Tag: Story

Time Life Pictures

It’s been more than 25 years since dozens of members of the Branch Davidian sect died after a botched 51-day siege by federal law enforcement, but their story continues to attract attention. With Paramount’s Waco miniseries now landed on Netflix, a whole new generation is learning of David Koresh and his doomed followers. The series stars Taylor Kitsch as the cult leader, and is based on the memoirs of a survivor, David Thibodeau (Rory Culkin) and FBI negotiator Gary Noesner (Michael Shannon.) Here’s what you should know about the true story of what happened at the Branch Davidians’ compound, and of those who survived it.

The Branch Davidians had a violent history even before the siege.

David Koresh was the last leader of the Branch Davidians, but he didn’t form the group. Instead, the sect was created by Benjamin Roden in the late 1950s, as an