When an ATF member went to serve a warrant outside Waco, Texas, in 1993, the situation quickly escalated into a firefight, and the FBI put a lid on the structure for 51 days.
On the last day of the siege, a fire engulfed the building, leading to a complete massacre. KWTX News Reporter John McLemore and his crew were alerted in time to go there in person, according to the Netflix documentary.
John McLemore, Who Is He?
John McLemore worked for KWTX-TV in Waco, Texas, where he reported on the trial of serial murderer Kenneth McDuff just days before the Waco raid. Hence, he later mentioned that he was looking forward to a quiet weekend at home when his cameraman, Dan Mulloney, phoned him on February 28, 1993.
John and Dan drove to the Mount Carmel Center compound outside of Waco, while their colleague Jim Peeler followed them in a different vehicle. According to reports, Jim soon lost himself in the countryside and asked a mailman for directions to the compound. He apparently even let slip that the ATF was planning a raid, unaware that the mailman was a Branch Davidians.
The incident quickly escalated into a full-scale firefight, with John often interjected to answer questions. Eventually, both parties called a cease-fire when an ATF agent was badly injured. Subsequently, John helped bring some of the wounded to the station safely.
What Has Happened to John McLemore?
John became a well-known figure in the following days as the press lauded him as an authentic eyewitness. He was even nominated for an Emmy Award for his role on several talk shows, and he was exposed to numerous death threats as a result.
John filed a lawsuit against the Houston Chronicle and the Dallas-based WFAA-Channel 8, alleging that they were the ones who ruined his reputation. However, the ATF's verdict was pronounced against him in September 1998.
John McLemore left KWTX-TV in 1994 and began serving as a press secretary for the Congressional Race Texas District 11 in the United States. In May 1997, he joined Life Partners, Inc. as a senior advisor of global public affairs and crisis communications at ConocoPhillips.
John McLemore owns and operates his own company, McLemore P.R. Consulting L.L.C., which he started up in August 2014. He has built a solid reputation in the field. Besides, he lives in Houston, Texas, and we wish him the best in the future.
