When Dr. Peerwani testified at the 1994 San Antonio trial of the Branch Davidians, he told the jury about the conditions under which the mothers and children died in the concrete room. He repeatedly claimed that many died of blunt force trauma or suffocation due to the structural collapse of the building. His testimony was marked by many misstatements and internal inconsistencies, and he seemed unfamiliar with the content of the Autopsy Reports. (The full text of Dr. Nizam Peerwani's testimony has been included for the visitor's personal perusal and further research. Highlights of his testimony have been recorded below.)
When he went out to the concrete room on April 21, Dr. Peerwani said he saw bodies "very badly burned, charred, mutilated, as well as fragmented . . ." (Transcript, pg. 5962).
Note that Dr. Peerwani has just stated that (a) the bunker had already collapsed, and (b) there was danger of the roof collapsing. A sharp lawyer, even without photographs, should have required a clarification: Had it collapsed, or was it about to collapse? But Peerwani was not challenged.
Dr. Peerwani reiterated throughout his testimony that many of the people in the "bunker" died when "the bunker collapsed."
Asked how he distinguished death caused by smoke inhalation from death caused by burns, Dr. Peerwani said: "Well, we were looking for objective findings to ensure that in fact they died of inhalation. If we saw no evidence of any soot or carbon in the trachea, windpipe, or in the lungs, if we saw no by-products of combustion, like carbon monoxide, where the bodies are still very badly burnt or had sustained thermal injuries, we classified them as dying of thermal burns." (Transcript, pg. 6030)
"Fifty-nine was a Jane Doe, 14 to 19 years of age, and she died as a result of blunt post-traumatic injury "sic" due to the collapsing of the bunker and debris which caused her skull to be crushed." (Transcript, pg. 5980) and,
"Sixty-two is a child Doe, approximately 1.3 years or 1.8 years, and the child died as a result of blunt post-traumatic injury "sic" due to the collapsing bunker with a crushed skull "Transcript, pg. 5980", and later: "Sixty-three was also in the bunker, and she was child about 1.3 to 1.8 years of age, and she died as a result of blunt post-traumatic injury "sic" due to collapse of the bunker." (Transcript, pg. 5988)
"MC Doe 71 is located here, and she was identified as Michelle Jones, a 10-year-old white female, and she died as a result of fire." (Transcript, pg. 5982). In fact, Michelle Jones was an adult, and mother of three children.
"Well, there were actually 27 bodies that were recovered there. In the subsequent evacuation after the clearance of the bunker, there were six recovered prior to that, and probably the 27 may be 30. We don't really know whether there are 37 or 30, so my count is about 33 to 36, but there are some on top of the bunker that perhaps we're mixing up." (Transcript, pg. 6022)
Peerwani:
There were some--some items like blankets that were covering especially
the small children, yes.
Tinker:
Okay. The--and you, in your experience, would conclude, I assume, that
it was parents trying to protect their children from the fire?
Peerwani:
It's quite possible.
(Transcript, pg. 6024)
Peerwani:
That's right.
Tinker:
And those would -- those that died from the suffocation would that
be from perhaps being under these blankets or sleeping bags that you've
described and then as the debris falls down on them, the smoke's not getting
to them but -- but they just can't get any air?
Peerwani:
Yes, sir.
Tinker:
And would that be an explanation that you would have for somebody suffocating
without breathing the smoke?
Peerwani:
Yes, sir.
(Transcript, pg. 6029)
"Three children had blunt force trauma. But it was from the falling concrete in the bunker that fell on them. There's an opening in the top of the bunker, eight feet, approximately in diameter and large chunks of concrete fell on these people."
Dr. Crow also said that he believed that the mothers inside the room shot their children and then committed suicide to prevent all from being burnt to death.
There are some problems with the statements made by Drs. Peerwani and Crow, as we shall see in the upcoming exhibits.
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Many people who distrust the mainstream media have turned to alternate news sources, some of which are Internet based. Unfortunately, many of these alternate sources of news simply promote an alternate series of lies. These alternate lies are of course dressed up as "exposés." But you can easily tell the phonies from the real thing. The information in the Waco Holocaust Electronic Museum is an acid test.
Does your news source promote Mike McNulty's video, Waco: The Rules of Engagement or wring its hands because the Davidian law suit against the government failed? (See Waco Documentary Is A Hoax! and Waco Suits for Waco Suckers.) Does your alternate news source carry promotional pieces about rebuilding the Davidian church in Waco and mouth nice words about "healing"? (See The Cover-up Church.)
Remember, since ancient times, inquiries into questionable deaths have started with the bodies of the victims. If your news source won't give you an honest and full account of the forensic information on Waco, or if it does not have a link to the Waco Holocaust Electronic Museum ... your alternate news has failed a fundamental acid test.
http://www.Public-Action.com/SkyWriter/WacoMuseum
or http://206.55.8.10/SkyWriter/WacoMuseum
Curator@Public-Action.com
All original material is copyright 1996-2000 by Carol A. Valentine,
on loan to Public Action, Inc.
Postal Address: Carol A. Valentine, PO Box 10933, Burke, VA 22009
This page last updated February 28, 2001.