Does Branch Davidians Still Exist? What Happened to David Koresh's Cult

In 1993, the world came to learn of the Branch Davidians, a religious sect based in the Mount Carmel complex in Waco, Texas, that was an offshoot of the Davidian Seventh Day Adventists.

The Branch Davidians were led by David Koresh, real name Vernon Howell, who came to see himself as a messianic figure. He took several "spiritual wives," some as young as 12, and was suspected of having illegal firearms.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms conducted a raid of the compound in February 1993 in which four agents and five members of the Branch Davidians lost their lives. Then in April 1993, the FBI conducted a siege on the compound.

Both the Branch Davidians and the events of the siege are the subject of a new Netflix true crime documentary called Waco: American Apocalypse. Here is everything that you need to know.

Does Branch Davidians Still Exist?

The April 1993 siege saw FBI negotiators attempt to convince Koresh to leave the compound with his followers. Koresh refused and the standoff lasted 51 days, with agents using loud music and bright lights to try and get the cult members out.

In the end the siege culminated in agents throwing tear gas into the compound. Shortly after a fire broke out and the entire building went up in flames with the Branch Davidians still inside. Those in the compound, including Koresh, died.

However, 14 adults and 21 children had left the compound before tragedy struck. Nine of the survivors were sent to prison but the others were able to continue with their lives.

Clive Doyle was one of the survivors, and in a report from NPR it was revealed he still lives in Waco, Texas. In 2003 Doyle told Texas Monthly magazine that there were a dozen Davidians still in Texas and around 100 left around the world.

Those that survived the 1993 siege continued to remain Davidians by creating a new branch of the sect named The Lord Our Righteousness.

This branch is led by Charles Pace, who had left Mount Carmel when Koresh began to lead the Branch Davidians. He returned to the group in 1994 and established the new branch telling the Associated Press: "I just felt I needed to be here to represent the true church."

In a video interview with the Associated Press he said of the siege: "We didn't bring this, it came to us and when it came to us it became something we couldn't stop not even the government could stop it […] that's why I believe the Lord orchestrated it as an object lesson, to show how crazy church leaders can be."

Pace also spoke with NPR in 2013, saying: "I came back here after the slaughter and I feel that the Lord has anointed me and appointed me to be the leader.

"I don't claim to be a prophet. I'm a teacher of righteousness, that's the only thing I claim."

Waco: American Apocalypse is out on Netflix now.