Tracking the Oath Keepers Who Attacked the Capitol

Donovan Crowl and Jessica Watkins – both members of the Oath Keepers with ties to their leader – were accused by federal investigators of coordinating a Capitol violation on January 6 in advance and plotting to obstruct Congress.

Visual evidence shows that they, along with a third alleged conspirator named Thomas Caldwell, may not have acted alone. Ms. Watkins and Mr. Crowl attended President Trump’s rally and then entered the Capitol building in coordination with at least 10 other people who were seen wearing the insignia of the Oath Keepers, a far-right paramilitary group.

The full identities of the 10 are currently unknown, but after they left the Capitol, they can all be seen gathered around Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes, just 21 meters from the building, with Mr Crowl and Mrs. Watkins close to.

Mr Rhodes warned that if Mr Trump did not bring down the government, the Oath Keepers would be “in a much more desperate, much more bloody war”. Here’s what we know about the group’s moves on January 6.

In the rally

On the morning of January 6, many of the 10 Oath Keepers we tracked are seen attending the Trump rally near the White House. In the image below, Ms. Watkins is seen with several members on the scene.

Mr. Crowl is also present at the demonstration, alongside several other Oath Keepers.

Leaving Rally

Twenty minutes before the end of Mr. Trump’s speech – and at the same time that protesters across the city broke through the perimeter of the Capitol – one of the 10 Oath Keepers we tracked is seen leading several others from that group out of the rally , including Mrs. Watkins.

Walking to the Capitol

Several of the Oath Keepers, including Mrs. Watkins, Mr. Crowl and at least two others, have now switched to tactical equipment, such as bulletproof vests and helmets. Around that time, Ms. Watkins posted a message on the Zello audio app saying, “Trump is trying to drain the swamp with a straw. We just brought a place in the store. ”

Approaching the Capitol

Minutes after the Capitol’s east doors were breached, the Oath Keepers, including Mrs. Watkins, Mr. Crowl and others we tracked, are walking in military-style patrol formation up the stairs towards two members already at the top.

Inside the Capitol

All 10 Oath Keepers we tracked can be seen inside the building and around the Rotunda, along with Ms. Watkins and Mr. Crowl, who are in the selfie video below, on the left. In the clip on the right, three of the 10 members are seen praying.

In this photo, Mr. Crowl is seen alongside three other Oath Keepers that we tracked.

With Rhodes after the attack

While the police continue to try to clean the Capitol, Mr. Rhodes is seen about 21 meters away from the building.

All 10 Oath Keepers we tracked are seen near him. Most are in this photo.

Mr. Crowl and Mrs. Watkins are off camera just a few hundred feet away. Both were seen with Mr. Rhodes in previous protests, including in November at a rally in Washington, DC

On January 19, almost two weeks after the Capitol violation, Crowl and Watkins were charged with conspiracy and other crimes. Messages between them and Mr. Caldwell, the third Oath Keeper, suggest that Mr. Rhodes was not directly involved in his prior planning.

But in his public statements, Mr. Rhodes continues, as he did in the weeks before the January 6 attack, to encourage his supporters to “raise up local militias” and prepare for the impending civil conflict.