The Andrea Yates Case
Warning, this case discusses crimes against children. I watched the very first episode of The Crimes That Changed Us on ID for my research. I have seen a lot of information on this case before, but it was interesting to see Andrea’s interrogations and what might have led up to her killing her five children. Was she really insane or was it all an act?
Background
Andrea grew up in a loving family and had four siblings. Andrea was diagnosed with depression from a very early age, as early as 17 and was also bulimic in high school.
She seemed to being doing well though, because she attended the University of Houston for two years, and was in a pre-nursing program. She then worked as a nurse in Houston from 1986-1994.
In 1989, she met Rusty Yates, when they lived in the same apartment complex. They got married on April 17, 1993 and it was their plan together to have many children as possible.
Andrea and Rusty would have five children, 4 boys and 1 girl. Their children were Noah, John, Paul, Luke and Mary.
The Yates Family, minus baby Mary.
Andrea’s Mental Health
On June 16, 1999, Rusty found Andrea shaking and chewing on her fingers. She reportedly became the most depressed after having their son, Luke. The next day, on June 17, she was admitted to a mental hospital but the next day she was released and wanted to die. Rusty had to wrestle a knife away from Andrea, and Andrea would later say she wanted to kill herself to save her children.
The next month, in July, Andrea was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis. Andrea was told not to have anymore children, but she would have her daughter, Mary on November 30, 2000, just 6 months before she would kill her children.
The event that seemed to push Andrea over the edge was her father’s death on March 12, 2001. Andrea stopped taking her medication, and even stopped feeding Mary. She was being treated by a new doctor, who told her to stop taking her medication and was released.
Murder
On May 3, 2001, Andrea was reportedly in a “catatonic state,” when she filled up her bathtub and drowned her children.
Rusty left for work that day, and his mother was supposed to come over in the next hour to watch the kids. In that one hour, Andrea was able to kill all of her children.
Noah was seven years old at the time, and actually caught Andrea killing Mary. He had try to escape from his mom, and actually fought with her to try to stay alive. He was found floating in the bathtub, and the other four were found in a bed together under a blanket.
Andrea called the police and only told them that she was ill and that she needed a police officer right away, and she also called Rusty and said that all of their children were dead.
Yates home in Houston, Texas
Yates crime scene
Just a small clip of Andrea’s interrogation.
Andrea’s First Trial
Andrea’s attorney, George Parnham, testified that Andrea was insane. The defense agreed, but for an insanity plea, the defendant has to prove that he or she could not discern right from wrong at the time a crime occurred.
In March 2002, Andrea was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 40 years in prison, with eligibility for parole in 4o years.
Andrea ended up having a retrial because a man named Dr. Park Dietz testified that Andrea had watched an episode of Law and Order, where a woman also drowned her kids in the same manner. It was later said that there was no episode of Law and Order that existed like that.
Second Trial
Andrea at her 2nd trial
On January 9, 2006, Andrea pleaded not guilty due to reason of insanity.
On July 26, 2006, she was found not guilty due to reason of insanity. She was committed to North Texas State Hospital-Vernon Campus, but later moved to Kerville State Hospital, where she resides today.
Michael Woroniecki
This is one of the most interesting parts in this case to me. Michael Woroniecki was a “preacher” that Rusty met at Auburn University. He had very interesting preachings and according to this episode, Andrea would listen to his preachings constantly.
Michael and his family lived in a van, and would travel to speak to people about Jesus. They would wear vibrant costumes and yell at people on the streets about Hell.
Andrea and Michael’s wife would even write letters back and forth to each other, and they would say that Andrea needed to be a better mother or she was going to Hell. It’s believed that Michael’s preachings led to Andrea killing her children, but Michael and Rusty both deny it.
The Yates family did live the same lifestyle for awhile, but moved into a home when Andrea got sicker. Rusty thought that Andrea was fine for awhile before the murder happened.
Andrea said she killed them because they thought she was not a good mother, and she debated killing them for two years. She told her psychiatrist:
““It was the seventh deadly sin. My children weren’t righteous. They stumbled because I was evil. The way I was raising them, they could never be saved. They were doomed to perish in the fires of hell. ”
Other
Rusty filed for divorce in 2004, but they still remain in contact. Rusty married his new wife, Laura in 2006 and had a son together. That marriage didn’t last either though, and they split in 2015.
Rusty Yates now
FINAL THOUGHTS
I have to say I really do feel bad for Rusty and obviously those innocent children who died too soon. I don’t know if he could have done anything to help Andrea, and he even was the one who wanted her to stay on her medication when her doctor told her she shouldn’t be on it. He lost his children, and tried to start over after the trials.
I do think Andrea is in the right place, and hopefully getting the help she needs. I’m not sure whether I believe the religious preachings had anything to affect her mind or thoughts, but they did affect the way the Yates lived. The Yates even lived in a van like the Woreniecki’s did for awhile, so Rusty shouldn't say that it was no big deal. That’s the only thing I really have a problem with. Many people believe Rusty failed his family, and made them do things that made Andrea even sicker. I do agree, they shouldn’t have lived in such a small space, but Andrea clearly was mentally ill almost all her life.
I’d love to know what you think about this case, and whether Andrea was insane or just plain guilty.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_Yates
https://www.thoughtco.com/profile-of-andrea-yates-971138
http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,218445,00.html
