Showtime's 'Waco: The Aftermath': Here’s what happened to surviving Branch Davidians after Waco siege
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Showtime is bringing the aftermath of a gruesome siege that took place between the Branch Davidians and the FBI. It has been nearly 30 years since it happened, and the entire country is still trying to unpack the incident. On April 19, 1993, the Government of the United States conducted a siege on a compound that was occupied by David Koresh, and his religious cult, the Branch Davidians. After a weeks-long standoff, many Branch Davidians were killed during the operation, along with many people from US law enforcement. Since then, there have been many retellings of the operation.
The Paramount+ show starred Taylor Kitsch as the cult leader and is based on the memoirs of a survivor David Thibodeau (Rory Culkin) and FBI negotiator Gary Noesner (Michael Shannon). Now, this year, two more series about Waco will premiere. On April 16, 'Waco: The Aftermath' will air on Showtime. The project is a sequel to the Paramount+ miniseries, and it follows Branch Davidians who survived the siege.
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‘Waco: The Aftermath’: Release date and how to watch
Where are the surviving Branch Davidians now?
Out of the nine survivors who escaped the fire, David Thibodeau has been the most open about his time with the cult. He wrote a book about his time with the Branch Davidians and worked as a consultant on the miniseries.
Kevin A Whitecliff
Whitecliff was sentenced to 15 years in prison for convicted voluntary manslaughter and using firearms during the federal government's 1993 raid on the Davidian's compound near Waco and has since been released. He was among those charged with killing two Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agents during the standoff at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas.
Jaime Castillo
Jaime Castillo, a Santa Clarita resident who belonged to David Koresh’s Branch Davidian church in Waco, Texas, and was among nine survivors of the 1993 federal raid on the cult compound, has died. He was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and using a firearm during a crime.
Paul Gordon Fatta
Paul Gordon Fatta wasn't present at the compound during the raid and when the entire compound burned to the ground. Fatta was convicted on charges of helping Branch Davidian leader David Koresh possess illegal machine guns.
Renos Lenny Avraam
Oakdale resident Renos Lenny Avraam, a British national, was released in 2006 after being convicted of voluntary manslaughter and using a firearm during a crime.
Graeme Leonard Craddock
Also an Oakdale resident and an Australian national, Graeme Leonard Craddock was also released in 2006 and was convicted of possessing a grenade and using a firearm during a crime.
Brad Eugene Branch
Brad Branch is a former Branch Davidian. He was an aircraft electrician from San Antonio, Texas, before becoming a Branch Davidian. Branch was convicted of aiding the voluntary manslaughter of federal agents during the 1993 Waco siege and weapons charges. He was released in 2006 and lived in San Antonio till 2012, after that his whereabouts are unknown.
Livingstone Fagan
Fagan was a Black British Branch Davidian who survived the Waco siege in 1993. He was born in Jamaica but moved to Nottingham in 1964 with his parents. Fagan joined the Branch group in 1989 and lived with his mother and wife, both of whom died in the fire. He was tried and convicted in the United States of voluntary manslaughter and using a firearm during a crime. Fagan was released in 2007 and was deported back to the United Kingdom, where he currently resides.
Ruth Riddle
Ruth Riddle was born in Canada and was a member of the Branch Davidian group. While in the group, she married a fellow group member James Loyle Riddle who died in the fire. She survived the fire and while leaving the compound, she took with her the incomplete manuscript of David Koresh, which was later reprinted in James D Tabor and Eugene V Gallagher's book titled 'Why Waco?: Cults and the Battle for Religious Freedom in America'. Riddle's whereabouts are unknown, but she was deported back to Canada as she was illegally living in the US.
Kathryn Schroede
Kathryn moved to Waco with her three children from her previous marriage and her husband Michael. The couple followed Koresh's teachings because they believed he was the prophet of God and that following his footsteps was a way of devoting their lives to god. Kathryn's husband was killed in the siege, while Kathryn still remained at Mount Carmel. She cooperated with the cops and was sentenced to three years in prison, but was given a reduced sentence as she agreed to testify under oath against other Branch Davidians.