Case 339: Waco (Part 3/3)
Casefile True Crime
Casefile Presents
4.7 • 42.9K Ratings
🗓️ 2 May 2026
⏱️ 109 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
[Part 3 of 3]
*** Content warning: Gun violence, sexual abuse, child sexual abuse, child abuse ***
The standoff between the FBI and the Branch Davidians held firm for more than a month, with David Koresh and his followers refusing to surrender. After attempting both negotiation tactics and more aggressive approaches for 51 days, the FBI implements a plan to force the Branch Davidians out, a plan that will have devastating consequences and will change the face of the United States forever.
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Narration – Anonymous Host
Research & writing – Erin Munro
Production & music – Mike Migas
Audio editing – Anthony Telfer
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. |
| 0:17.8 | If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local crisis centre. |
| 0:23.4 | For suggested phone numbers for confidential support and for a more detailed list of content |
| 0:28.9 | warnings, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website. |
| 0:38.9 | 45-year-old FBI negotiator Byron Sage was mortified. |
| 0:44.4 | A Vietnam War veteran who had been employed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for |
| 0:49.1 | almost 25 years, he had a wealth of experience when it came to negotiating hostage situations. |
| 0:56.6 | He'd worked in fugitive, extortion and organized crime investigations and knew how to navigate |
| 1:02.6 | a crisis. Sage had spent hours trying to coax David Koresh and his followers from their |
| 1:09.0 | compound, and had helped put together a surrender |
| 1:11.7 | plan that looked set to end the disastrous siege that had started under the ATF less than three |
| 1:17.6 | days earlier. By the afternoon of Tuesday, March 2, 1993, both the Branch Davidians and the |
| 1:25.2 | FBI negotiators were anticipating a peaceful and imminent |
| 1:28.9 | resolution, with David Koresh promising that everyone inside the compound would surrender |
| 1:34.6 | in exchange for his message being broadcast on a national television station. |
| 1:40.4 | But when Byron Sage called into Mount Carmel just before 6pm to find out what was taking |
| 1:46.2 | so long, he was met with some devastating news. |
| 1:51.1 | Koresh's right-hand man, Steve Schneider, informed Sage that David Koresh had changed his mind. |
| 1:59.0 | I just talked to them. He's been going through a lot of anguish, and what the guy just went through, I've never |
| 2:04.0 | seen anything like it before, but he wanted me to remind you to read Psalm's chapter |
| 2:08.8 | two, and then he wanted me to read to you, Revelation 18. |
| 2:12.9 | Interesting, but what is this? |
... |
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