Waco Branch Davidian Disaster, Tex., 1993

Subseries Description From the Sub-Series: This large subseries is composed of legal documents from various trials stemming from the siege. The first trial, when the federal government prosecuted eleven Branch Davidians in 1994, is well documented, with over eight boxes of trial transcriptions. Reavis was a reporter at this trial in San Antonio and wrote about it in his book. Because of his expertise on Waco, Reavis served on the Timothy McVeigh defense team in 2000, and produced more subject files and gathered other legal documents,...

Subseries Description From the Sub-Series:

Also titled and arranged alphabetically by title, according to how we received them, the research notebooks are additionally very similar to the subject files in that they pertain directly to Reavis’ research for his book. Most files are photocopied books that were bound with plastic comb binders and plain covers, with the titles written on the front. This sub-series is dated according to when Reavis is likely to have accumulated the copies, not by the dates of the original documents.

Subseries Description From the Sub-Series: These files are titled and arranged (alphabetically) according to Reavis’ titles and arrangement. As a result, not all folder titles are entirely indicative of their contents. This sub-series is comprised of general subject files whose contents mostly pertain directly to research for The Ashes of Waco. However, some documents post-date the book, as Reavis continued his research work in the years that followed. The sub-series is dated according to when Reavis...

Subseries Description From the Sub-Series: These files are titled and arranged (alphabetically) according to Reavis’ titles and arrangement. As a result, not all folder titles are entirely indicative of their contents. This sub-series is comprised of general subject files whose contents mostly pertain directly to research for The Ashes of Waco. However, some documents post-date the book, as Reavis continued his research work in the years that followed. The sub-series is dated according to when Reavis...

Subseries Description From the Sub-Series: These files are titled and arranged (alphabetically) according to Reavis’ titles and arrangement. As a result, not all folder titles are entirely indicative of their contents. This sub-series is comprised of general subject files whose contents mostly pertain directly to research for The Ashes of Waco. However, some documents post-date the book, as Reavis continued his research work in the years that followed. The sub-series is dated according to when Reavis...

Subseries Description From the Sub-Series:

Reavis wrote a feature for the San Antonio Express-News on Gordon Novel, a man with a mysterious past and an important figure in the continuing investigations into and conspiracy theories about Waco. Novel put forth the notion, using FLIR evidence, that FBI agents were firing into the Mount Carmel Center as the tanks inserted tear gas on the morning of April 19th.

Subseries Description

Drafts, page proofs, website materials, presentation points, correspondence, financial documents, reviews, contracts and marketing materials all chronicle the writing, editing and marketing of Reavis’ 1995 book

Series Description From the Series:

This series offers visual documentation of Reavis’ life from childhood to present day. The photographs are arranged by type: “Of Reavis,” “By Reavis,” “General” and “Assignments,” and chronologically within their respective sub-series.

See the Waco Investigation or The National Tour of Texas series for photographs related to those topics.

Subseries Description

Highlights include photocopied correspondence between Davidians, studies of the Seven Seals, and a Fire Development Analysis of the April 19 fire. All documents that were gathered as research but do not fit into the other sub-series are filed here. Some publication dates predate the series, hence the wider date range of the subseries.

Subseries Description From the Sub-Series: Filed alphabetically, this subseries features Reavis’ personal correspondence with some Mount Carmel survivors and other Branch Davidians, as well as official Freedom of Information Act requests with the U.S. Department of Justice. I. Trials (boxes 42-58): This large sub-series is composed of legal documents from various trials stemming from the siege. The first trial, when the federal government prosecuted eleven Branch Davidians in 1994, is well documented, with over eight boxes of trial...

Scope and Contents From the Collection: The Lee Hancock Collection spans 1975-2004, with the bulk of materials covering 1993, 1995, 1999, and 2000. The collection is comprised of documents, clippings, videos, and other materials that Lee Hancock collected relating to the Branch Davidian standoff near Waco, Texas in 1993 and subsequent events. Except for the Media Coverage series, most materials within folders have been left in Hancock’s original order and arrangement. Therefore, there is some overlap of materials between folders,...

Subseries Description From the Sub-Series:

This sub-series contains interviews and reports conducted by the Department of the Treasury (DOT) and statements of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (BATF or ATF). Since the ATF was an agencyunder the DOT in 1993 the ATF documents are arranged under the DOT (in 2003 the ATF was transferred to the Department of Justice).

Subseries Description From the Sub-Series:

This sub-series contains interviews and reports conducted by the Department of the Treasury (DOT) and statements of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (BATF or ATF). Since the ATF was an agencyunder the DOT in 1993 the ATF documents are arranged under the DOT (in 2003 the ATF was transferred to the Department of Justice).

Series Description From the Series: The third series contains documents related to the investigation, by several entities, of the events and handling of the Branch Davidian standoff near Waco. The Investigations series is arranged according to the entity that conducted the investigation and produced the original documents. Since many government agencies were involved in the events in question there is some overlap of documents between agencies.The Investigations series is divided into six sub-series described...

Series Description From the Series: The third series contains documents related to the investigation, by several entities, of the events and handling of the Branch Davidian standoff near Waco. The Investigations series is arranged according to the entity that conducted the investigation and produced the original documents. Since many government agencies were involved in the events in question there is some overlap of documents between agencies.The Investigations series is divided into six sub-series described...

Series Description From the Series: The third series contains documents related to the investigation, by several entities, of the events and handling of the Branch Davidian standoff near Waco. The Investigations series is arranged according to the entity that conducted the investigation and produced the original documents. Since many government agencies were involved in the events in question there is some overlap of documents between agencies.The Investigations series is divided into six sub-series described...

Subseries description From the Sub-Series:

D. Publications (boxes 30-33, 90: The publications that are originals and not part of the subject files have their own sub-series. They range from mainstream coverage of the siege to government reports to comic books to Branch Davidian literature. Some publication dates predate the series, hence the wider date range of the sub-series.

Subseries Description

This subseries contains briefing documents for Attorney General Janet Reno on the events near Waco. Also included is an affidavit for a search warrant of Vernon Howell’s residence, documents related to the effects of CS gas, and a “Proposed Operations Plan.” Within this subseries is the John C. Danforth investigation report.

Subseries Description From the Sub-Series:

This subseries contains briefing documents for Attorney General Janet Reno on the events near Waco. Also included is an affidavit for a search warrant of Vernon Howell’s residence, documents related to the effects of CS gas, and a “Proposed Operations Plan.” Within this subseries is the John C. Danforth investigation report.

Series Description From the Series:

Most of the tapes in the Audio-Video Materials series are related to the Waco Investigation series, but also included are audio tapes from Reavis’ research for his “Politics of Armageddon” article.