Date: Fri, 18 Feb 1994 14:02:59 -0600 (CST) From: "William W. Hughes" <[w--g--s] at [lonestar.utsa.edu]> Subject: Branch Davidian Trial Update - Friday, 11 Feb 94 Branch Davidian Trial Update - Friday, 11 Feb 94 [summary] Page 1F Headline - EXPERT POINTS OUT POSSIBLE 4TH SITE OF DAVIDIAN BLAZE Subhead - Previous witnesses noted only 3 spots According to one fire expert, a fourth point of ignition for the fire was the gymnasium area, which defense claims was started accidentally by a tank. This is the first prosecution witness to acknowledge the possibility. James Quintiere of Maryland is a mechanical engineer who studies fire development patterns. He used aerial infrared video taken by federal agents and news footage from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and a local Waco television station to track the progress of the fire. Juror were "riveted" to Quintiere's video, in which he compares hot spots from the infrared with the news footage. Quintiere noted that a tank pulled away from the right front corner of the compound just before smoke started coming from a second story window above the location. Under cross-examination, Quintiere said he assumed the armored vehicle was pumping in tear gas, but denied that this could be a cause of the fire. "According to literature", tear gas is non- flammable, and it's dispersants are non-flammable in their liquid state. If enough gaseous dispersants were involved, there would have been an explosion that would have "blown the walls out." Quintiere identified the same three fire ares that Bill Cass had done in previous testimony, in addition to the gym area, which Cass did not identify. Another expert testified that this site had not been examined by the four-man arson investigation team. Arson Investigator Bill Cass, under cross-examination, admitted that his team (headed by ex-ATF agent Paul Gray) only checked out those areas that eyewitnesses reported seeing smoke or flames. Cass said he had not seen or heard of official log entries in which government officials reported seeing fire at the back of the com- pound, where the gym was located. Judge Smith did not allow the log entries to be read to the jury. Cass said that Gray chose which parts of the log the team saw. Defense attorney Rocket Rosen showed Cass about a minute of infra- red video, in which a white flash is seen in the gym area just before the camera turns to the right front corner of the compound. Cass said such flashes usually indicate a fire "hot spot", but said he had not seen the flash before and could not say what it repre- sented. Defense attorney Stanley Rentz showed Quintiere some stills taken from the infrared video, which do not show a hot spot on the roof near the chapel. He asked if the chapel fire could not have been caused by two other fires meeting in the middle, but Quintiere said that was not possible. Box accompanying the story contains the causes of death for 75 of the "more than 80 people" who died in the blaze. From the testimony of Dr. Nizam Peerwani, Tarrant County Medical Examiner. Gunshots - 8 men, 7 women, 3 children Smoke, fire-related - 14 men, 20 women, 11 children Falls, crushed skulls - 2 women, 1 child Suffocation - 4 women, 4 children Stabbing - 1 child ========================= ADMINISTRIVIA ========================= COMMENTS Ex-ATF agent Paul Gray, in charge of the arson investigation team, makes the decision as to what evidence is seen by the investigation team and what areas of the compound are examined. See also: cover up. In my opinion. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - KNOWN DISTRIBUTIONS USENET: talk.politics.guns, alt.politics.org.batf, alt.conspiracy, alt.politics.usa.misc & alt.politics.libertarian - author USENET: info.firearms.politics/mailing list Firearms Politics ([firearms politics] at [ns1.rutgers.edu]) - author Other networks - BIX: tojerry/inquest - Paul L. Schauble ([p l s] at [shell.portal.com]) FIDONET: DEBATE - Terry Goodman ([terry goodman] at [support.com] / Terry Goodman 1:102/837) FIDONET: CONTROVERSY - Terry Goodman FIDONET: LEGAL (non-backbone) - Lester Garrett (1:125/101) FIDONET: SMOKER (non-backbone) - Bill Bauer (1:147/32) Prodigy: Politics-Other, Subject; A.T.F. Waco - Jim Bell SmartNet: POLIPHIL - Lester Garrett (FIDO 1:125/101) The Patrick Henry League - a gun rights BBS network: - Paul L. Schauble KNOWN ARCHIVES The Powder Keg BBS, 707-427-1310, 14.4, 24H7D, directory WACO (SurvNet/PRNet 176:100/24, sysop Peter Nesbitt) The Soapbox BBS. 919-387-1152, 14.4, 24H7D, file area BATF (FIDO 1:151/142, sysop Stacy Powers [[p--we--s] at [rock.concert.net]]) Full access on first call, supports FREQ, FREQ FILES to get a list of all available files Anonymous ftp teetot.acusd.edu in directory /pub/Beelzebub/Politics/The_Tax_Cops/Waco/Trial service provided by Jerry Stratton ([j--r--y] at [teetot.acusd.edu]) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - INDEX These Updates have been posted in two forms: summaries of Express- News articles and direct transcripts of Express-News articles. This is a short index to all Updates posted to date, including the current issue. Summaries - 09 Jan 94, 10 Jan 94, 11 Jan 94, 12 Jan 94, 13 Jan 94, 14 Jan 94, 15 Jan 94, 17 Jan 94, 19 Jan 94, 20 Jan 94, 25 Jan 94, 26 Jan 94, 27 Jan 94, 28 Jan 94, 31 Jan 94, 06 Feb 94, 08 Feb 94, 09 Feb 94, 10 Feb 94, 11 Feb 94 Transcripts - 21 Jan 94, 22 Jan 94, 23 Jan 94, 29 Jan 94, 01 Feb 94, 02 Feb 94, 03 Feb 94, 04 Feb 94, 05 Feb 94 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= This Update of the Branch Davidian trial is based on or transcribed from articles published in the San Antonio Express-News. The origi- nal articles, and any sections quoted herein are copyrighted by the Express-News. The remainder of the summary is copyright 1994 by William W. Hughes. Copying of these summaries, either by hardcopy or electronic means, is authorized and encouraged, as long as this notice remains attached and intact. "I do not work for or represent the San Antonio Express-News" =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= [w--g--s] at [lonestar.utsa.edu] (William Hughes) | In memory of 85 un-charged, UTSA doesn't agree with me. They're wrong. | un-convicted victims of the U.S. St. Dismas' Infirmary for the Incurably | government in Waco, Texas - Informed [_Synners_, Pat Cadigan] | including over 20 children.