Picking up the Pieces


This file appears in: The Branch Davidian Siege
Picking up the Pieces

Nothing remains of the original buildings today besides concrete foundations. Two weeks after the tragic conclusion to the siege, the site was bulldozed after remains and evidence had been gathered. Environmental cleanup did not begin until July 7, 1994, due to ongoing legal delays. Visiting judge Frank G. McDonald gave a Waco lawyer representing several Branch Davidians until July 1 to prove that CS tear gas that was shot into the compound had combined with another chemical to produce cyanide, which is highly poisonous. The Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission (TNRCC) officials were more concerned with lead contamination. It was estimated that about 600 cubic yards of lead-contaminated soil would have to be removed. The site was safety cleared, and today several Branch Davidians live on the property. A small chapel was built years later, where memorials have been held. ~ Source: Courtesy of the Texas Collection at Baylor University. Cleanup following the siege, 1993. [Waco] Branch Davidians, Joe Robert. Series IV: Photographic Materials, Collection #3205, Photographic Materials: Photographs: Mt. Carmel: General. April 1993, Box #5, Folder #9. ~ Date: 1993


This file appears in: The Branch Davidian Siege