Where are the Rescuers?  Where are the Survivors? See companion pieces: Trojan Horses and Branch Davidians Veracity of Branch Davidian Statements Waco Survivor Stories -- True of False? Branch Davidian David Thibodeau's Account The Cover-up Church Waco Suits for Waco Suckers Directory of Exhibits Catalogue of Evidence Library Search Museum Text Print this page
This photo was republished in the Waco Tribune, February 27, 2018, heading the article, "25 years later, Waco aims past notoriety that followed Branch Davidian saga."

The Waco Holocaust was doubtlessly one of the biggest media events in American law enforcement history.  Reporters camped in an RV and tent city at the perimeter of the Mt. Carmel property (ref. Christian Science Monitor, March 15, 1993, "Media Plays Controversial Role In FBI-Cult Standoff in Waco").  The FBI held daily briefings for reporters, such as the one shown above on March 1, 1993.

Recall that, according to the FBI, the purpose of the April 19 tank and gas attack was to force the Davidians to leave their home.  April 19 was to be the culmination of the 51 day siege — this was to be an event to be recorded in the annuls of law enforcement.

Now here's an anomaly: Although we are told that nine Davidians escaped the April 19 fire, there was no contemporaneous photographic evidence of even one such escape.

We have dozens of photos of the fire from the ground and the air, but not one includes a Davidian escaping.  Most telling of all, none of the photos of the burning Mt. Carmel Center show rescuers at ready — no emergency crews, no fire trucks, and no ambulances.

Apparently, there was no expectation there would be Davidian survivors.

Indeed, the media was warned off covering the Waco story that day.  The Waco Tribune-Herald, April 19, 1993, ran a story with this headline: "Day began with eerie feeling, ended with tragedy."  The article states:

"Then, a few minutes before 6 a.m., a trooper warned members of the media camped out about two miles from the compound to 'take cover.  It's coming down.'"

The Waco Tribune-Herald, April 20, 1993 (cached), contained a specious story about firetrucks trying to "fight the fire" and being hit with bullets or shell casings."  The experts assured readers that none of the trucks were damaged.  But as shown below, none of the contemporaneous photographs contain evidence those efforts — no trucks or firemen or hoses or arcs of water pumped into the blaze.  As the Dallas News Feb 27, 2018 (cached) reported, on April 5, 1993, the FBI fully expected that the Center might catch fire, and if it did, fully intended to let it burn to the ground.

"In a phone message to FBI headquarters, Waco tactical commanders say they won't try to fight fires that break out if there is a gas assault."

The flaming Mt. Carmel Center was as lifeless as a funeral pyre.  And the objective evidence indicates that it was exactly that: An empty ruin with nothing but corpses of Branch Davidian men, women, and children.

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