Jury: Government not responsible for Davidian deaths

(Waco-AP) -- A jury says the U-S government bears no responsibility for the deaths of Branch Davidians during the 1993 siege near Waco. Today's advisory decision now goes to a federal judge, who'll

Friday, July 14th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Waco-AP) -- A jury says the U-S government bears no responsibility for the deaths of Branch Davidians during the 1993 siege near Waco. Today's advisory decision now goes to a federal judge, who'll have the final say.

The five-member jury took less than three hours to issue a decision, which will assist U-S District Judge Walter Smith in making a final ruling later. Surviving Davidians had sought 675 (M) million dollars in their wrongful death suit.

About 80 Davidians lost their lives in the fiery end of the siege on April 19th of 1993. Mount Carmel burned. The government maintains sect leader David Koresh and the others caused their own deaths. Autopsy results indicated some of the children who died had been shot or stabbed.