United States Department of Justice

“ The following morning, Ederer and DeAtley began to put a prosecution team together; everyone expected that a large number of people were about to surrender, and decisions would have to be made about whom to charge and with what. During this time, Ederer noticed that Johnston had been directing the Texas Rangers, telling them what they needed to do. Ederer cautioned him that it was not his job to direct the investigation and warned him of the problems it would cause if he did so. ”

“ SAC Jamar has said he was fully aware of the dichotomy between the safety of law enforcement and the preservation of the crime scene. He noted that although every effort was made to consider the Texas Rangers' concerns regarding the crime scene, he felt it was more important to ensure that individuals within the compound and law enforcement safety be given first consideration. He also noted that as the length of time increased during the confrontation, the it was highly unlikely that the crime scene inside the compound would have been preserved intact. ”

“ One of the principal points of conflict between the Rangers and the FBI concerned the moving of vehicles from around the compound. This was the primary issue raised by Johnston in a March 23, 1993 letter to the Attorney General. [1]
According to Ederer, the friction between the law enforcement agencies had absolutely no effect on the ultimate outcome of the standoff. Representatives of the ATF were always present in the FBI command post, and the ATF special agent-in-charge had regular contact with Jamar. ”