." Weaver accompanied Kumnick to a meeting with Magisono later that year. Magisono again met Weaver at the 1987 Aryan World Congress, where Weaver told Magisono he did not trust the Aryan leaders and did not approve of the actions of their leader, Richard Butler.

Vicki's predicted date for the end of the world, November 1987, passed without incident; to relatives and friends, the Weaver family appeared relieved. They moved off the mountain and moved into a rented house in town. In 1988, Randy avoided contact with the Aryans. He ran for county sheriff and lost.

Magisono met Weaver again at the 1989 Aryan World Congress and mentioned his gun business. Weaver showed no interest in dealing guns with Magisono. Weaver and Kumnick were discussing starting a group with Charles Howarth, as an alternative to the Aryan Nations. Weaver felt that Butler was taking the white movement in the wrong direction. Howarth was an old klansman and a person of interest to the ATF. Magisono cultivated Weaver as a possible contact with Howarth.

Informant Magisono's agent handler, Herb Byerly, decided that Kumnick was a "boastful show-off" and Weaver was a "hanger-on" but the Howarth group in Montana might be worth looking into. If Magisono made contact with Howarth through Weaver, Byerly was prepared to drop the Idaho investigation and move to Montana. By October 1989, Weaver was broke and the family had to give up the rented house in town and move back to their mountain top cabin. Weaver told Magisono he was willing to do business with him, "what kind of weapons did his clients want?" Magisono replied "shotguns, the shorter the better". Weaver walked Magisono to his truck and showed him a standard Remington 870 duck gun. Magisono pointed to where he wanted the gun cut. Magisono did not tell Byerly he had given Weaver detailed instructions on making the guns.

Gus asked Randy to sell him some sawed-off shotguns. Initially, Randy refused, arguing that he could not afford to purchase the shotguns, but Magisono persisted. Magisono eventually agreed to provide the shotguns, along with instructions regarding the length he wanted. Magisono then purchased the guns back from Weaver, ensuring that Weaver had violated federal weapons laws. According to Magisono, the guns were sawed off 3/8th inch shorter than the legal minimum, below which a $200 tax is required to be paid, which, if the tax is paid prior to shortening the barrel, the shotgun would still have been legal. Weaver denies cutting the barrels to below the legal length, insisting that Magisono further shortened the barrels to below the minimum legal overall length of 18 inches after purchase, to create a violation. An Idaho jury later agreed that this was a form of entrapment.

After Weaver sold the shotguns to Magisono, Rico Valentino warned Weaver that Magisono was an informant. At a November 1989 meeting, Weaver accepted a final payment on the guns and told Magisono he was sorry he could not take him to Montana to meet Howarth, but people had warned him that Magisono was a cop. Agent handler Herb Byerly instructed Magisono to have no further contact with Weaver.

By March 1990, Valentino had exposed Magisono as an informant to the Aryan Nations security who told Magisono to stop coming around Hayden Lake. By May 1990, it was revealed that Valentino had been the FBI informant at Aryan Nations. Byerly decided to recruit Weaver as an informant for ATF after an NCIC background check showed a clean record.

ATF agents Herb Byerly and Steve Gunderson confronted Weaver in June 1990, eight months after the sale, offering to dismiss the minor weapons charges in exchange for Randy's infiltration and information against the Aryan Nations. Randy refused, and subsequently notified the local Aryan Nations members of the offer and his refusal.

Byerly filed charges of selling sawed-off shotguns. Byerly did not inform the grand jury that he had attempted to recruit Weaver as an informant, but did misinform, claiming Weaver was a suspected bank robber with criminal convictions. In December 1990, a federal grand jury handed down an indictment against Weaver for the lesser charge of making and possessing sawed-off shotguns without having paid a $200 tax prior to shortening the barrels.

In January 1991, Randy and Vicki stopped to assist a stranded motorist. The motorist was actually a decoy used to provide the ATF an opportunity to arrest Weaver for the gun charges. Weaver spent the night in the county jail. This was fourteen months after the October 1989 sale.

The next day, Randy was brought before United States federal judge Stephen Ayers. During the hearing, Judge Ayers told Randy that he may have to pay the government's court costs. A trial date was set. Weaver put his house up in order to bond himself out of jail and ensure his appearance at court. According to the documentary film Ruby Ridge -- Anatomy of a Tragedy, shown on the Discovery Times channel, Randy was mistakenly told by a court official that it was possible that he could lose his house if he was convicted of the gun charges.

Four days after his release, the court appointed Everett Hofmeister as his attorney. Hofmeister was associated with Richard Butler and Weaver refused to contact Hofmeister. Weaver did contact probation officer Karl Richins of Pre-Trial Services.

The Probation Office sent Weaver a summons for a court hearing on February 19, 1991; the date was later changed to February 20 but a letter sent to Weaver regarding the change read March 20, 1991 rather than the correct date of February 20, 1991, and Weaver did not appear. Despite this, Judge Harold L. Ryan declined to withdraw the warrant, declared Weaver a federal fugitive and issued a bench warrant. By February 27, everyone involved knew Weaver had been misinformed about the date. The US Marshals wanted the court to give Weaver a chance to appear before Judge Ryan on March 20. The federal prosecutor was less forgiving and called on the grand jury to indict Weaver on the same charge as the judge's bench warrant. On March 14, a federal grand jury indicted Weaver for failing to appear for trial. A later Justice Department review criticized the officials' failure to take into account the letter displaying the incorrect date for trial when issuing a warrant for Weaver's arrest. Later, the prosecutor seeking a grand jury indictment to cover the same charge as the judge's bench warrant was seen by the Bermann Commission as over-reaching by the prosecutor.

In interviews videotaped after the standoff, the Weaver family stated that the ATF was trying to humiliate Randy in order to make an example of him. Upon learning he was officially classified a fugitive, Randy extrapolated that the government's goal was to assassinate him. The Weaver family confined themselves to their home, making few appearances in town, always keeping rifles within reach. Randy Weaver rarely went outdoors. In a March 5 letter to authorities, the Weavers wrote, "Whether we live or die, we will not obey your lawless government."

Initial surveillance and other events

On March 18, 1991, Ronald Evans requested the assistance of the United States Marshals Service Special Operations Group (SOG), a voluntary unit specifically trained to handle dangerous or complex matters such as hostage situations involving fugitives. He added that many days and nights of surveillance would be necessary to determine the Weavers' daily routine and asked for SOG assistance in determining how to arrest Weaver "while minimizing risk to all persons involved... Ultimately, we must find a single weakness which will cause Randy Weaver to leave the house if only momentarily."

Due to increasing pressure to arrest Randy Weaver, the SOG was sent in during June 1991 to conduct surveillance and lay plans for the arrest. Dr. Walter F. Stenning, Ph.D., an outside psychologist brought in to assess Randy Weaver, declared that Weaver's family was set in their belief "that the end of the world is near and that his family must fight the fences [sic] for evil that want to take over the world. I believe his family may fight to the death." (Dr. Stenning's report referred to the Weavers as the "Randall" family.)

Essentially, it was determined the property was strongly fortified to repel assault and that the family was heavily armed. It was also determined that if Randy Weaver were captured, the family would fight to their deaths to free him, standing up to any military assault. The optimal outcome would be to lure Randy Weaver out of the house and serve the warrant.

On July 9, 1991, Deputy U.S. Marshal Cluff and Everett Hofmeister, Weaver's appointed counsel, told Rodney Willey, a Weaver associate, that if Weaver surrendered, the failure to appear charge might be dismissed. They also told Willey that the sentence on the weapons offense would be minimal because Weaver did not have a criminal record. On July 10, Willey informed Hofmeister that Weaver would not surrender because "[his] rights [would] be violated."

On September 28, 1991, a seven-man SOG detail was dispatched to assist in arresting Weaver. However, upon arrival the team concluded that "the information upon which the SOG move order was issued was inaccurate", and the plan to arrest Weaver was cancelled, because the warrant could not be served without injury to themselves or others. During this attempt, it was learned that Vicki Weaver was pregnant and approaching her due date.

In late September 1991, Hunt and Ely interviewed Beverly and Ed Torrence, who owned land adjacent to the Weaver property. The Torrences explained that they had encountered the Weavers a few days earlier when they had gone up to view their property. At that time, the Torrences drove near the Weaver house and stopped to ask about some property markers. The Weaver dogs came to their car, followed by Sammy Weaver, who called to the house. The Torrences then saw Randy Weaver and Dennis looking down on them from a rock outcropping. Each held a rifle or shotgun. Thereafter, the Torrences were invited into the Weaver cabin where Randy and Vicki Weaver explained their religious and political views. Weaver discussed the ATF arrest and that he was expecting federal agents to come to his home, but that he was not going to be arrested by anyone. According to Weaver, he and his family would shoot federal law enforcement officials who came on his property. "If they do take me, I'll take some with me", and that is "why we have the guns." Beverly Torrence observed that Weaver appeared vehement in his belief that he would rather fight than go peaceably.

On October 9, 1991, Deputy Marshal Mays interviewed Alan Jeppeson, who had been observed bringing supplies and mail to the Weaver cabin. Mays asked Jeppeson to convey another negotiation offer to the Weavers. A series of exchanges followed in an attempt to negotiate a surrender.

On October 12, 1991, Jeppeson gave Mays a letter from the Weavers which stated:

The U.S. Government lied to me - why should I believe anything its servants have to say. ... This situation was set up by a lying government informant whom your lawless courts will honor. Your lawless One World Beast courts are doomed. I have appealed to Yahweh's court of Supreme Justice. We will stay here separated from you & your lawless evil in obedience to Yahshua the Messiah.

Jeppeson told Hunt that Weaver did not want to be tried in Idaho "due to prejudice against those who believed in separation of the white race." According to Jeppeson, Weaver might surrender, if the trial could be moved, and if Jeppeson could remain with Weaver until he was released or sentenced.

Due to the responses, the Marshals Service began to formulate a surrender offer. This offer included promises that: the government would not interfere with Vicki Weaver's custody of her children; the Marshals Service would not harass Randy Weaver's family; and the Government would not move to forfeit Randy Weaver's property.

The following day, Jeppeson delivered a letter from Vicki Weaver, addressed to Mays and Hunt, that posed a number of questions, including why a government informant or agent cannot be cross-examined by a defense attorney and why the U.S. District Judge in Coeur D'Alene told the Weavers that if they lost their case they would lose the $10,000 bond to pay the attorney, as well as alleging that there was a conspiracy to imprison all former Green Berets.

When he delivered this letter to the US Marshals, Jeppeson told them that he thought that Weaver would agree to meet Hunt.

On October 16, 1991, Evans and Hunt gave Jeppeson a letter to give to Randy Weaver that responded to the questions Vicki Weaver had raised. Later that same day, Jeppeson gave Hunt a brief response signed by Vicki Weaver, which declared "[t]here is nothing to discuss. [Randy] doesn't have to prove he is innocent. Nor refute your slander."

In October, a surrender letter was drafted for the Weavers. Assistant U.S. Attorney Howen rejected the proposal on October 15, 1991 and explained in a subsequent letter that all communication must go through the court-appointed attorney, not directly to Weaver, and possibly a plea agreement could be arranged after arrest, but a mere surrendering would not invoke the same terms. The surrender letter was never sent. This move was later criticized by the Justice Department for its hindering of federal officials' efforts to end the standoff.

There was very little activity by the marshals on the Weaver matter through the winter months because the property was snowed in, and surveillance was not practical. However, they continued to receive information about who was visiting the Weaver property.

Sometime during Spring 1992, Buster Kittel went to the mountain to survey property he had recently purchased. To reach his property, he had to drive past the Weaver cabin. As he reached the Weaver driveway, Kittel heard a shot from a small-caliber gun and saw Sammy Weaver standing with a rifle above him, on a rock outcropping. Randy then joined Sammy, holding a pistol and a rifle. Weaver asked Kittel if he was a US Marshal and directed Kittel's girlfriend to get out of the truck. Weaver told Kittel that he did not believe that Kittel had bought property and told him to come back with proof. The next day Kittel returned with some paperwork, which he showed to Vicki Weaver. The Weavers then allowed Kittel to proceed to his property without further problems.

Preparation for an assault

On March 1, 1992, The Spokesman-Review, a newspaper in nearby Spokane, Washington, reported that Weaver's children were armed and quoted area residents who predicted violence if law enforcement agents attempted to apprehend Weaver. Allan Jeppeson was quoted as saying, "They'll lose their lives if they go up there and threaten Weaver" and "he don't want nobody on his mountain."

On March 4, 1992, Marshals Cluff and Evans decided to drive up the mountain road leading to the Weaver cabin. They were in plainclothes and rode in an unmarked four-wheel drive vehicle. As they proceeded up the mountain road, the marshals found that vehicle noise on the unmaintained road was clearly audible for great distances. Cluff and Evans then saw Randy Weaver, armed with a rifle, and a boy and a girl standing above them on a rock formation. The boy also had a rifle. A yellow dog ran up to the vehicle, barking. When Weaver told them they were trespassing, they responded that they were interested in buying property. Weaver told them to return with a realtor. The marshals left. Evans determined that additional reconnaissance was necessary. He had learned of previously unknown trails to the Weaver property and believed it was necessary to explore them.

On March 27 1992, Deputy Director Stagg, who oversaw the Special Operations Group recommended against a tactical assault on the Weaver home in his recommendation that the indictment be dismissed and then refiled later under seal, so Weaver would be unaware of the new indictment. This was in hope that it would cause Weaver to drop his guard. At the meeting, Haynes and Stagg presented a plan for an assault on the Weaver home, but recommended against taking such action. Hudson agreed that a tactical approach did not appear viable because of their concern for the safety of Vicki Weaver and their children.

The Weaver case was transferred to the Enforcement Division and was given the name "Operation Northern Exposure." The primary responsibility for developing a plan was given to Deputy Marshal Arthur Roderick, Branch Chief of the Enforcement Division.

Hidden cameras were installed throughout the Weaver property. On April 18, 1992, the marshals were installing a camera on the West Ridge overlooking the Weaver cabin when the Geraldo Rivera TV show helicopter flew up to the cabin. According to nearly a dozen witnesses, including US Marshal W. Warren Mays, there was no incident. However, the TV sound man reported two pops or cracks on his headphones which he thought were gunshots; the three other persons on the helicopter, and all witnesses on the ground, heard no shots. When reporters came to the cabin and interviewed the Weavers, Randy claimed the only thing he shot at the helicopter was a bird. The alleged Rivera gunshots became Overt Act 32 in the conspiracy charge against the Weavers.

Although final approval was needed from Acting Director Hudson, Roderick was given permission by Jim Roach, Deputy Director for Operations, in late May 1992, to begin preparations for an undercover operation to arrest Randy Weaver. The plan consisted of agents posing as a neighboring couple buying property next to the Weavers and befriending them. Roderick chose Deputy Marshal Mark Jurgensen of the Seattle office for the undercover role. Roderick, Jurgensen, and Hunt started assembling documents necessary to carry out the operation.

Roderick was instructed not to put the undercover plan into effect while Acting Director Hudson's confirmation was pending before the U.S. Senate. In early August 1992, Hudson was confirmed Director of the Marshals Service and gave verbal approval of the undercover operation shortly thereafter. There had been no surveillance of the Weaver property since May, so Roderick thought it necessary for a team to visit the site and update their information.

The Weavers had construed the passage of time to mean that the government had given up.

The confrontation

On August 21, 1992, several US Marshals were sent to conduct surveillance for the upcoming undercover operation. According to a Department of Justice report on the incident, the Marshals were detected by the Weavers' dogs and began to retreat. Randy Weaver, his 14-year-old son Sammy and his house guest, family friend Kevin Harris, left the house to investigate, all carrying firearms. The Department of Justice report corroborates this with a statement dictated by Randy Weaver to his daughter, in which he says that "Approximately 11:30 Friday morning....the dogs started barking like they always do when strangers walk up the driveway. Randy, Kevin, and Sam ran out to the rock with their weapons." The labrador, Striker, chased the marshals through the woods, and Sammy and Harris followed the dog. Eventually, the marshals stopped retreating and took up defensive positions in the woods.

The sequence of events during the ensuing shootout is disputed, with Harris saying that the camouflaged Marshals did not identify themselves and were the first to fire at Sammy's dog, which was approaching their position with Sammy close behind him. Sammy then fired at Marshal Roderick, who had shot the dog. The marshals' version of events is that they were fired upon first and only then returned fire.

According to Randy Weaver, after splitting up from Harris and Sammy Weaver, a man in full camouflage leapt in front of him and shouted: "Freeze, Weaver!". Weaver responded to this with an expletive and then turned around and began to run back to the house. As he ran he called out to Harris and Sammy that it was an ambush and to get back to the house. Randy said he heard Sam reply "I'm coming Dad" and then heard shots being fired.

Sammy and Harris had followed the dog through the woods when they confronted the Marshals. Sammy, according to Harris, then yelled "You shot Striker", followed by an expletive, and fired twice at Marshal Roderick, the leader of the Special Operations Group. One or more Marshals returned fire, shooting Sam in the arm and spraying him in the back with automatic weapon fire, killing him, as he ran back up the hill. Harris then shot and killed Marshal William Degan, and retreated up the hill himself where he found Sammy.

According to evidence entered at the trial by prosecution witnesses (ballistics experts Martin Fackler and Lucien Haag), Art Roderick fired one shot, which killed the dog; Sammy Weaver fired three shots, to no effect; Marshal Bill Degan fired seven shots, one hitting Sammy Weaver's arm; Kevin Harris fired two shots, one killing Degan; and Larry Cooper fired six shots, one killing Sammy Weaver. Marshals Cooper and Roderick were not aware of Degan firing, and believed those shots came from the Weavers. There were nineteen shots fired in total.

The next day, the FBI was called onto the scene with their Hostage Rescue Team (HRT). After the first day's events, the FBI HRT changed its usual rules of engagement, stating specifically that "deadly force can and should be used against any armed adult male if the shot could be taken without a child being injured." Deadly force could be used even before an announcement that the Weavers were surrounded and requesting their surrender. This was "unprecedented" and later found unconstitutional by a Justice Department task force, as well as Harris's separate case against the FBI.).

An FBI sniper, Lon Horiuchi, shot and wounded Weaver in the right arm, while he was lifting the latch on a shed to visit the dead body of Sammy Weaver with others. Then, as Weaver, his 16-year-old daughter Sara, and Harris ran back to the house, Horiuchi took a second shot, which struck and killed Vicki Weaver and wounded Harris. Vicki Weaver was standing behind the door through which Harris was entering the house, holding their 10-month-old baby Elishiba in her arms. A Justice Department review later found the second shot was unconstitutional and the lack of a request to surrender was "inexcusable", since Harris and the two Weavers were running for cover and could not pose an imminent threat. The task force also specifically blamed Horiuchi for firing at the door, not knowing whether someone was on the other side of it, along with those who had decided on the special rules of engagement allowing shots to be fired with no request for surrender.

The sniper's two shots were fired at 6:00pm 22 Aug 1992; the Weavers did not return fire but retreated to the cabin. At 6:30pm, an armored personnel carrier came to the cabin and announced the presence of law enforcement. According to the Weavers, this was the first formal announcement of the presence of law enforcement.

A stand-off ensued for 10 more days as several hundred federal agents surrounded the house, in which Weaver and his three surviving children remained with Harris and the dead body of Vicki Weaver, under a blood-soaked blanket in the kitchen. The area was surrounded by protesters angered by what they perceived as the heavy-handed nature of the authorities' actions. James "Bo" Gritz, then a third-party presidential candidate who had formerly been Weaver's commanding officer during his time in the Army, served as a mediator between Weaver and the government. Eventually, Weaver surrendered.

Aftermath

At his trial in 1993, which occurred during the siege of the Branch Davidians at Waco, Texas, Weaver faced an array of charges, including the original weapons violations as well as murder. He was represented by noted trial lawyer Gerry Spence. Spence successfully argued that Weaver acted in self-defense during the raid and was the victim of entrapment with respect to the weapons charge, winning Weaver's acquittal on all charges except missing his original court date and violation of his bail conditions, for which he was sentenced to 18 months and fined $10,000. He was credited with time served and spent an additional four months in prison. Harris was acquitted of all charges. The presiding judge, Edward Lodge, severely criticized the FBI for its late disclosure of evidence; specifically evidence that related to Horiuchi. He said they had exhibited "callous disregard" for the defendants and a "complete lack of respect" for his court, and he fined them $1,920.

Many FBI employees' reputations were ruined over the incident, most notably Deputy Director Larry Potts. E. Michael Kahoe, chief of the Bureau's Violent Crimes and Major Offenders section, pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice for attempting to destroy all copies of the FBI's internal report on Ruby Ridge. Six officers were suspended for allegedly attempting to cover up their roles in the Ruby Ridge incident, and overall 12 officers were disciplined for their roles in the siege.

In September 1995, the US Senate, now under Republican control, held hearings on the Ruby Ridge incident and, in December, released a report detailing the handling of the incident. The Senate offered harsh criticism to the federal agencies involved, calling their handling of the incident a "chain of mistakes" that led to the three deaths. The committee alleged that through its conduct, the FBI had weakened trust between the Government and citizens. The specific agencies at fault included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the FBI, the US Marshals Service and the office of the US attorney in Idaho.

FBI Director Louis Freeh told the Senate committee, "At Ruby Ridge, the F.B.I. did not perform at the level which the American people expect or deserve from the F.B.I. Indeed, for the F.B.I., Ruby Ridge was a series of terribly flawed law-enforcement operations with tragic consequences."

The surviving members of the Weaver family filed a wrongful death suit and Randy Weaver received a $100,000 settlement while his daughters received $1 million each. Weaver wrote a 1998 paperback book, The Federal Siege At Ruby Ridge, about the incident. Kevin Harris received a $380,000 settlement.

In 1997, the Boundary County, Idaho district attorney charged Horiuchi with involuntary manslaughter, but the indictment was removed to federal court. The indictment was dismissed first by the Federal District Court, and the dismissal was reversed by an en banc panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Shortly after the 9th Circuit issued its decision, the prosecutor moved to dismiss the case, and the U.S. District Court granted the motion on June 26, 2001.

Investigations into the Oklahoma City bombing determined that Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols were sympathizers of an anti-government militia movement and that their motive was to avenge the government's handling of the Waco and Ruby Ridge incidents. The Oklahoma City bombing was a terrorist attack on April 19 1995 aimed at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, a U.S. government office complex in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

See also

• Oklahoma City bombing
• Waco Siege

Suggested reading

• Alan Bock. Ambush at Ruby Ridge: How Government Agents Set Randy Weaver Up and Took His Family Down. ISBN 1-880741-48-2.
• Jess Walter. Ruby Ridge: The Truth and Tragedy of the Randy Weaver Family, The Spokesman-Review received a Pulitzer Prize nomination for its coverage of the story. ISBN 0-06-000794-X.
• Jon Ronson (2002). Them: Adventures with Extremists. ISBN 0-7432-3321-2.
• Randy and Sara Weaver. The Federal Siege At Ruby Ridge: In Our Own Words. ISBN 0-9664334-0-8.
• Christopher Whitcomb. Cold Zero: Inside the FBI Hostage Rescue Team. ISBN 0-552-14788-5.
• Danny O. Coulson & Elaine Shannon. No Heroes: Inside the FBI's Secret Counter-Terror Force. ISBN 0-671-02062-5

External links

• Idaho v. Horiuchi (Case Number: 98-30149)
• Court television history
• Excerpts from From Freedom to Slavery, by Gerry Spence (Randy Weaver's defense attorney)
• Department Of Justice report