WACO, Texas -- At the weed-strewn 77 acres of Texas prairie where the Branch Davidian compound burned to the ground last year, all is not quiet.
A gunshot pierced the air one day last week, during an impassioned argument among self-proclaimed leaders of the religious sect about who has authority over the property. Three people were arrested. Apparently, an illegal weapon was involved, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms has been called in to investigate.
The Branch Davidians still own the site, where their leader, David Koresh, and at least 71 sect members died in the fire at the compound on April 19, 1993. But local law enforcement officials say it is unclear which members of the sect have the right to the land.
"There are many people out here who claim to be Branch Davidians," said Sheriff Jack Harwell of McLennan County. "So who really knows who's a Branch Davidian and who's not?"
There are at least three loose factions among the several dozen people in the Waco area who call themselves Branch Davidians. And while none has yet tried to construct a communal home at Mount Carmel, as the compound was called, all consider the ground sacred and have asserted their right to build on it some day.
The property now has little more than a few sheds, two burned-out buses and a ramshackle wooden "museum" full of hand-lettered biblical tracts at the entrance.
One faction professes allegiance to the family of George Roden, who led the sect before Mr. Koresh arrived on the scene, and a second seems to be looking for a new leader to succeed Mr. Koresh.
A third group says it is simply awaiting Mr. Koresh's return to Earth.
Even if the dispute does wind up in court, there is no guarantee that a legal decision will settle it, because many of the principal players insist they are listening to a higher authority.