Michele Jones was one of the Davidians who died during the 1993 Waco siege. Although not legally recognized, she was the wife of David Thibodeau, a survivor of the WACO siege, and the mother of Koresh’s children.
Keep scrolling down to learn more about her.
Meet Michele Jones, WACO Massacre Survivor, Wife of David Thibodeau
Michele Jones is the spiritual wife of David Thibodeau, a survivor of the WACO massacre. She married him after Koresh asked them to marry in the camp.
According to David, he met Koresh, thanks to their shared interest in music in 1991. At that time, he had just graduated from the Los Angeles Institute of Music Technology with a drum major. Then, one day, Koresh invited him to stay at the camp with the community and marry Michele, and he agreed.
So after the siege, David began to recount his experiences in the camp and at the time of the siege. He even wrote two books titled “Waco: A Survivor’s Story” and “A Place Called Waco,” the latter of which led to him becoming a consultant on the series Waco: American Apocalypse.
“I always knew that there was some kind of invisible force that seemed to be guiding me through life,” David said in the documentary. It was no surprise that he was intrigued when the cult leader told him, “You don’t even realize that every day there are forces that are plotting your path and where you’re going.”
But David was initially uninterested in this whole new religious movement. He didn’t believe that their leader was the Messiah. It was only because of warm, friendly people like Steve that he joined their Christian group.
However, he remained in the Waco, Texas compound until the very last minute! He only fled after a major fire broke out on April 19, 1993 (the 51st day of the bitter standoff).
Today, David has been vocal about his views on the siege. He also runs a website called Waco Survivors, where he archives media posts related to the standoff while offering his own open opinions to paint a clearer picture of the whole thing.
What happened to Michele Jones?
Michele Jones was spiritually asked to marry Koresh and bear his three children as part of a divine prophecy. Her children were Serenity Sea, Chica, and Little One—all of whom died in the fire with her.
After her death, her husband David remained single.
Michele Jones’ age at the time of her death
Michele Jones was born on July 4, 1974. This means she was only 19 years old when she passed away in April 1993.
Additionally, that means she was only 12 years old when she became Koresh’s spiritual wife.
Who are Michele Jones’ parents?
Michele Jones was born to Perry Dale Jones and Mary Belle Rogers Jones.
Her father, Perry, was shot and killed late on February 28, 1993. He was 64 years old.
As for her mother, Mary survived the Waco siege. She later breathed her last at the age of 82 on June 21, 2014, in Waco, McLennan County, Texas, United States.
Mary reportedly helped care for several elderly women in a mobile home away from Mount Carmel during the time of her husband’s death.
Interesting Facts: Michele’s paternal grandparents are Perry Miller Jones and Phyllis Louise Coffin Goggin.
Michele Jones’s siblings
Michele Jones is the youngest child in the family.
Her brother, David Michael Jones, also died in the 1993 fire. He was 38 years old.
On the other hand, her brother, Stephen Paul Jones survived and died only in January 2010, at the age of 53.
As for her sister, Rachel Olivia Susan Koresh, you probably know all about her because she appeared in Waco: American Apocalypse.
For those who don’t know, Rachel was one of the people who died in the Waco fire. She was the only legal wife of leader David Koresh and was only 23 years old when the fire happened.
The show notes that Rachel was 14 when she married Koresh. She later gave birth to two children named Star and Cyrus. Apparently, she wasn’t okay with her husband sleeping with other women in the compound. But because Koresh taught his parishioners that he was destined to father 24 children who would eventually rule the world after the apocalypse, Rachel made peace with herself.
Another reason Rachel is calm about what’s happening is that she was born in the church and that’s all she’s ever known.
Sadly, like Michele, her sister and both of her children perished in the fire and are buried in Restland Cemetery, McLennan County.
Related FAQs
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Where is Michele Jones from?
Michele was born and raised in McLennan County, Texas, USA. She also breathed her last there.
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When was Michele Jones born?
Michele’s birthday is April 19 and she is an Aries.
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Who plays Michele Jones in Netflix’s Waco?
Michele is played by Julia Garner. You may have seen her as Ruth Langmore in the Netflix crime drama series Ozark (2017–2022), for which she won three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2019, 2020, and 2022, and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in 2023.