Dick DeGuerin, an 82-year-old lawyer, still remembers the day he received the call that would lead him to represent David Koresh, leader of the Branch Davidians sect, and the biggest case of his career. This happened days after a deadly confrontation between the sect and federal agents in Waco, Texas, in 1993. DeGuerin was able to negotiate with Koresh and was the first lawyer to enter the compound where the Davidians were holed up, with the aim of getting them to surrender. DeGuerin believes that the events of that day did not have to end tragically, as over 70 people died in the conflict. DeGuerin’s recollections of the case have struck a chord in the US, where some view Waco as a symbol of government overreach. DeGuerin recalls that when he took the case, he did not realize the magnitude of it, but he knew that “the world was watching.”
The Branch Davidians, a splinter group of the Seventh-day Adventist Church founded in 1959, believed in the imminent return of Jesus, with Koresh emerging as their charismatic leader in the 1980s. In 1993, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) accused the group of storing weapons and obtained an arrest warrant for Koresh and a search warrant for the compound, where there were allegations of child abuse. On February 28, during the raid, a shootout erupted, leaving four federal agents and at least six Davidians dead. The FBI later laid siege to the compound, and the “Waco Siege” has since inspired TV shows and documentaries.
DeGuerin met with Koresh in late March, finding him intelligent and eloquent but very angry about the FBI and ATF siege. DeGuerin’s mission was to get Koresh out of the compound and to court “without anyone else dying.” DeGuerin negotiated a surrender with the Texas Rangers, who were responsible for the security of the compound. However, the negotiations stalled, and DeGuerin later found out that the FBI had initiated an action in the compound, which resulted in a fire and more than 70 deaths, including Koresh and about 20 children. Although the investigations found no irregularities on the part of law enforcement, the Waco siege became a rallying cry for Americans who accused their government of overreach. Today, a memorial where the events took place attracts hundreds of visitors every month, administered by new Davidians.