Browse Items (12 total)

The Branch Davidian Compound resembled a blend between a suburban home and a castle. The structure is located in Waco, Texas. The exact coordinates of the compound are 31°35'45.5"N 96°59'16.2"W. The compound was surrounded by a relatively flat and…

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, or ATF, use of tear gas was one of the more controversial decisions of the siege. The stalemate between the ATF and the Davidians led the attorney general, Janet Reno, to authorize the use of…

Examining the allegations of child abuse is important not only in understanding attorney general Janet Reno’s approval of tear gas and subsequent demise of the Branch Davidian compound, but also for the culture of the Branch Davidians and David…

This photograph of David Koresh, his wife Rachel, and their son Cyrus was taken outside their home in Texas by Elizabeth Baranyai, a member of the Branch Davidians. Baranyai is credited with most if not all of the photographs of the Branch Davidians…

During the fifty-one-day Branch Davidian Siege, several different group members within the compound were interviewed by phone by FBI Agents. The primary goal of these conversations were to confirm the safety of the occupants during the…

The Interim Report to the Deputy Attorney General written up by special council member John C. Danforth is an extensive one hundred- and fifty-three-page summary on the exhaustive efforts which were taken by Danforth and his team to investigate every…

Sound recording of the radio program "Face Off." Senator Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy of Massachusetts and Senator Alan K. "Al" Simpson of Wyoming debate the need for strict new gun control laws following a confrontation between federal authorities and an…

The siege of the Mount Carmel Compound by the ATF was supposed to expose the religious sect as malicious, as the government agency wanted to search the grounds for illegal weaponry and in response to multiple claims of abuse and neglect within the…

This article details the aftermath of the infamous siege at Waco, TX in 1993. The Branch Davidians were a group that congregated for decades before the tragedies of 1993 occurred. Though there have been various changes of power and the Davidians'…

This photograph features Victor Houteff and his wife, Florence. The date of this photograph is unknown.