Sgt. Randall Claude Weaver

American survivalist, central participant in the 1992 Ruby Ridge standoff. Weaver was born and raised in Iowa, the son of a grain salesman. After serving as a Green Beret, he and his wife Vicky became survivalists who wanted to live separately from other races and from the U.S. government. They sold their belongings and moved to northern Idaho in 1983. Their cabin sat on 20 acres on Ruby Ridge mountain, which lacked running water and electricity, and where the Weavers hunted their own food and home-schooled their four children. Over time, federal agents began investigating Weaver for possible ties to white supremacist and antigovernmental groups. He was ultimately arrested for selling two sawed-off shotguns to an undercover ATF informant. When Weaver failed to appear in court - he'd been given the wrong date - an arrest warrant was issued. In August 1992, camouflaged federal agents approached Weaver's land and were detected by the family dog. Agents shot the dog and exchanged fire with Weaver's 14-year-old son, Sam, who was killed, along with one of the marshals. A stand-off ensued, and Weaver holed up in the cabin with his wife and three daughters. The following day, while Vicki was holding her infant daughter, an FBI sniper shot her in the head. Weaver surrendered after 11 days. He was acquitted of murder in the marshal's death, and the Justice Department later settled a lawsuit brought by his family for $3.1 million. The standoff helped spark the growth of antigovernmental extremists, including Timothy McVeigh, who cited Ruby Ridge as a motivator when he bombed a federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995. Weaver later returned to Iowa, re-married, and in 1998, he authored a book, "The Federal Siege at Ruby Ridge." He is survived by his three daughters, who live in Montana.

Bio by: CLD