NCJ Number
145689
Date Published
1993
Length
426 pages
Annotation
Based on 950 interviews and analyses of voluminous documents and transcripts, this report attempts to explain what happened at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, between the arrival of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents on February 28, 1993, and the aftermath of the fire that destroyed the compound and killed most of its inhabitants on April 19, 1993.
Abstract
The report includes a brief history of the Branch Davidian sect and the teachings of its leader, David Koresh, followed by a day-by-day chronology of events during the 51- day confrontation. The third chapter describes the FBI's management of the standoff at the Waco compound, focusing on the FBI strategy, the negotiations, and the roles of the Hostage Rescue Team and SWAT Teams. The involvement of forensic psychologists, religious and theological experts, medical experts, and "cult" experts is described, as well as the impact of family and other outside contacts on the situation. The report analyzes the attitudes of Koresh and others in the compound toward law enforcement and government authorities, and death and suicide, and their devotion to Koresh. Subsequent chapters address alleged child abuse in the compound, the role of other law enforcement agencies, planning and decisionmaking at various stages of the confrontation, and prosecutions. 10 appendixes