Who competed for leadership of the Branch Davidians after Ben Roden died in 1978?

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Waco siege — Branch Davidian Flames engulfing the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, ending a standoff with federal agents, April 19, 1993.

Following the death of Ben Roden in 1978, the leadership of the Branch Davidians was contested by his wife, Lois Roden, and his son, George Roden.1

While Lois Roden initially gained influence with the support of a young convert named Vernon Howell—who later adopted the name David Koresh—George Roden eventually took control of the community following his mother's death in 1986. However, within a year, Howell successfully asserted his own leadership, becoming the head of the Mount Carmel community.1