Today is Wednesday, February 26, 2020.

On this day in 1994, 11 members of the Branch Dividian cult were acquitted of murder and conspiracy to commit

murder.

They went free.

Despite the fact that they killed four FBI agents on the orders of their leader, David Kerech.

Welcome to today in True Crime, a parcast original.

I'm Vanessa Richardson, and today I'm joined by Erica Kelly, host of the podcast Southern Fried True Crime.

Southern Fried True Crime explores the dark underbelly of the deep south.

In each episode, Erica brings her local perspective

to intriguing crime stories, and she throws in a few dashes of Southern Charm and Sass.

Welcome, Erica.

Hi y'all, thanks for having me.

Of course, happy you could join.

Erica is here to discuss some of the historical aspects of today's

story while I'll cover the narrative. I'm looking forward to diving into the

Branch Davidians and the Waco Massacre. It's such a complex and controversial story.

The kind where you really feel sympathy for everyone involved.

Absolutely. The kind of control David Kurez had over his followers is so upsetting.

It's almost hard to believe. Let's get started.

Due to the graphic nature of today's crimes,

listener discretion is advised. Extreme caution is advised for listeners under 13.

Now let's go back to San Antonio, Texas,

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