Abilene Reporter News
Local News http://www.reporternews.com/
Questions linger in 2006 infant death
Independent pathologists say son of sect members was murdered!
Almost a year ago, baby Rephayah Isaac Lindsay died. Exactly when and where the 1-month-old infant perished remains unclear, although his father gave Abilene police his version of those particulars. The ambiguity surrounding Rephayah's death has hampered police investigations. Law enforcement officers in two counties - Callahan and Taylor - acknowledged concerns about jurisdiction. And his parents, the two people who are believed to have been with Rephayah at the time of his death, weren't charged with any crime. Rephayah was the couple's only child. No one has been held responsible for Rephayah's death despite the fact that two pathologists - independent from the case - reviewed the medical examiner's report and concluded the child was murdered. According to police, Rephayah's parents said the boy wasn't feeling well, so they decided to take him for a car ride in hopes of making him feel better. While riding in the car - somewhere in Callahan County, Abilene police believe - Rephayah stopped breathing. Little Rephayah was then buried in a grave at an undisclosed site in Callahan County, according to Abilene police. Rephayah's parents have never been identified by police.
However, Shaun Lindsay, who was 31 at the time, was identified as the boy's father, according to a court-ordered autopsy requested by Taylor County Justice of the Peace Bryan Smith. The boy's mother was 24 at the time of Rephayah's death. Rephayah's parents didn't report his death or burial. The Child Protective Services hotline received an anonymous call July 10 by someone reporting that a child died July 7 and was buried somewhere. Abilene police began investigating the death after the department was notified by CPS. Lindsay told police his son died July 7 and cited his family's religious beliefs for why the boy's death and burial weren't reported. It is believed that the family belonged to the House of Yahweh - a religious group that many refer to as a cult. The group's headquarters is in Abilene. A compound, where many members live, is located in Callahan County. According to court documents, the couple lived on property owned by Yisrayl Hawkins, the House of Yahweh founder and leader. Abilene investigators talked to Lindsay for several hours before they were able to convince him to bring the baby's body to the police station. The father was allowed to return to the unmarked burial site unescorted - an occurrence Abilene police now say was highly unusual, but the only way possible to get evidence. Police said they do not know the exact location where the boy was buried. When Lindsay returned with the body, it was wrapped in a yellow and white blanket. Rephayah's body was sent to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's office for an autopsy, which was performed by Dr. Marc Krouse, the deputy chief medical examiner. According to the autopsy, at the time of examination, the body was wrapped in two blankets and enclosed in a plastic bag. Rephayah was wearing only a knit cap, covering his short straight dark brown hair.
A preliminary autopsy indicated the boy died of protein malnourishment and of ''terminal'' asphyxiation, which does not mean death was caused by another human. Later, the medical examiner's Web site described the death as being caused by ''traumatic'' asphyxiation, or sudden or severe compression of the chest or upper abdomen that prevents breathing. ''Traumatic'' could mean that the child was purposely suffocated. ''If we had known 'traumatic' was the description, we might have approached the investigation differently,'' said Taylor County District Attorney James Eidson. An online public access database of the files from the medical examiner's office lists the cause of death as ''traumatic'' asphyxiation, rather than ''terminal'' asphyxiation. ''If we had known that at the time we were investigating, it might have made a difference in how the case was handled,'' Eidson said. ''Traumatic'' asphyxiation implies the death was caused by an outside force while ''terminal'' asphyxiation does not. At 4.6 pounds, Rephayah's body was malnourished with almost no fat under the skin and poorly developed muscle, according to the report. His stomach was empty and it was noted that he had ''virtually no contents'' within any part of the bowel. Board certified forensic pathologist Dr. Linda E. Norton, who is based in Dallas and practices privately, said after reviewing the autopsy report that Rephayah's death ''clearly is a homicide. ''When you starve a child to this degree, I don't see how you can't call this a homicide,'' she said. She also said there is evidence, based on the autopsy report, that Rephayah was suffocated, ''actually smothered to death.''
A local medical pathologist who asked not to be identified said basically the same thing. Neither pathologist is involved with the case. Their independent opinions were sought by the Reporter-News because of their expertise. Abilene police declined to file criminal charges against Rephayah's parents after Krouse, who performed the autopsy, told investigators the baby's death was either accidental or of natural causes. APD Assistant Chief Ken Merchant said the medical examiner's report ''carries a lot of weight'' in police's decision to file charges or not. Police said the boy's parents told them taking their child to a doctor is against their religious beliefs. ''They might have been doing what they thought was right, what the midwives had told them to do with the sick child,'' Eidson said. Eidson said if he were prosecuting the case, he would have a hard time proving the couple's intent was homicide. ''Intent is important,'' Eidson said. Besides the issue of determining whether Rephayah's death was accidental or murder, law enforcement agencies have been faced with the challenge of determining jurisdiction. Abilene police had been the sole agency investigating Rephayah's death, but then they determined the death occurred in Callahan County. Judge Smith said he turned the case over to Justice of the Peace Roy Chapman, whose office is in Callahan County. Abilene police closed their investigation, but not without offering investigative help to Callahan County officials, according to APD Chief Melvin Martin. Chapman, however, doesn't remember the offer. ''I just feel that it was thrown at us,'' Chapman said. ''There was never an investigation in Callahan County.'' Callahan County Sheriff Eddie Curtis said his office hasn't and isn't investigating the death. With agencies in both counties stalemated, the investigation of Rephayah's death should be carried forward to the Texas Attorney General or the U.S. Attorney General, according to an investigator who works for Norton, the Dallas forensic pathologist who has a private practice. ''The thing to do in a case like this is to bring in a special prosecutor,'' Norton said. Ken Ellsworth contributed to this article.
Headline and copy editor: Beverly Butman; Editor: Loretta Fulton
Comments
Results of autopsy for infant buried in Callahan not yet available!
And when the full results do come in, they will be forwarded to Callahan County authorities, who will handle any further investigation. Abilene police are no longer working on the case.
Abilene police ordered the autopsy from the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's office after the boy's father retrieved the boy's body from a secret burial spot.
Police believe the boy died in Callahan County during a car ride with his parents, of Abilene. Their names have not been released.
According to Reporter-News files, a preliminary autopsy report stated the child had died of traumatic asphyxiation - sudden or severe compression of the chest or upper abdomen that prevents breathing. Child Protective Services alerted Abilene authorities after an anonymous caller reported the death during a call to the CPS hotline.
Officer Brian Trail of the Abilene Police Department told the Reporter-News last month that the boy's father confirmed the boy died July 7, and cited the Abilene family's religious beliefs for why the boy's death and burial were not reported. However, he would not tell investigators where the body was buried, so the father was allowed to retrieve the body.
Callahan County woman pleads guilty in 2003 death
Deziree Kay Gideon was arrested in July 2005 after she allegedly performed surgery on her 7-year-old daughter, Terri, at a neighbor's home in September 2003, which resulted in the girl's death.
According to the Callahan County indictment, Gideon ''intentionally and knowingly'' caused serious bodily injury to the child by ''cutting her with a scalpel'' and ''stabbing her with a needle.''
After pleading guilty, Gideon received five years of probation, according to KTXS-TV reports.
Gideon's neighbor, Rebekah Hawkins, is to stand trial Monday. Gideon said Hawkins assisted in the surgery and has agreed to testify against her in court. The incident occurred at Hawkins' home at 2224 FM 603.
A Callahan County attorney told the Abilene Reporter-News in July 2005 that Gideon had attempted to perform the surgical procedure to remove an infection in the girl's leg by cutting the area off.
The girl was taken to Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene and later to Cook's Children's Medical Hospital in Forth Worth, where she died.
The House of Yahweh is a religious group with headquarters on T&P Lane in Abilene and a compound of about 50 acres between Clyde and Eula in Callahan County. The House of Yahweh was founded in 1980 by Bill ''Yisrayl'' Hawkins, a former Abilene policeman who left the department in 1977.
EDITED BY: PATTI STEELE; COPY EDITED BY: JEFF WOLF; HEADLINE BY: JEFF WOLF
Nickiyah...her mom who died now. she was working in office with Aniayah. and she left the group --one reason at least is because she overheard Elder Aniayah on the phone saying to someone "We don't need paupers --poor people in the hoy"..etc..she was a nice lady. and a holocaust survivor.. hid in a hole during Nazi invasion...she lived in Germany. Someone needs to question Aniayah's actions! This is only one for 5 witnesses including myself that Aniayah spoke this to!
Abilene
Reporter-News
By LORETTA FULTON
BAIRD - A Maryland man was jailed for assault and interfering with child custody four days after trying to storm the gates of the House of Yahweh.
David Richardson confronted sect members Saturday in an unsuccessful attempt to get his wife and her 14-year-old daughter to leave the religious sect that has a compound between Clyde and Eula.
He was briefly detained in Callahan County Jail in Baird Wednesday on one misdemeanor and one felony charge resulting from his earlier successful foray into the compound to remove his 6-year-old son and his wife's 12-year-old son.
Richardson was charged with family violence and assault, a misdemeanor; and interfering with child custody, a felony, said Sheriff Eddie Curtis.
Justice of the Peace Don Burns set bond at $1,000 on the misdemeanor charge and $2,500 on the felony. Richardson was released on bond Wednesday afternoon.
County Attorney Allen Wright said the assault charge resulted from a scuffle that ensued when Richardson removed the 12-year-old boy from the compound. The youngster is no longer in Texas.
"He's out of state," Wright said. "That's why we had to do something."
Richardson's wife, Bonnie, who changed her name to Biynyah Hawkins in honor of the sect's founder Yisrayl Hawkins, has custody of the 12-year-old boy and the 14-year-old girl, Wright said. Richardson is the father of the 6-year-old boy.
Richardson, an ex-member of the cult, said he is concerned about the welfare of his wife and the children, and that's why he went to extremes to get them out.
"You have no idea what this man can do," he said in an interview referring to Yisrayl Hawkins.
But in the eyes of the law he carried his concerns too far. Wright, the county attorney, said the 12-year-old boy is safe and "the proper agencies are looking into" whether to return him to his mother in the compound.
"We're still talking to the agencies to see how they want to handle it," he said.
In addition to the tension at the compound Saturday when Richardson confronted security guards at the gate, a fire that destroyed two trailer houses early Sunday morning also brought attention from investigators.
State Fire Marshal's investigator Donald Turk of Anson was brought in to check out the cause of the fire that destroyed the home of three House of Yahweh members and an adjacent storage trailer.
"It's rather sensitive, and we wanted to make sure we had all our bases covered," said Tommy Hudspeth, assistant fire chief at Eula who requested Turk's assistance.
Turk could not be reached Wednesday, but Sheriff Curtis said the cause apparently was faulty wiring. He said Turk had requested an electrical expert from the Dallas office to investigate but had not yet made a ruling.
All content copyright 1996, The Abilene Reporter-News and Reporter OnLine
Abilene Reporter-News
By BRIAN BETHEL
A Maryland man's attempts to extract family members from the House of Yahweh's compound near Eula Saturday ended in a stalemate.
David Richardson, seeking to retrieve his wife and 14-year-old daughter, approached the gates of the compound in the early afternoon but eventually left without seeing either family member.
A series of tense moments erupted when Richardson and news media arrived outside the gates with House of Yahweh members refusing to offer any comment about the compound, a Passover feast going on inside, Richardson's wife, Bonnie, or his daughter.
In an earlier foray into the compound, Richardson retrieved his two sons, ages 12 and 6, from the complex's interior.
Video camera-wielding members of the sect took photographs of everything from news vehicles to Richardson arguing with other members of the group.
A Callahan County sheriff's deputy arrived on the scene shortly after the initial confrontation, speaking briefly to both sect members and Richardson before ushering Richardson into his patrol vehicle.
After a brief consultation with the deputy, Richardson planned to enter the compound to see his wife and daughter. Later in the day, he said his attempt had met with failure.
"They wouldn't let me on the grounds," he said. "I'm taking this pretty hard."
Attempts to contact the deputy through the Callahan County Sheriff's Department were unsuccessful.
Richardson, a
former member of the sect, said he didn't attempt to obtain a court order before
trying to retrieve his family because he didn't think he "would have to go to
that extreme."
"I don't want to divorce my wife" or sunder his family, he said. "Not at this
point."
Richardson said his next step was to contact the FBI with information about the sect, including the unsolved murder of a reported one-time Yahweh follower four years ago in South Carolina.
He said he planned to take things "day by day," possibly staying in Abilene or returning to his home in Maryland.
Richardson
expressed great concern for his wife and daughter, telling guards at the gate
and others assembled that he wanted them "out of here" before they could be
"used" any more.
Richardson, 38, railed against Yisrayl Hawkins, a former Abilene policeman who
became the spiritual father of the House of Yahweh, saying he forced sect
members into lives of poverty and dependence.
"I have a 14-year-old daughter, and I don't know if they're going to have her married off before long," Richardson said. "I want her out of here before he comes up with another law" that could potentially harm her.
Bonnie Richardson recently changed her name to Biynyah Hawkins to match that of the sect's leader. More than 100 followers have requested similar name changes in recent months.
"My wife isn't aware of what they're doing to her mind," Richardson said. "(Hawkins) just uses them, and they don't see what they're doing. ... She thinks if she leaves, she'll burn in hellfire."
Yisrayl Hawkins has not yet responded to requests for interviews with the Abilene Reporter-News, despite repeated attempts. Followers at the scene refused to comment.
In the past, blanket denials of all allegations against the sect have been the rule for its members.
Tensions ran high on occasion between Richardson and guards outside the gate Saturday, with the guards attempting to maintain a calm, cool veneer.
"What type of religion does things like this?" he asked one of the guards, identified as Charlie Wilder. "You have to worship with barbed wire, guards and walkie-talkies, looking like a Gestapo unit?"
Wilder replied, "Do I look like a Gestapo?"
"Wise up, Charlie," Richardson retorted. "This place is going down."
Richardson said he didn't plan to end the quest for his family any time soon, citing his original beliefs, which he still holds, as the force that keeps him going.
"Yahweh doesn't create wimps - he creates men," he said. "The wimps are the ones in there who are hiding behind the gates."
(Senior Staff Writer Richard Horn contributed to this report.)
http://www.culthelp.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=255&Itemid=8
....David Richardson
is charged with family violence and assault, a misdemeanor, and interfering with
child custody, a felony.
....Richardson, of Maryland, is a former member of the religious sect. The
charges against him stem from an encounter with sect members when Richardson
removed his 6-year-old son and his wife's 12-year-old son from the compound
earlier this year.
http://www.texnews.com/news/tex.may1-1596.html
The unsolved murder of a reported one-time Hawkins-Yahweh follower of four years ago in South Carolina still hangs over the cult group. David Richardson who has a wife and daughter under the control of Hawkins, whom he has been trying to get out, claims that the Yahweh compound near Eula, Texas is surrounded by barb wire with cult members standing guard at the entrance with walkie-talkies looking like a Gestapo unit? Richardson claims that his wife Bonnie has changed her name to Biynyah Hawkins after the cult's leader. The news media claims that records at the Taylor County court house shows that since 1994 over 300 other cult members have changed their last names to Hawkins.
http://jesus-messiah.com/apologetics/cults/yisrayl-hawkins.html
The Government has ordered a crackdown on a religious sect in Nyandarua District, which has predicted the end of the world on September 12.
The sect has subsequently urged its members to sell their property in readiness for the end of the world. District Commissioner Khamasi Shivogo said the activities of the “House of Yahweh” sect were illegal and could cause a breach of peace.
“I have directed chiefs and their assistants to monitor the organisation,” said Shivogo.
He directed the administrators to hold public meetings and educate the public on the dangers of blindly following some faiths.
The Standard on Wednesday exclusively reported that members of the sect in Murungaru, South Kinangop, had started selling their belongings after predicting the end of the world as a result of a nuclear war. They have also built mud bunkers, where they have stocked dry food and water, to survive on when the “Armageddon” begins. The members said they would also withdraw their children from school.
But the DC, speaking in Nyahururu town, wondered why the followers would sell their property yet they would not require money in heaven.
“Why should you sell your property to others if they will also perish? Do you need money if you get to heaven? ” he posed.
Shivogo said some religious leaders were taking advantage of their followers to cause alarm.
Abilene Reporter-News
By Richard Horn and Loretta Fulton
David Richardson tries to explain through tears and jitters brought on by fear, lack of sleep and the need for a smoke why he joined the House of Yahweh and why he has now gone broke trying desperately to get his family out.
"There is an emptiness inside of everyone that you're trying to fill," Richardson said. "I thought I was going to meet the Almighty anointed on Earth."
Instead, he met Yisrayl Hawkins. The former Abilene policeman known then as Buffalo Bill Hawkins started his own, Old Testament-based religious sect headquartered in Abilene and Callahan County back in 1980.
Since then he has attracted followers from across the country, a number of whom are here this week to observe the Passover. The sect is now attracting state and even national media attention for continued reports of polygamy, allegations of fraud and Hawkins' association with members of extreme anti-government groups. At first attracted by Hawkins' proclamations, Richardson said he later began to doubt and question prophecies he saw proved false. And then he wanted out as badly as he's ever wanted anything, he said.
"I was stupid," he said. "I can't believe I fell for it. You have no idea what this man can do."
Hawkins has not responded to repeated requests for interviews from the Reporter-News and other media. Followers who are contacted issue a blanket denial of all allegations.
'GOT THEM OUT OF THERE'
Richardson, 38, came to Texas from Maryland over two weeks ago to try to extract his family from the sect's compound near Eula.
He was successful in getting two sons, ages 12 and 6 removed, he said.
"I went on the grounds and put them in the car and just got them out of there," he said. He claimed one elder tried to block his quick departure and hid his face when Richardson tried to take his picture to show authorities.
He hasn't been as successful with his 14-year-old daughter or his wife, Bonnie, who on March 1 legally changed her name to Biynyah Hawkins to match that of the sect's leader. More than 100 followers have made similar name changes in past months.
Since he began his quest, Richardson said he has spent most of his money, has been threatened by someone who told him he'd been hired to "take me out" and is moving from one place to another out of fear. He has made contact with law enforcement officials, child welfare caseworkers, lawyers and anyone else he thinks might help, he said.
Richardson, who said he was ex-communicated just this week in a ceremony videotaped by sect members, isn't alone in falling into disillusionment with the House of Yahweh and its founder. He has been in contact with another ex-communicant, Darin Jeffries, who has set up a refugee camp for others who want out.
"We want people to know there is a life after the House of Yahweh," Jeffries said. "I'm not going out there and trying to get people out, but I would sure help them out if I could." JOINED IN 1991
David Richardson's story is similar to that related by others. A middle-class family living in Salisbury, Md., the Richardson's were members of Herbert W. Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God, the same church Yisrayl Hawkins adhered to before starting his own faith with his brother, Jacob.
Among their beliefs is keeping Saturday holy. Apparently, the family's name got on a mailing list of people who worship on Saturdays, Richardson said.
Two people from the House of Yahweh traveled to Maryland to meet with the family, he said. Eventually, the Richardson family counted themselves among the House of Yahweh faithful, and in 1991 they began making yearly pilgrimages to Abilene for the three Feast Days observed by the sect.
But then things turned ugly, Richardson said. His wife started living with an older member of the sect. A year ago she left Richardson and moved, along with the three children, into the compound. She works for $35 a week in a print shop operated by the House of Yahweh and is required, as all members are, to give three tithes of 10 percent each to Hawkins, Richardson said. When he was a member, Richardson said he himself had given the House of Yahweh thousands of dollars of his own money through tithes.
"He keeps you in poverty so he can control you," he said.
Before Richardson got out, at Hawkins's urging he applied for and got Aid to Families With Dependent Children and a Lone Star Card, which replaced food stamps in Texas.
In return for that advice, Hawkins got a 30 percent tithe, Richardson said. Although he is unemployed, Richardson said he will soon leave the state, relinquish his welfare benefits and find another job as a salesman. Worse even than turning over money to Hawkins, Richardson said, is that people get caught up in his teachings and are manipulated by him. As for himself, Richardson said he "woke up" and began to see how Hawkins was misusing scriptures.
Richardson is fearful of what might happen to those remaining under Hawkins' hand. "They think he is the anointed one," he said. "They would kill themselves if he said too."
As for his own spirituality, Richardson said he still maintains his original beliefs: "I believe in the name of our Father. Our Creator is Yahweh, but he is not here."
Looking around the motel room, shaking as he tries to light a cigarette, he said, "I'm living like a vagabond, and I haven't done anything wrong. All I want is my family."
I have the police report on David Richardson's death. His esophagus ulcers were ruptured, and bleeding, and chocked on his own blood. Blood was on the walls, and all over the apartment. Todd Rogers admitted to killing him to many people. Todd told me if he ever were to kill someone he could by, pressing their nose into their brain, or hitting them in the throat. Todd told me this personally, in 1993. If someone has information about David Richardson's death, please email it to me. I have reports Yisrayl Hawkins reported his death to the whole congregation about the fight Todd had with David, back in 2001 right after it occurred. Bonnie his wife reported she helped clean the blood off the walls of the apartment. I do not understand why Bonnie would have been in the apartment, because she was not talking to her husband at the time. It is interesting how Bonnie is now married to, or under Yisrayl Hawkins headship! People will kill to get close to Yisrayl "The Witness".
Shalom Attorney General Greg Abbott
Shalom Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
March 2007
I come to you with a very stressed problem. I joined The House of Yahweh in 1988, and worked with the security with-in this group. I was in the group for about 6 years, and after finding the Dead Sea Scrolls, I brought what I had found to Yisrayl Hawkins attention, and he ex-communicated me in 1995. I have since found lots more information further disproving Yisrayl Hawkins doctrine. I am very concerned for the people inside this group. Yisrayl Hawkins has a very strong doctrine that takes several years of hard study to understand, and prove. During this time people get involved into the group, then several years later they understand they have been deceived, and cannot leave. Yisrayl Hawkins takes their families, and divides them. If one of the spouses disagrees Yisrayl excommunicates the disbelieving spouse. The people follow this man, because he controls everyone with fear. I have trained several people that are involved inside this group, and I thought I had FBI Agent Gary McKnoll’s assistance, but that is proving to be false! County Attorney Shane Deel, is also scared of helping me with this. I NEED HELP! The State of Texas is allowing this man to continue with these perverted practices! I have plenty of evidence to get a Court order to stop this man, but everyone fears Yisrayl Hawkins, like he is a god!
I have people working inside this group, and Gary McKnoll, and Shane Deel have known this for a year. They act like they are interested in stopping Yisrayl Hawkins in one breath, then they write me warnings to stay away from the front gate (300 feet), or they will arrest me. The Law may fear this man, but I do not! I know the terrible things Yisrayl Hawkins does, and have seen them for myself. I have spent the last 4 years investigating Yisrayl Hawkins, and the things I have found are horrible. The State wants proof, and I have all the proof. I have several ways to collect more proof, but I must have the States help. This is where I need you!
Yisrayl Hawkins incorporated “The House of Yahweh” in 1985. The State of Texas is the Sovereign owner, and can exercise it’s right. Yisrayl Hawkins excommunicated everyone without following the Laws in ex-communicating a member. The House of Yahweh must have 2/3 vote of the body to ex-communicate a member. Yisrayl Hawkins rules this group like he owns it. I have a right to see my friends inside the group, and go to services. Why can The Sheriff write me, “a Member” a ticket to stay 300 feet from the front gate which is on a county road, or I will be arrested? Why does the State of Texas condone such behavior? I request a Court Order to continue going to “The House of Yahweh” I know they will not like me walking around the group, but the people inside the group will see my strength, and stand up for themselves. I remember what occurred in the Jim Jones incident, and this is very close in behavior to that incident. These people have lots of guns, and guards. I am very sure there are people inside the group being held against their will, fearing Yisrayl Hawkins retaliation if they leave. I have many friends who have left the group, that will not talk to me, because they too fear Yisrayl Hawkins burning their trailer, or homes. I have a list of reasons to arrest Yisrayl Hawkins, but the evidence is not enough for Shane Deel. One of the people I have working inside the group is paid cash, without taxes, and he will testify in Court. His Name is Tsephenyahu, 43 years old. Tsephenyahu was excommunicated 02-17-2007, because he would not stop communicating with me. I can prove without any problems Yisrayl Hawkins’s policies of marriage, and sexual relations between a man, and a woman. You can put together what these men are doing in the Name of The Heavenly Father.
1) A wife can be taken as young as 12 years old.
2) Oral sex is a righteous thing, this way the girls do not get pregnant.
3) A woman can swallow, and it's clean to eat! They teach this in their priest class!
4) Because there are not enough women for the young men, they teach masturbation is healthy. While the elders are multiplying wives to themselves.
5) This group stores guns, and ammunition. I even know what trailer some of these are stored in. One of my people helped move them there last year.
6) Yisrayl Hawkins has paid my people for hourly work, cash without taxes, or receipts.
7) Yisrayl Hawkins is excommunicating members without following the State rules for non-profit religious coorporations.
These things I can prove without any trouble. These
things are all criminal offences. Why does this continue? If the
State of Texas wanted to stop Yisrayl Hawkins the time is now. I
have people working inside this group today that will testify in
Court. I am starting to believe The State of Texas is approving of
these activities!
1) Yisrayl Hawkins had a member killed by Elder Stone in 1990. I heard of this first in 1991, but I did not believe the story. I have found three more people this year who have more information about this event. I believe it is true, but I have not found enough for an arrest YET!
2) Yisrayl Hawkins had Robert Moshe burn Melissa Minear’s trailer in 1993, because she was wanting out of the group. Her case is still open with the Fire Department. Yisrayl Hawkins told her she would not get a dime for her property she bought from Yisrayl Hawkins, and the next week her trailer burned while we were in services. I was there, and I believed then Yisrayl Hawkins had it burned, because I worked with Robert Moshe at the time. I could see then there was something wrong with Robert Moshe’s attitude. I kept my mouth shut then, hoping to learn more, but soon I too was excommunicated for standing up for truth. This is only one of three trailer fires that have very strange timings, and circumstances.
3) These people are having children dying, and not telling the State, because they have no birth certificates.
4) Yisrayl Hawkins will not allow anyone to go to the hospital, and people are dying from foolishness, bleeding to death at child birth, or medical operations they perform on other members.
I am not looking for an arrest Yet! I really want to attend The Feast of Unleavened Bread, this year. It will start about April 9, 2007. I feel it is very important to the security of the people inside the group. I firmly believe Yisrayl Hawkins is planning a mass suicide very soon. He is losing control of the group, and fears someone is going to turn him in to the authorities soon. With his prophecies of the end of the world failing, Yisrayl Hawkins is looking to run and hide. I greatly fear he may try to eliminate all the witnesses in the camp by mass suicide. Please help me with this, all these people are my friends. The only reason I am hated in the camp, is because Yisrayl Hawkins said too hate me.
The reason we need to have a Court Order to return into the camp, is to protect the people from harm. If Tsephenyahu and I have a Court Order to stay members in the group, Yisrayl Hawkins must mind himself. Soon other members hearing the State of Texas has two representatives in the group, will come to us either by secret note, or openly. I am sure our presence in the camp will shake the group, and the people who fear Yisrayl Hawkins will look for help through us. This will be the only peaceful solution to this problem. Tsephenyahu and I are not scared of Yisrayl Hawkins, or his thugs with guns. We do not carry guns, and do not need guns. The State of Texas has this right to have representatives inside the group, and if State of Texas wants our evidence to convict Yisrayl Hawkins we will both testify. We will not cause troubles in the group. These people are all my friends, and this will make it impossible for a mass suicide to take place. I can only see positive results from our presence in the group. If The State of Texas does not do anything about this group, and they commit Suicide how will we feel. You have the ability to do something right now. You have two well trained men willing to give their life for these people right now. If The State of Texas chooses not to help these people then I need to get my people out of the group, and leave this problem to you.
Please understand everyday there are very young girls 12-18 sexually abused from their husbands, the elders in that camp! These girls are told it is righteous, and clean to eat. The men feel it is their right as a husband to demand this activity from their new young wives, because to have intercourse would make them pregnant! General Abbott, You have a history of standing up against child molesting, and abuse! Well, here is the worst case I have ever seen, in the history of this world. Yisrayl Hawkins teaches this in his Priest class! The men all love it! These people are doing these things in The Name of The Heavenly Father! Will The State of Texas stand by, and do nothing? The Feast is coming up, and if we do not have a Court Order to attend The Feast, and all other gatherings from now on. Please do not wait until too late! We feel Yisrayl Hawkins will do something very bad, very soon. The reason this Feast is so important, is that people travel in from everywhere. I feel it is important that everyone in the group see our presence, so the members from out-of-town will know what is going on. Jim Jones committed suicide in Africa, yet members of his group died here in America as well. Please help me save my friends! I only want the right to be a part of the group again. The State of Texas has that power! Please Help Us!
Sincerely,
Yaaqov, and Tsephenyahu
Abilene Reporter-News
By Richard Horn
Gerald Shaw barely knew his 8-year-old daughter when he saw her three months ago. Her hair was cropped and her clothes were shabbier. Worst of all, he said, her name had become Hawkins.
"I started crying when I learned that," the Boston accountant said, "and then I wanted to put my fist through the wall.
"They've taken my little girl's identity. She treated me like one of the unclean, an enemy. God knows how she'll treat me next time."
So Shaw is going to court. He's one of a growing number of people across America who are turning to the judicial system in hopes of extracting their loved ones from the House of Yahweh, the Abilene-based sect whose membership is growing at a fast and, to some observers, alarming rate.
His wife left him a year ago after she became involved with the sect through a friend who had visited one of the three annual feasts, Shaw said. She's sold many of her possessions and hopes to move to Abilene to be near the compound.
She changed her and her daughter's last names to Hawkins, the last name of the sect's "pastor and overseer," Yisryal Hawkins. More than 250 have done the same in Taylor County alone.
Shaw agreed to give his wife custody of their daughter, he said, but that was before he realized what the House of Yahweh was really like. Now he wants to reverse that decision. But he knows that won't be easy. Like many others, he's learning courts are reluctant to get involved.
"I can't prove they're physically abusing her, but what about the emotional effects?" he said, fighting to hold back tears. "What about her childhood? I don't mind so much that she no longer has my name. I understand that. But why, why, why must she have the name of a cult leader? She's only 8. You know she didn't make that decision herself."
His attorney has told him he has two strikes against him: Courts tend to favor the mother in custody issues unless there's evidence of abuse, and judges are unwilling to challenge a religious preference just because it is unusual.
Many other people who've contacted the Reporter-News in the past year have expressed similar frustrations. Though numerous custody cases are known to have been filed, there's no record of any of them ending with a child being removed from a Yahweh member's custody.
But many are determined to keep trying, especially in the wake of the Heaven's Gate suicides.
Although there's no evidence the House of Yahweh holds any similar beliefs to those of the San Diego cult, Shaw and others say the name changes are plenty of cause to worry.
"If he can make them change their names, what else can he make them do?" Shaw said.
Tina, a Michigan woman, is trying everything she can think of to win custody of her 7-year-old sister. She asked that her real name not be used.
Her mother, a physician, tried to talk a colleague out of joining the House of Yahweh but ended up joining the sect herself, Tina said. She's now attending the upcoming feast in Callahan County, is selling her possessions and plans to move to Abilene.
"She went down there and made him (Hawkins) the head of her household, and she became a totally different person," Tina said.
Her sister has been forced to go along with it all, she said, and complains that people are mean to her, preach to her about "death and destruction" and make her drink wine.
"That was like the last straw for me," Tina said. "She just doesn't want to be around them."
Philip Arnn of the cult-watch group Watchman Fellowship in Arlington has researched Hawkins and the House of Yahweh and is helping the several dozens of family members mount cases to protect children from the group.
"This man (Hawkins) has manipulated lives from Washington State to New York State," Arnn said last week. "People put their houses up for sale and plan to move to Abilene, and they're taking their children with them."
But he agrees family members face an uphill struggle. To help, he's putting together a database of psychological testimony about the emotional effects children face in such cults.
Robert Dearden of Chapel Hill, N.C., came to Abilene last fall to try to talk his wife out of forcing their 9-year-old son to participate in the sect's activities. He met with no success, he said, and was treated like an "alien invader."
"If you're not a believer," he said, "you're the enemy. But my son is not a believer, and they want him anyway. They want people who can't fight back."
People who've suffered marital problems are especially susceptible to becoming involved in such groups, he said.
"It broke my heart that my wife and I split up and put him through that," he said. "And it's breaking again because he's become caught up in this. Some day I'm going to answer the phone and find out I've lost him forever, and I'll never forgive myself."
Callahan County woman pleads guilty in 2003 death
Deziree Kay Gideon was arrested in July 2005 after she allegedly performed surgery on her 7-year-old daughter, Terri, at a neighbor's home in September 2003, which resulted in the girl's death.
According to the Callahan County indictment, Gideon ''intentionally and knowingly'' caused serious bodily injury to the child by ''cutting her with a scalpel'' and ''stabbing her with a needle.''
After pleading guilty, Gideon received five years of probation, according to KTXS-TV reports.
Gideon's neighbor, Rebekah Hawkins, is to stand trial Monday. Gideon said Hawkins assisted in the surgery and has agreed to testify against her in court. The incident occurred at Hawkins' home at 2224 FM 603.
A Callahan County attorney told the Abilene Reporter-News in July 2005 that Gideon had attempted to perform the surgical procedure to remove an infection in the girl's leg by cutting the area off.
The girl was taken to Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene, and later to Cook's Children's Medical Hospital in Forth Worth, where she died.
The House of Yahweh is a religious group with headquarters on T&P Lane in Abilene and a compound of about 50 acres between Clyde and Eula in Callahan County. The House of Yahweh was founded in 1980 by Bill ''Yisrayl'' Hawkins, a former Abilene policeman who left the department in 1977.
EDITED BY: PATTI STEELE; COPY EDITED BY: JEFF WOLF; HEADLINE BY: JEFF WOLF
House of Yahweh remains a mystery!
Sect has more than just a local following
The House of Yahweh and its members are a mystery to most outsiders. But people who come into frequent contact with them say they are polite and easy-going.
''Their biggest problem is they're different,'' Barry said. ''And, we're probably different to them.''
Callahan County Sheriff Eddie Curtis said members are a quiet group and are cooperative. He recalled having to arrest a member for public intoxication. At Curtis' request, the person was taken to the front gate of the compound without incident.
Two Reporter-News staff members recently drove into the compound unannounced and were directed to an office at the end of the driveway. A woman emerged from another office and said an appointment would be necessary before talking to anyone. She offered a piece of paper with a phone number and times to schedule an appointment.
Attempts to schedule an appointment were unsuccessful. A woman at the Abilene office told a reporter no one was interested in being interviewed.
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Saturday, August 19, 2006
Lisa Marie Metcalf
Johnson, 21, of Clyde, died Sunday, August 13, 2006 at her
residence in Clyde. Lisa was born on December 30, 1984 in Searcy, Arkansas to Jimmy Dale and Delores (Piker) Metcalf. Lisa moved from Arkansas to Clyde in 1991. She attended schools in Abilene and Clyde. She married Michayl Johnson on June 13, 2001 in Clyde She was a devoted mother, a virtuous wife and loved her family very much. And most important of all, the love she had for her Heavenly Father. She is survived by her husband, Michayl of Clyde; two daughters, Alannah and newborn Lisa Love, both of Clyde; her mother, Delores Metcalf of Clyde; her siblings, Karena, Rachyl and Aaron, all of Clyde. She is also survived by ten nieces and two nephews. She was Preceded in death by her father, Jimmy Dale Metcalf of Bradford, Arkansas in 1993. Lisa was dearly loved by her family and friends and had a heart of gold. Her Presence will be missed in the lives of those who knew her. Posted by Delores Clyde on Friday, August 18, 2006 Lisa was my daughter, my baby. She was the youngest child of four. She grew up in a loving home surrounded by her older siblings. They called her a brat at times as they were 7 and 8 years older than her. However, they loved her very much! She was a darling girl who loved being a mother and wife more than anything else in the world. We will remember her forever and love her always. We sure have had a lot of memories about her in recent days, laughing at all the funny things she had done. We will continue to remember her and we know we will see her again. I Talked to Jeremy Bohannon the day before he was killed. There is much more to these story! A full investigation needs to be done inside these church groups!!! I went to Rocheport Missouri looking for witnesses. I met Jeremy Bohannon in Bible study Friday evening. While I was talking to Jeremy, George Garner called me to the side, and became very possessive about the affairs inside his little group, and told me to go back to Texas! I was not welcome there. I returned for Sabbath Services, and Jeremy planned to work with the sound director Jerry on Monday all day. I showed up on the second day of the week, (Monday), and found Jeremy was murdered by another family member, and George expels us from the camp, and calls a members meeting. George Garner said we were not allowed to attend any more Sabbaths, or Feasts!!!. WHY???? Then I found out Farris Wilks was the person who called George Garner, before we arrived, and told him not to allow me into the group. Jeremy had something to tell me, and I believe it was something Farris Wilks is hiding. I think I know what that something is. If you have any information about Farris Wilks, of any of these murders please contact me. I know Farris Wilks personally, and on the out side he is a pleasant businessman, and has millions of dollars, and gives out to his friends. But Farris Wilks is also a church leader with some very evil, and wicked deeds he does not want anyone to find out about. If you are a group of Assemblies of Yahweh, and do not support Farris Wilks in his choices, and do not want to be involved in the murders he is involved with then email me and tell me so, and I will separate you from this list. right now ALL the Assemblies of Yahweh, and their leaders are involved in these murders, because you are ex-communicating me from your group, and interfering with my investigations. http://www.columbiatribune.com/2007/Sep/20070906News004.asp
Path shared in
shooting Correction appended Homicide victim Jeremy Bohannon and the former brother-in-law accused in his shooting death both moved to the Rocheport area to become members of the same church, a pastor said.
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I believe that these people should be prosecuted. Whether or not they smothered him, he was severely malnourished, and that in itself should be basis enough to prosecute! Besides, what about the fact that they desecrated a corpse? I believe that both counties dropped the ball on this one!
Posted by jorita on June 10, 2007 at 5:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Time has not ran out for investigation So who is holding back and why? All cases are investiagte so why not this one
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