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03/11/93
Negotiator for sect is called devout; Officials say he's taking `more dominant role'
By Diane Jennings / The Dallas Morning News
Branch Davidian member Steve Schneider, who authorities said Wednesday is taking a "more dominant role' in negotiations, is regarded as one of David Koresh's most loyal followers.
"He is an individual that you will have to say is totally committed to this operation,' FBI Special Agent Bob Ricks said in Waco.
Agent Hicks said Mr. Schneider, when he entered the compound, "willingly gave up his wife to David Koresh. That takes a lot of dedication.'
Judy Schneider Koresh remains in the cult's compound, among those wounded in the Feb. 28 shootout, Agent Ricks said.
Since the first day of the siege, Mr. Schneider, 42, acted as a spokesman for the group. After the initial gunbattle, Mr. Koresh gave a lengthy telephone interview with The Dallas Morning News, then handed the phone to Mr. Schneider.
He described himself as a lifelong searcher for spiritual truth, and said Mr. Koresh's teachings satisfied him as no others had. "I'm a person who always loved truth, and I found an unending source,' Mr. Schneider said.
He joined the cult in the mid-1980s, after Mr. Koresh made a recruiting trip to Hawaii. In 1986, Mr. Schneider received a bachelor's degree in religion from the University of Hawaii.
Agent Ricks said Mr. Schneider may be playing a larger role in the negotiations because of injuries Mr. Koresh suffered.
"We cannot say-we can speculate-that perhaps he's (Mr.
Schneider) taken over a leadership role because of the absence of Mr.
Koresh's participation,' Agent Ricks said.
Of late, those negotiations have turned testy, with some cult members becoming increasingly belligerent, he said.
In addition to serving as Mr. Koresh's spokesman, Mr. Schneider worked with Mr. Koresh on his musical career. A business card for Mr. Koresh's music business, Cyrus Productions, lists Mr. Schneider as manager.
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