Waco Siege Part 1: New Mount Carmel Center (Waco, TX)

Dark House

House Beautiful/Hearst

Religion & Spirituality, True Crime, Society & Culture

4.4 • 757 Ratings

🗓️ 8 November 2023

⏱️ 86 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Alyssa and Hadley turn their attention to New Mount Carmel Center, an isolated ranch just outside of Waco, Texas where a 51-day standoff between the FBI and the Branch Davidians—a religious cult led by self-proclaimed prophet David Koresh—came to a disastrous end on April 19, 1993, when the group’s massive compound burned to the ground with 76 Branch Davidians still inside. Setting out to understand what led to the government’s siege of Mount Carmel, the hosts go back to the beginning, reviewing the tumultuous history of the cult and their property. They also examine the harsh living conditions that Koresh’s followers were subjected to while living there, and how the compound's rudimentary design and construction played a significant role throughout the conflict. Finally, Alyssa and Hadley uncover what happened to Mount Carmel after the fire, how the remains of the compound became a macabre tourist attraction, and the chilling sounds that visitors and caretakers have reported hearing on the grounds since. CREDITS Alyssa Fiorentino - Co-host & Producer Hadley Mendelsohn - Co-host & Producer Jessy Caron - Producer & Audio Editor To advertise on the show: https://www.advertisecast.com/DarkHouse or email us at [email protected]. RELATED LINKS ‘Waco: David Koresh, the Branch Davidians, and A Legacy of Rage’ by Jeff Guinn: https://amzn.to/3FtvqZL “The Bizarre History of the Branch Davidian Headquarters in Waco, Texas” House Beautiful (ARTICLE): https://bit.ly/40o8CVb “The Ghosts of Mount Carmel” (ARTICLE): https://bit.ly/3M9U4m3 “Branch Davidian Compound, Mount Carmel Center” (VIDEO): https://bit.ly/3Q7gBRB “David Koresh SERMON” (VIDEO): https://bit.ly/45IZL15 “The Sinful Messiah: Read the series” Waco Tribune-Herald (ARTICLE): https://bit.ly/3Mf4lNT “The hounds of Waco” Salon (ARTICLE): https://bit.ly/497qMyo “End Of Days” BBC Radio 5 Live (PODCAST): https://bit.ly/409UKNP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:30.0	He said, I was sleeping in a tent by the pond. The coyotes were doing their coyote thing.
0:36.2	I was listening to them looking out over the pond when, I swear, the coyote sounded like children crying.
0:42.3	That got to me.
0:43.3	Welcome back to Dark House.
0:59.8	I'm Melissa Furendino.
1:01.1	And I'm Hadley Mendelsohn.
1:02.3	We are your hosts.
1:03.3	If you're new here in each episode, we dig into the backstory of a house that is allegedly haunted or notorious for some reason or another.
1:10.2	We'll talk about who lived there,
1:11.6	who died there, and all of the events that led to its eventual infamy. Right now, you are listening
1:17.4	to part one of our two-part season finale. I can't believe the season is almost over. It went by
1:23.2	so quickly. I can't believe it either, but we are not done yet. No, we're not. Let's be honest,
1:29.3	our work here is never done. There are endless haunted houses, or allegedly haunted houses. So we'll
1:35.1	be here for all of eternity. Facts, we will be haunting you. For our last story of the year, I chose
1:40.3	new Mount Carmel Center in Waco, Texas. If that name doesn't immediately ring any bells,
1:48.0	maybe you've heard it be referred to as simply Mount Carmel Center or the Branch Divinian compound or even Ranch Apocalypse. Ranch Apocalypse sounds so ominous. So ominous, but so fitting.
1:55.1	The compound was home to a religious cult known as the Branch Divideans and their leader,
	...

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