Thibodeau was born in Bangor, Maine, to Balenda (incorrectly reported as "Belenda" in the Waco Tribune-Herald) Ganem. His parents divorced after graduating from Bangor High School in 1987. He lived with his single mother in Bangor and Portland, Maine before moving to Los Angeles in 1990 to pursue a music career. He attended Musicians Institute of Technology to study drumming.
Thibodeau met David Koresh in the Sunset Boulevard Guitar Center in Los Angeles, California in 1990. Reportedly, Thibodeau did not show much interest in the group originally since they were a Christian band but eventually joined because of people like Steve Schneider. He moved to the Mt. Carmel Center in 1991 to continue playing in the Branch Davidians' band.
Thibodeau escaped the 19 April 1993 fire that ended the Waco siege along with eight other survivors. Thibodeau was jailed in McLennan County Jail but soon released on a US$5,000 bond by a federal magistrate.

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