Note: Hate Group expert Bill Morlin, a former SR colleague, emails: The man in this incident is formerly from North Idaho where he once tried to stage a "Ruby Ridge."

• Shooter may have had white supremacist ties/SR
• Washougel standoff: Homeowner has record of jail time, separatist views/Columbian

Authorities are combing the charred ruins of a house in Washougal, Wash., today, looking for the remains of a man who appears to have past ties to illegal firearms, domestic violence and white supremacists. Steven Douglas Stanbary, who once said his hero was white supremacist Randy Weaver (pictured) of Ruby Ridge fame, is believed to have died Wednesday as his home burned to the ground. Firefighters and police were held at bay by repeated gunfire and explosions. The whereabouts of Stanbary’s wife and her teenage daughter also weren’t known late Wednesday. Authorities weren’t commenting on how many bodies they  were searching for. Today’s search takes place on the 27th anniversary of a landmark gun battle and standoff between the FBI and Robert J. Mathews – another iconic hero of white supremacists — about 180 miles away on Whidbey Island, Wash./Hate Watch, Southern Poverty Law Center. More here.

Question: What do you remember about Ruby Ridge?