VI. CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS
January - May 1985
U.S. Secret Service (”USSS”) investigates allegations from neighbors of Randy Weaver that Weaver threatened to kill President Reagan, Idaho Governor John Evans and other unspecified law enforcement officials. USSS learns through interviews that Weaver associates with members of the Aryan Nations.USSS interviews Weaver who denies affiliation with Aryan Nations and denies making threats against President Reagan and Governor Evans. No charges are filed against Weaver as result of alleges threats.On February 28, 1985, Weaver and his wife, Vicki Weaver, file affidavit with Boundary County Idaho clerk claiming that false allegations made to USSS were part of a plot designed to provoke federal authorities into storming their home. Weaver writes he “may have to defend myself and my family from physical attack on my life.”In May 1985, Weaver sends letter to President Reagan apologizing for false allegations made by his neighbors against him. July, 1986 - July 1989 BATF informant Kenneth Fadeley introduced to Weaver at World Aryan Congress, Hayden lake, Idaho. Fadeley meets Weaver again in January 1987 and at July 1987 and July 1989 Aryan World Congresses. At July 1989 Congress, Weaver invites Fadeley to his house to discuss forming group to fight against “Zionist Organized Government” (ZOG). October 11, 1989 BATF informant Fadeley meets with Weaver at restaurant in Sandpoint, Idaho at which time Weaver says he could supply sawed-off shotguns. October 24, 1989 Weaver sells two sawed-off shotguns to BATF informant Fadeley in a park in sandpoint, Idaho. Fadeley breaks contact with Weaver following November 30, 1989 meeting, when Weaver accuses Fadeley of being a “cop”.
May 21, 1990
BATF Agent Herbert Byerly submits case report to U.S. Attorney’s Office, Boise, Idaho, recommending that Weaver be prosecuted for the sale of sawed-off shotguns.June 12, 1990 BATF agents Byerly and Steve Gunderson approach Weaver in Sandpoint, Idaho, and attempt to enlist him as an informant regarding illegal activities of Aryan Nations members. Weaver says he won’t be a “snitch.”December 13, 1990 A federal grand jury in the District of Idaho indicts Weaver for manufacturing and possessing unregistered firearms in violation of 26 USC =15 5861(d), (f).January 17, 1991 BATF agents, posing as stranded motorists, arrest Weaver on weapons charge. Weaver tells the arresting agents, “nice trick; you’ll never do that again.”January 18, 1991 Weaver arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen M. Ayers in Couer d’Alene, Idaho. Judge Ayers appoints Everett Hofmeister as counsel for Weaver, releases Weaver on a $10,000 Personal Recognizance Bond and directs Weaver to appear at U.S. District Court for trial on February 19, 1991. January 22, 1991 Weaver calls Karl Richins pursuant to the terms of his condition of release. February 5, 1991 U.S. District Court Clerk in Boise, Idaho, sends a notice to the parties that the trial date has been changed to February 20, 1991. February 7, 1991 The U.S. Attorney’s office in Boise, Idaho receives two letters from Vicki Weaver dated January 22, 1991 and February 3, 1991 and addressed to “the Queen of Babylon.” Because the letters appeared to contain veiled threats they are provided to the Boise office of the (cut off....)
February 7, 1991
U.S. Probation Officer Karl Richins = sends Randy Weaver a letter requesting Weaver to contact him and then erroneously refers to the trial date as March 20, 1991 rather than the correct date of February 20, 1991. February 20, 1991 Weaver does not appear for trial on either February 19 or February 20 and Chief U.S. District Court Judge Harold Ryan issues a bench warrant for Weaver.March 5, 1991 Deputy U.S. Marshals Hunt and Mays initiate contacts with Bill and Judy Grider, who are friends of the Weavers. The Griders give the marshals a letter signed by the Weaver family saying “we will not obey your lawless government.”March 14, 1991 A federal grand jury in the District of Idaho indicts Weaver for failure to appear.March 18, 1991 Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Ron Evans, District of Idaho, provides Marshals Service Headquarters with analysis of Weaver situation and requests assistance from the Marshals Service’s Special Operations Group (”SOG”). March 28, 1991 Evans briefs SOG personnel at SOG Tactical Center in Camp Beauregard, Louisiana on developments in the Weaver case. The decision is made to send SOG team to Idaho to gather information to develop plan to arrest Weaver. June 17-24, 1991 SOG reconnaissance team travels to Northeastern Idaho and conducts assessment of the Weaver case. The team develops a plan for the safe arrest of Weaver on his property and away from his wife and children. Plan describes Weaver as “extremely dangerous and suicidal.”
July 9, 1991
Deputy Marshal Cluff and Weaver’s appointed counsel, Everett Hofmeister, meet with Rodney Willey and ask Willey to try and convince Weaver to surrender. Willey reports the following day that Weaver said he won’t surrender because his “rights will be violated.”September 28, 1991 SOG team dispatched to Northern Idaho to assist in the planned arrest of Weaver. However, plan to arrest Weaver is canceled because team finds that information on which plan was based was not accurate.October 9, 1991 Senior Deputy Marshal Hunt and Chief Deputy Marshal Evans ask Alan Jeppeson, a friend of the Weavers, to convey an offer of negotiations to Weaver. The marshals formulate formal surrender terms.October 12, 1991 Hunt and Evans propose offering formal surrender terms to Weaver and request authorization from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.October 17, 1991 Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Howen sends letter to Hunt and Evans directing that all contact with Weaver must be through Weavers’ appointed counsel, Everett Hoffmeister. In addition, Howen does not authorize further negotiations with Weaver as proposed by the Marshals Service.March 4, 1992 Deputy Marshal Cluff and Chief Deputy Marshal Evans drive up to Weaver property in an unmarked vehicle. They are met by Randy Weaver, who is armed with a rifle. Weaver tells Cluff and Evans that they are trespassing and the marshals leave without incident.
March 27, 1992
Acting Marshals Service Director Henry Hudson was briefed on developments in the Weaver case. Hudson asks U.S. Attorney Maurice Ellsworth to consider dismissing warrant and reissuing it under seal. Ellsworth rejects the proposal. Hudson directs that any plan to arrest Weaver must eliminate possibility of harm to Vicki Weaver and the Weaver children.Marshals Service Enforcement Division Branch Chief Arthur Roderick is given primary responsibility for devising a suitable plan to arrest Weaver. Three phase operation plan is developed.April 2-12, 1992 During Phase I of their operation plan, the marshals conduct surveillance of the Weaver property and determine technical requirements for additional surveillance. April 13, 1992 Acting Director Hudson approves operation plan for Phase II, during which surveillance cameras would be utilized to gather information about Weavers’ daily actions so that options could be developed for Phase III, the actual arrest of Weaver.
April 17 through 1st week of May, 1992
Marshals install surveillance cameras on ridges = overlooking Weaver property and make three fact-finding trips = onto the Weaver property.
April 18, 1992
Marshals Service are informed that the television crew from Geraldo Rivera’s program “Now It Can Be Told” may have been shot at while flying over the Weaver property in a helicopter.May 5, 1992 Marshals Service surveillance camera stolen from the north ridge overlooking the Weaver property.
May 27, 1992
Undercover plan developed by Marshals Service after Acting Director Hudson rejects plans to forcibly arrest Weaver using either “lethal” or “non-lethal” weapons. = Undercover operation contemplates Marshal Service surreptitiously buying a plot of land north of the Weaver property and that two deputy marshals, posing as husband and wife, would visit and develop the property, and that eventually an opportunity would arise to arrest Weaver out of the presence of other family members. Plan put on hold pending Hudson’s confirmation as Director by U.S. Senate.
Early August, 1992
Hudson gives verbal approval to the undercover plan after = being confirmed as Marshals Service Director.
August 17, 1992
Deputy Marshals Degan, Cooper, Roderick Norris, Thomas and = Hunt arrive in Northern Idaho to update intelligence for = undercover plan.
August 20, 1992
Deputy Marshals Roderick, Cooper, Degan, and Hunt, along with local marshal and deputy sheriffs use firing range west of Spokane, Washington to test their weapons as required by internal Marshals Service practice.
Friday, August 21, 1992.
At 2:30 a.m., Marshals Service team of Roderick, Cooper, Degan, Hunt, Norris and Thomas leave condominium at Schweitzer Mountain to begin surveillance of Weaver residence. At 4:30 a.m., Marshals Service team arrives at residence of Wayne and Ruth Rau, park their vehicle and move to surveillance positions on Ruby Ridge. The team splits into two three-man teams at the “Y.” The observation post (”OP”) team (Hunt, Norris and Thomas) goes to site above the Weaver compound while the reconnaissance (”Recon”) team (Roderick, Cooper and Degan) proceeds up the trail from “Y” toward the Weaver compound.
Friday, August 21, 1992
At 9:00 a.m. the Recon team joins the OP team at the = observation post above the Weaver compound to discuss their = observations. The Recon team proceeds to area 200-250 yards from the Weaver cabin were Roderick tosses rocks in the direction of = the Weaver compound. The Recon team moves to garden/spring house = area below the Weaver cabin.
At 10:00 a.m., while Recon team gets ready to leave = garden/spring house area, Norris, at the observation post, radios = that a vehicle is approaching and that the Weavers are responding. = Recon team retreats through the woods toward the fern field while pursued by Kevin Harris and the Weaver dog, Striker. As the Recon team passes the fern field proceeding towards the “Y”, Sammy Weaver is seen with Harris and the dog in pursuit.
At 10:30 a.m., a gun battle occurs at the “Y”, in which = Deputy Marshal Degan and Sammy Weaver are killed. Upon hearing the = shots the OP team runs through the woods to assist the Recon team = and are fired upon when running from the fern field to the “Y.” = None of the marshals are aware that Sammy Weaver has been shot and killed.
At 10:45 a.m., Hunt and Thomas leave the “Y” to go to the Rau house to call for assistance. Roderick, Cooper and Norris stay with Degan’s body.
At 11:20 a.m., Hunt makes a 911 emergency call to the = Boundary County Sheriff’s office. Bonners Ferry, Idaho.
At 11:40 a.m., the Marshals Service Crisis Center is activated under the director of Duke Smith, Associate Director for Operations. The Marshals Service Special Operations Group (”SOG”) is alerted to deploy. Hunt reports to the Crisis Center that the surveillance team came under fire from occupants of the Weaver compound and are still pinned down in defensive positions.
At 1:30 p.m., in Washington, D.C., Marshals Service = Director Hudson and other Marshals Service officials meet with = FBI Associate Deputy Director Douglas Gow and FBI Assistant = Director Larry Potts to discuss the response to the shooting = and the marshals predicament on Ruby Ridge.
In the late afternoon, Assistant Director Potts = orders the FBI Hostage Rescue Team (”HRT”) deployed.
At 6:30 p.m., HRT Commander Richard Rogers and the advance team of HRT personnel depart for Idaho accompanied by Marshals Service Director of Operations Duke Smith. While en route, Rogers has a series of conversations with Assistant Director Potts and Deputy Assistant Director Coulson about proposed Rules of Engagement.
At 1:00 p.m., the Idaho State Police Critical Response Team (”CRI”) is informed of the incident and proceed to form a command post near the Rau house.
At 8:30 p.m., Idaho State Police CRT leaves the command post to rescue Deputy Marshals Roderick, Cooper, and Norris and the body of Marshal Degan.
At 9:30 p.m., FBI Special Agent in Charge Gene Glenn arrives at the command post at Ruby Ridge. Glenn assumes overall responsibility for the FBI operations at Ruby Ridge.In the afternoon, U.S. Marshal Michael Johnson notifies U.S. Attorney Ellsworth of the shooting at Ruby Ridge. Ellsworth sends Ron Howen to Ruby Ridge to act as the U.S. Attorney’s representative. Howen arrives at Ruby Ridge late in the evening.
Saturday, August 22, 1992
At 1:00 a.m., Idaho State Police CRT arrives back = at the command post and brings with it the three = deputy marshals and the body of Deputy Marshal Degan. = Thereafter, the marshals are taken to the Boundary County Hospital for examination and then are taken back to their condominium at Schweitzer Mountain, arriving at approximately 3:00 a.m. Sometime in the afternoon, FBI agents interview the marshals involved in the August 21 incident. A criminal complaint is filed charging Weaver and Harris with murder of Deputy Marshal Degan in violation of 1: U.S.C. =15=15 111, 1111 and 1114.At 4:45 a.m., the HRT advance team arrives at (cut off...)
At 9:00, a.m., HRT Commander Rogers briefs HRT = members at the National Guard Armory, Bonners Ferry, = Idaho. The Rules of Engagement are still being drafted.
At 10:30 a.m., the HRT and SOG are assembling the operations plan.At 2:40 p.m., the operations plan, including Rules of Engagement, are sent to FBI Headquarters and the Marshals Service for review.
Between 2:30-3:30 p.m., the HRT sniper/observers = briefed on approved Rules of Engagement and depart = on foot to their observation posts on the mountain.
From 5:07 p.m. to 5:22 p.m., the HRT sniper/observer = teams arrive at their positions on the ridge overlooking = the Weaver cabin. At approximately 5:58 p.m., HRT = sniper/observer Lon Horiuchi fires round which wounds Randy = Weaver. Seconds later, Horiuchi fires a round which kills = Vicki Weaver and wounds Kevin Harris.
Let me make sure I have this straight: white Supremeist nut job who once threatened to kill Pres. Reagan and who brainwashed his son to point where son killed a Federal Agent enforcing a lawful arrest warrant, refused to surrender to police, and thereafter had his pregnant wife hold open door instead of at least letting her surrender and at least getting her out of harms way, and agent was following order to shoot armed male and actually did shoot armed male (Harris) bullet went through his shoulder and killed women who never should have been there in first place. Agent is the bad guy. Okay. Now I know why people think the “right” is nuts.
Who was the secretary employed by that took these notes on the screen? Are these Randy’s notes? Idaho’s notes, or the government’s notes?
dry up sonny. take your liberal nazi jack boot loving crap elsewhere...maybe back to the democratic underground or some such where the rest of you bleeding heart liberal America haters infest. good God, what the hell is wrong with you junior? grow up. leave your folk’s home and get out into the real world.
At 10:00 a.m., while Recon team gets ready to leave = garden/spring house area, Norris, at the observation post, radios = that a vehicle is approaching and that the Weavers are responding. = Recon team retreats through the woods toward the fern field while pursued by Kevin Harris and the Weaver dog, Striker. As the Recon team passes the fern field proceeding towards the “Y”, Sammy Weaver is seen with Harris and the dog in pursuit.At 10:30 a.m., a gun battle occurs at the “Y”, in which = Deputy Marshal Degan and Sammy Weaver are killed. Upon hearing the = shots the OP team runs through the woods to assist the Recon team = and are fired upon when running from the fern field to the “Y.” = None of the marshals are aware that Sammy Weaver has been shot and killed.
That account is complete garbage. Harris, Weaver and the dog were strolling through the woods hunting. Deputy Marshal Degan was in a gillie suit, in the cover of deep woods, lying down in a fixed position. He fired on the dog killing it and Sammy Weaver returned fire not even knowing exactly where Degan was and absolutely no idea who he was.
Go spread your government coverup lies somewhere else.