1964–present
Who Is Andrea Yates?
Andrea Yates became the subject of one of the most infamous criminal trials of the early 2000s after she admitted to drowning her five children in a bathtub on June 20, 2001. Yates was treated for postpartum depression and psychosis and, after the birth of her fifth child, experienced severe depression. At her initial trial in 2002, she was found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison. However, a court of appeals later rescinded the conviction due to false testimony. At a subsequent retrial in 2006, a jury found Yates not guilty of murder by reason of insanity. She is currently receiving treatment at a psychiatric care facility in Kerrville, Texas.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Andrea Pia Yates
BORN: July 2, 1964
BIRTHPLACE: Houston, Texas
SPOUSE: Russell Yates (1993-2005)
CHILDREN: 5 (deceased)
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Cancer
Early Life and Marriage
Yates was born Andrea Pia Kennedy on July 2, 1964, in Houston, Texas. She was a stellar student and class valedictorian. In 1993, she married Russell “Rusty” Yates, who was a disciple of preacher Michael Peter Woroniecki and his wife, Rachel. Through sermons, videos, and personal telephone calls, the Woronieckis condemned the Yates couple for their hypocritical Christian lifestyle, saying their children were doomed to hell because of their parents’ sins. The Woronieckis also preached that married couples should have as many children as possible.
Mental Health Disorders and Children’s Deaths
In 1999, Yates was treated for postpartum depression and psychosis, mental illnesses that run in her family. After the birth of her fifth child and the death of her father, she experienced severe depression and was forcefully admitted to Devereux-Texas Treatment Network. There, Dr. Mohammed Saeed prescribed a series of psychotropic drug treatments. He also abruptly tapered her off the antipsychotic Haldol, a medication that helped Yates recover in 1999.
On June 20, 2001, during the hour between her husband leaving for work and her mother-in-law arriving, Yates drowned all five of her children—from ages 7 to 6 months—in a bathtub at the family’s home in Clear Lake, a suburb of Houston. Yates called 911, and a responding police officer testified in court she answered the door with soaked hair and clothing before admitting, “I killed my kids.” Police discovered the body of one child in the tub, while the four others were laid out under a sheet in the primary bedroom.
Yates was indicted on two counts of capital murder for three of her children’s deaths. While in custody, Yates told a defense psychiatrist she didn’t want to hurt her children, but committed the killings to preserve their innocence and ensure they would not go to hell.
Trial and Conviction
Throughout Andrea’s trial, Rusty stood by his wife, claiming it was the illness—and not Andrea—that killed the children. She pleaded innocence by reason of insanity, citing postpartum psychosis.
But in March 2002, a jury rejected the insanity defense and found Yates guilty of capital murder, sentencing her to life in prison with eligibility for parole in 40 years. Rusty divorced Andrea during her incarceration in 2004 and remarried in 2006.
Overturned Conviction and Retrial
On January 6, 2005, the Texas Court of Appeals reversed the convictions on account of false testimony from the trial. The decision stemmed from testimony by a psychiatrist and defense witness, who compared elements of the Yates case to an episode of the TV crime drama Law and Order in which a mother drowned her children and was later found innocent. However, such an episode had not actually aired.
At her retrial, Yates was found not guilty by reason of insanity on July 26, 2006. She was committed to North Texas State Hospital and, in 2007, transferred to Kerrville State Hospital.
Yates remains at the maximum-security care facility today. She is eligible to request a review for her release each year, but has repeatedly declined to continue treatment.
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