November 28, 2025 • 21 mins
Reid Carter examines the case that changed how America views maternal mental illness. June 20, 2001, Houston. Andrea Yates, suffering severe postpartum psychosis, drowned her five children one by one in the bathtub. Noah, seven. John, five. Paul, three. Luke, two. Mary, six months. Doctors warned her and husband Rusty not to have more children—she'd had two suicide attempts, multiple hospitalizations. Rusty insisted on fifth child. Took her off medication. Left her alone despite doctor's orders. 2002 trial: guilty, life in prison. 2006 retrial: not guilty by reason of insanity. Now at mental hospital. The question: Mental illness or murder?
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Join our new FB groups page here. Take the poll!
Join the Celebrity Trials community on social media! We're building a passionate group of true crime enthusiasts who love diving deep into the most shocking cases in America.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram by searching "Celebrity Trials Podcast" on either platform.
You'll get exclusive behind-the-scenes content, breaking news updates on cases we're covering, and early alerts when new episodes drop. Our social media is where Reid Carter's hottest takes live, including reactions that don't make it into the show.
But more importantly, it's where YOU come in. Share your theories, debate the verdicts, and connect with fellow listeners who are just as obsessed with justice as you are. Did the jury get it right? What questions do you still have? Your comments and insights often shape future episodes.
We cover the trials that matter, but our community makes the conversation unforgettable. Come for Reid's signature cynical commentary, stay for the incredible discussions with thousands of true crime fans who get it.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Calarogus Shark Media. Good morning, I'm reed. Carter Friday, November
twenty eighth, twenty twenty five, Black Friday, Hope you had
a great Thanksgiving. Yesterday, June twentieth, two thousand and one,
Wednesday morning, Houston, Texas, suburban Clear Lake neighborhood, Russell Rusty Yates,
(00:28):
NASA engineer left for work at eight thirty am, kissed
his wife Andrea goodbye, told her his mother, Dora, would
arrive in an hour to help with the kids. Five
children in the house Noah seven, John five, Paul three,
Luke two, Mary six months old. Andrea had been diagnosed
(00:48):
with postpartum psychosis, schizophrenia, major depression, hospitalized four times in
two years, two suicide attempts. Doctors explicitly warned, do not
have more children. Do not leave her alone with the kids.
She is severely mentally ill. She is dangerous. Rusty knew
he'd been told repeatedly, but he wanted a big family,
(01:11):
as many children as God would provide, so they had five,
and that morning he left Andrea alone nine forty eight
a m. Andrea called nine one one, I need a
police officer, Why just send someone? Police arrived ten minutes later,
found four children laid out on the master bedroom bed,
(01:32):
soaking wet, covered with a sheet. Noah, John Paul Luke
all dead. Where's the fifth child? Officers walked to the
bathroom found seven year old Noah still in the bathtub, floating, drowned.
Andrea had systematically drowned all five of her children one
(01:53):
by one in the family bathtub. Then called police, then
called Rusty and told him to come home. Why they
needed to be saved from Satan. I'm a bad mother.
They were going to hell. Now they're with God. I'm
read Carter. This is Celebrity Trials today. Andrea Yates the
(02:15):
case that forced America to confront postpartum psychosis, mental illness,
maternal infanticide. And the question was this murder or was
this madness? This is Celebrity Trials. Andrea pa Kennedy was
born July third, nineteen sixty four. Grew up in Houston
(02:37):
High School valedictorian, went to University of Houston nursing degree.
Worked as registered nurse, smart competent, caring by all accounts,
a dedicated professional. She met Russell Yates in nineteen eighty nine.
He was older worked at NASA as computer engineer, deeply religious,
wanted large family, traditional marriage, wife at home raising chill
(03:00):
ldren while he worked. They married April seventeenth, nineteen ninety three.
Andrea quit nursing, became full time homemaker, got pregnant immediately.
February twenty sixth, nineteen ninety four. First child, born, Noah Jacob.
Andrea was thrilled. New mother, everything she'd dreamed of. But
weeks after birth, something changed. Depression, overwhelming, sadness, intrusive thoughts.
(03:27):
She tried to hide it, powered through, told herself it
was normal new mother exhaustion. It would pass. It didn't pass.
It got worse with each pregnancy. December fifteenth, nineteen ninety five,
second child, born John Samuel, Andrea's depression intensified. Still functional,
(03:49):
still caring for kids, but struggling dark thoughts she couldn't shake.
September thirteenth, nineteen ninety seven, third child, born Paul Abraham,
the depression became debilitating. Andrea stopped eating, stopped sleeping, started
having visions, hallucinations, voices. But here's where it gets darker.
(04:10):
In nineteen ninety seven, the Yates family encountered Michael Warrennecki
traveling preacher unaffiliated with any church, extreme fundamentalist views. Rusty
had known him from college. Waronniecki preached that women were
inherently sinful, that children were born wicked, that bad parenting
damned children to hell, that mothers who failed their children
(04:33):
were instruments of satan. Andrea absorbed these teachings, internalized them,
believed them completely. Warrenietsky lived in a bus, traveled the
country preaching. Rusty was inspired, bought a bus from Warrenneki
moved his family into a thirty eight foot converted bus.
No more house, just the bus, three kids, two adults,
(04:55):
tiny space, Andrea homeschooling the boys in the bus. The
isolation in tensified Andrea's mental state, no friends, no support system,
just Rusty, the kids, and Warren Yecki's teachings about sinful
mothers and damned children. February fifteenth, nineteen ninety nine, fourth
child born, Luke, and Andrea broke March thirtieth, nineteen ninety nine.
(05:19):
Andrea swallowed forty or fifty trazodone pills her antidepressant suicide attempt.
Rusty found her unresponsive, rushed to hospital ten daycoma survived
upon waking Andrea was transferred to psychiatric unit. Doctor Eileen
Starbranch diagnosed her with major depressive disorder severe prescribed medication
(05:42):
began therapy. During hospitalization, Andrea filled a bathtub with water,
sat beside it, staring, wouldn't say why. Staff intervened, drained
the tub. Increased supervision. June seventeenth, nineteen ninety nine, two
months after first suicide attempt, Andrea tried again. Kitchen knife
(06:03):
held it to her throat. Rusty stopped her. Back to
the hospital another psychiatric hold. July twentieth, nineteen ninety nine,
Andrea was released. Doctor Starbranch met with Andrea and Rusty
explicit warning, do not have any more children. Another pregnancy
will guarantee future psychotic depression. She cannot handle it. It
(06:24):
will be catastrophic. Rusty heard agreed, but privately disagreed. He
wanted more children, believed God would provide, believed Andrea just
needed faith. Warren Yetsi's teachings depression was weakness, spiritual failure.
Andrea needed to be stronger, pray more, trust God. November thirtieth,
(06:46):
two thousand, fifth child born Mary Deborah. Rusty had urged
Andrea to get pregnant. Again, despite doctor's explicit warning. Despite
Andrea's fragile mental state, despite two suicide attempts in eighteen months,
Andrea stopped taking Haldall, her antipsychotic during pregnancy. Baby Mary
(07:07):
was born, and Andrea seemed okay, initially coping caring for
five children. Then March twelfth, two thousand and one, Andrea's
father died. She'd been close to him. The grief triggered
complete collapse. Andrea stopped feeding Mary, stopped drinking water, cut herself,
repeatedly scratched her scalp until it bled, looking for the
(07:29):
mark of the beast, read the Bible, obsessively muttered to herself,
stared at walls, became near catatonic. March thirty first, two
thousand and one, Andrea admitted to Devereaux, Texas Treatment Center
psychiatric hospital. Doctor Ellen Albritton evaluated her. Later testified she
had declined to the point of nonfunction, just there a shell.
(07:54):
Andrea was treated with Haldall again, improved, still clearly ill,
but functional, could speak, could interact, still had delusions, but
less severe. April twelfth, two thousand and one, Andrea discharged.
Insurance only covered limited days. She needed longer treatment, but
insurance said no, So home she went. Still psychotic, still delusional,
(08:19):
but insurance said she was stable enough. She wasn't. May third,
two thousand and one, Andrea filled the family bathtub with
water middle of the day, just filled it, then sat
beside it, staring. Rusty found her, asked what she was doing.
Andrea wouldn't answer, just stared at the water. Back to
(08:39):
hospital this time, doctor Mohammed said, treated her, prescribed Haldall again.
Andrea stabilized, released May fourteenth, but on June fourth, two
thousand and one, sixteen days before the murders, doctor said,
discontinued Haldall. Why he later testified he was concerned about
side effect that Andrea seemed stable, that she could manage
(09:03):
without it. Andrea's family begged doctor Sayid to keep her
on medication, told him she wasn't stable. She was still
hearing voices, still having delusions, still scratching her scalp raw.
Doctor said, said she'd be fine. Sent her home, no howldall,
no antipsychotic, just antidepressants that weren't working. June eighteenth, two
(09:24):
thousand and one, two days before the murders, Andrea's mother
in law, Dora Yates visited, found Andrea shaking, trembling, talking
to herself. Andrea's head was nearly bald from scratching. She
wouldn't make eye contact, barely responded when spoken to. Dora
was terrified. Told Rusty something is seriously wrong. She can't
(09:45):
be alone with the children. Someone needs to be with
her every moment. Rusty agreed his mother would come daily
help supervise, he'd stay close. But Rusty also believed Andrea
needed to practice independence, that coddling her would make her
way worse, that she needed to learn to handle the
children alone, that tough love would help. Doctor Sayid had
(10:06):
explicitly instructed Andrea must not be left alone with the
children ever. She is dangerous, She is delusional, she has
filled bath tubs with water multiple times. She has suicidal
and homicidal ideation. Do not leave her unsupervised. Rusty knew this,
heard it repeatedly from doctors, from his mother, from Andrea's family.
(10:29):
Everyone told him do not leave her alone with the kids.
On the morning of June twentieth, two thousand and one,
Rusty left Andrea alone with the kids. Your tax dollars
at work. June twentieth, two thousand and one eight thirty am.
(10:56):
Rusty left for work, told Andrea his mother would arrive
at night nine thirty am one hour. Andrea just needed
to watch the kids for one hour. Andrea fed them
breakfast cereal. The boys ate in the kitchen. Mary was
in her high chair. Then Andrea walked to the bathroom,
turned on the faucet, filled the bathtub nine inches of
cold water, then went back to the kitchen. She picked
(11:19):
up Mary, six months old, carried her to the bathroom,
placed her in the tub, held her under the water.
Mary struggled, kicked, then went still drowned. Andrea left her
floating in the tub. Went back to the kitchen. Called
Luke two years old, Come here, sweetie. Carried him to
(11:40):
the bathroom, showed him the tub. Luke saw his sister floating,
started crying, screaming. Andrea held him under. He fought, She
held him down, he drowned. She lifted him out, laid
him on the bed in the master bedroom. Went back.
Called Paul, three years old. Same process, to the bathroom,
(12:01):
into the tub. Paul saw his brothers, knew something was wrong,
tried to run. Andrea caught him, held him under. He drowned.
She laid him next to Luke on the bed. Called John,
five years old. He was watching TV. Came when called.
Walked to the bathroom, saw the bathtub, saw Mary still floating,
(12:22):
started backing away. Andrea grabbed him, forced him into the water,
held him down. John struggled harder than the others, stronger, older,
fought for his life. Andrea held him until he stopped moving.
Laid him on the bed with his brothers. Noah was seven, oldest, smartest,
he'd been in another room. Heard the commotion, came to check.
(12:44):
Walked into the master bedroom, saw his four siblings laid
out on the bed, wet, still dead. Noah screamed, turned ran,
Andrea chased him, caught him in the hallway. Noah fought,
seven years old, fighting for his life, begging his mother, no, mommy, no.
(13:04):
Andrea dragged him to the bathroom. Noah was strong, struggled, kicked.
She forced him into the tub, held him under. Noah
fought the longest, his mother holding him underwater, the woman
who gave him life taking it away. Finally he stopped moving.
Andrea left Noah floating in the tub, pulled Mary out,
(13:26):
laid her in John's arms on the bed, covered all
four with a sheet, then sat down, called nine one one.
I need a police officer. What's the problem. I just
need a police officer. What's wrong? Just send somebody. The
dispatcher kept asking. Andrea wouldn't explain, just kept repeating, send someone.
(13:48):
I need help. Then she called Rusty at work, you
need to come home. Why it's time? I finally did it?
Did what Andrea? What happened? It's the children? What about
the children? Are they hurt? All of them? Rusty rushed home,
(14:10):
arrived same time as police officers wouldn't let him inside
crime scene. Five dead children, mass murder. Andrea was arrested,
confessed immediately, gave full statement, detailed everything, how she drowned them,
what order, why she did it, why they weren't developing correctly.
(14:31):
I'm a bad mother. They were going to hell. Satan
was inside them. I had to save them. Now they're
with God. Now they're safe. The state will execute me,
Satan will be destroyed. My children are saved. Postpartum psychosis
with religious delusions. Doctor Philip Resnik, forensic psychiatrist, later explained
(14:52):
Andrea genuinely believed she was saving her children, that drowning
them was an act of love, that their souls would
go to Hell heaven if they died young and innocent,
but if they grew up with her as a bad mother,
they'd be corrupted by Satan and damned to hell. In
Andrea's psychotic mind, she murdered her children to save them
from eternal damnation. And she believed the state would execute her,
(15:15):
which would destroy Satan, which would complete the salvation. Make
it make sense. The trials seven minutes February eighteenth, two
thousand and two. First trial began Harris County, Texas. Judge
Belinda Hill, presiding District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal prosecuting, seeking death penalty.
(15:35):
Defense attorney George Parnham arguing not guilty by reason of insanity.
Texas has strict insanity standard. Did the defendant know right
from wrong at the time of the crime. That's it
doesn't matter if you're psychotic, doesn't matter if you're hallucinating.
If you knew killing was wrong, you're legally saying. Prosecution argued,
Andrea knew, she called nine one one after new to
(15:59):
hide it from Rusty, knew police would come that show
she knew it was wrong, therefore legally sane. Therefore guilty
of capital murder. Defense presented Andrea's psychiatric history, two years
of hospitalizations, suicide attempts, doctor's warnings, medication failures, delusions about Satan,
(16:19):
belief she was saving her children from hell. But prosecution's
star witness was doctor Park Deets, forensic psychiatrist testified for prosecution,
interviewed Andrea, concluded she was legally sane when she killed
her children. Diets claimed Andrea was influenced by an episode
of Law and Order SVU where woman drowned her children
(16:40):
and was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Andrea
watched that episode, Diets said, and copied it to get
an insanity verdict. Powerful testimony suggested Andrea was malingering, faking psychosis,
calculated the whole thing. March twelfth, two thousand and two,
(17:10):
jury deliberated, returned verdict in less than four hours. Guilty
two counts, capital murder. Penalty phase began. Prosecution sought death.
Defense begged for mercy, presented Andrea's mental illness, her lack
of criminal history, the tragedy of it all. Jury couldn't
(17:31):
agree on death penalty, sentenced Andrea to life in prison
with possibility of parole. After forty years, But then two
thousand and five appeal, Andrea's attorneys discovered something that Law
and Order SVU episode doctor Deetz testified about never existed.
No such episode. Deats was wrong or lying. The testimony
(17:56):
was false, the jury relied on it, the conviction was tainted.
Texas Court of Appeals overturned the verdict, ordered new trial
July twenty sixth, two thousand and six. Second trial, same charges,
same evidence, different jury, different outcome. This time, defense emphasized
(18:16):
Andrea's psychosis more effectively. Multiple psychiatrists testified, detailed her delusions,
her hallucinations, her genuine belief she was saving her children.
Prosecution still argued she knew right from wrong. Still sought conviction,
but without Dietz's false testimony, their case was weaker. The
(18:36):
jury deliberated, returned verdict not guilty by reason of insanity.
Andrea Yates was acquitted, sent to North Texas State Hospital,
later transferred to Kerrville State Hospital, mental health facility, not prison,
treatment not punishment. She remains there today, twenty four years later,
(18:56):
will likely stay there the rest of her life. Annual
of valuations. Still severely mentally ill, still delusional at times,
still requires medication and supervision. Rusty divorced her in two
thousand and five, remarried, has more children. Advocates for postpartum
depression awareness says Andrea would never have hurt the children
(19:18):
if not for her illness, that she was sick, that
it wasn't her fault. Andrea's attorney, George Parnham, and his
wife created the Yates Children Memorial Fund raises awareness about
postpartum psychosis. Advocates for better mental health screening for new mothers,
for insurance coverage for treatment access. The case changed, laws
(19:39):
changed how courts view maternal mental illness. Forced America to
recognize postpartum psychosis as real, as dangerous, as treatable if
caught early. But five children are still dead. That's celebrity
trials for Friday. November twenty eighth, twenty twenty five, Black Friday.
(20:01):
Andrea Yates drowned her five children, Noah seven, John five,
Paul three, Luke two, Mary six months, one by one
in the family bathtub because she believed Satan was inside them,
because she thought she was saving them from hell. Doctors warned,
don't have more children, don't leave her alone. She's severely
(20:22):
mentally ill, She's dangerous. Rusty Yates wanted a big family,
pushed for fifth child, took her off medication, left her alone,
despite explicit warnings, despite knowing she'd filled bathtubs before, despite
two suicide attempts. Two thousand and two trial guilty, life
in prison, two thousand and six retrial, not guilty by
(20:45):
reason of insanity. Now at Kerrville State Hospital, where she'll
likely die. This case is different from others we've covered.
Joel Guide Junior murdered his parents for money. Susan Smith
murdered her children for a boyfriend. They were evil. Andrea
Yates was sick, severely, catastrophically mentally ill. Postpartum psychosis is real.
(21:09):
It's rare, affects one in a thousand mothers, but it's treatable,
if caught, if medicated, if supervised. Andrea wasn't supervised, wasn't medicated,
wasn't caught. Noah Jacob Yates should be thirty one years
old today, John Samuel thirty, Paul Abraham twenty eight, Luke
twenty seven, Mary Deborah twenty four, should have grown up,
(21:32):
should have had lives, should have had futures. Rest in peace.
Your mother loved you. Her sickness killed you. I'm read Carter.
Tomorrow we continue the Holiday special with the next notorious
American trial. This is celebrity Trials.
Calarogus Shark Media. Good morning, I'm reed. Carter Friday, November
twenty eighth, twenty twenty five, Black Friday, Hope you had
a great Thanksgiving. Yesterday, June twentieth, two thousand and one,
Wednesday morning, Houston, Texas, suburban Clear Lake neighborhood, Russell Rusty Yates,
(00:28):
NASA engineer left for work at eight thirty am, kissed
his wife Andrea goodbye, told her his mother, Dora, would
arrive in an hour to help with the kids. Five
children in the house Noah seven, John five, Paul three,
Luke two, Mary six months old. Andrea had been diagnosed
(00:48):
with postpartum psychosis, schizophrenia, major depression, hospitalized four times in
two years, two suicide attempts. Doctors explicitly warned, do not
have more children. Do not leave her alone with the kids.
She is severely mentally ill. She is dangerous. Rusty knew
he'd been told repeatedly, but he wanted a big family,
(01:11):
as many children as God would provide, so they had five,
and that morning he left Andrea alone nine forty eight
a m. Andrea called nine one one, I need a
police officer, Why just send someone? Police arrived ten minutes later,
found four children laid out on the master bedroom bed,
(01:32):
soaking wet, covered with a sheet. Noah, John Paul Luke
all dead. Where's the fifth child? Officers walked to the
bathroom found seven year old Noah still in the bathtub, floating, drowned.
Andrea had systematically drowned all five of her children one
(01:53):
by one in the family bathtub. Then called police, then
called Rusty and told him to come home. Why they
needed to be saved from Satan. I'm a bad mother.
They were going to hell. Now they're with God. I'm
read Carter. This is Celebrity Trials today. Andrea Yates the
(02:15):
case that forced America to confront postpartum psychosis, mental illness,
maternal infanticide. And the question was this murder or was
this madness? This is Celebrity Trials. Andrea pa Kennedy was
born July third, nineteen sixty four. Grew up in Houston
(02:37):
High School valedictorian, went to University of Houston nursing degree.
Worked as registered nurse, smart competent, caring by all accounts,
a dedicated professional. She met Russell Yates in nineteen eighty nine.
He was older worked at NASA as computer engineer, deeply religious,
wanted large family, traditional marriage, wife at home raising chill
(03:00):
ldren while he worked. They married April seventeenth, nineteen ninety three.
Andrea quit nursing, became full time homemaker, got pregnant immediately.
February twenty sixth, nineteen ninety four. First child, born, Noah Jacob.
Andrea was thrilled. New mother, everything she'd dreamed of. But
weeks after birth, something changed. Depression, overwhelming, sadness, intrusive thoughts.
(03:27):
She tried to hide it, powered through, told herself it
was normal new mother exhaustion. It would pass. It didn't pass.
It got worse with each pregnancy. December fifteenth, nineteen ninety five,
second child, born John Samuel, Andrea's depression intensified. Still functional,
(03:49):
still caring for kids, but struggling dark thoughts she couldn't shake.
September thirteenth, nineteen ninety seven, third child, born Paul Abraham,
the depression became debilitating. Andrea stopped eating, stopped sleeping, started
having visions, hallucinations, voices. But here's where it gets darker.
(04:10):
In nineteen ninety seven, the Yates family encountered Michael Warrennecki
traveling preacher unaffiliated with any church, extreme fundamentalist views. Rusty
had known him from college. Waronniecki preached that women were
inherently sinful, that children were born wicked, that bad parenting
damned children to hell, that mothers who failed their children
(04:33):
were instruments of satan. Andrea absorbed these teachings, internalized them,
believed them completely. Warrenietsky lived in a bus, traveled the
country preaching. Rusty was inspired, bought a bus from Warrenneki
moved his family into a thirty eight foot converted bus.
No more house, just the bus, three kids, two adults,
(04:55):
tiny space, Andrea homeschooling the boys in the bus. The
isolation in tensified Andrea's mental state, no friends, no support system,
just Rusty, the kids, and Warren Yecki's teachings about sinful
mothers and damned children. February fifteenth, nineteen ninety nine, fourth
child born, Luke, and Andrea broke March thirtieth, nineteen ninety nine.
(05:19):
Andrea swallowed forty or fifty trazodone pills her antidepressant suicide attempt.
Rusty found her unresponsive, rushed to hospital ten daycoma survived
upon waking Andrea was transferred to psychiatric unit. Doctor Eileen
Starbranch diagnosed her with major depressive disorder severe prescribed medication
(05:42):
began therapy. During hospitalization, Andrea filled a bathtub with water,
sat beside it, staring, wouldn't say why. Staff intervened, drained
the tub. Increased supervision. June seventeenth, nineteen ninety nine, two
months after first suicide attempt, Andrea tried again. Kitchen knife
(06:03):
held it to her throat. Rusty stopped her. Back to
the hospital another psychiatric hold. July twentieth, nineteen ninety nine,
Andrea was released. Doctor Starbranch met with Andrea and Rusty
explicit warning, do not have any more children. Another pregnancy
will guarantee future psychotic depression. She cannot handle it. It
(06:24):
will be catastrophic. Rusty heard agreed, but privately disagreed. He
wanted more children, believed God would provide, believed Andrea just
needed faith. Warren Yetsi's teachings depression was weakness, spiritual failure.
Andrea needed to be stronger, pray more, trust God. November thirtieth,
(06:46):
two thousand, fifth child born Mary Deborah. Rusty had urged
Andrea to get pregnant. Again, despite doctor's explicit warning. Despite
Andrea's fragile mental state, despite two suicide attempts in eighteen months,
Andrea stopped taking Haldall, her antipsychotic during pregnancy. Baby Mary
(07:07):
was born, and Andrea seemed okay, initially coping caring for
five children. Then March twelfth, two thousand and one, Andrea's
father died. She'd been close to him. The grief triggered
complete collapse. Andrea stopped feeding Mary, stopped drinking water, cut herself,
repeatedly scratched her scalp until it bled, looking for the
(07:29):
mark of the beast, read the Bible, obsessively muttered to herself,
stared at walls, became near catatonic. March thirty first, two
thousand and one, Andrea admitted to Devereaux, Texas Treatment Center
psychiatric hospital. Doctor Ellen Albritton evaluated her. Later testified she
had declined to the point of nonfunction, just there a shell.
(07:54):
Andrea was treated with Haldall again, improved, still clearly ill,
but functional, could speak, could interact, still had delusions, but
less severe. April twelfth, two thousand and one, Andrea discharged.
Insurance only covered limited days. She needed longer treatment, but
insurance said no, So home she went. Still psychotic, still delusional,
(08:19):
but insurance said she was stable enough. She wasn't. May third,
two thousand and one, Andrea filled the family bathtub with
water middle of the day, just filled it, then sat
beside it, staring. Rusty found her, asked what she was doing.
Andrea wouldn't answer, just stared at the water. Back to
(08:39):
hospital this time, doctor Mohammed said, treated her, prescribed Haldall again.
Andrea stabilized, released May fourteenth, but on June fourth, two
thousand and one, sixteen days before the murders, doctor said,
discontinued Haldall. Why he later testified he was concerned about
side effect that Andrea seemed stable, that she could manage
(09:03):
without it. Andrea's family begged doctor Sayid to keep her
on medication, told him she wasn't stable. She was still
hearing voices, still having delusions, still scratching her scalp raw.
Doctor said, said she'd be fine. Sent her home, no howldall,
no antipsychotic, just antidepressants that weren't working. June eighteenth, two
(09:24):
thousand and one, two days before the murders, Andrea's mother
in law, Dora Yates visited, found Andrea shaking, trembling, talking
to herself. Andrea's head was nearly bald from scratching. She
wouldn't make eye contact, barely responded when spoken to. Dora
was terrified. Told Rusty something is seriously wrong. She can't
(09:45):
be alone with the children. Someone needs to be with
her every moment. Rusty agreed his mother would come daily
help supervise, he'd stay close. But Rusty also believed Andrea
needed to practice independence, that coddling her would make her
way worse, that she needed to learn to handle the
children alone, that tough love would help. Doctor Sayid had
(10:06):
explicitly instructed Andrea must not be left alone with the
children ever. She is dangerous, She is delusional, she has
filled bath tubs with water multiple times. She has suicidal
and homicidal ideation. Do not leave her unsupervised. Rusty knew this,
heard it repeatedly from doctors, from his mother, from Andrea's family.
(10:29):
Everyone told him do not leave her alone with the kids.
On the morning of June twentieth, two thousand and one,
Rusty left Andrea alone with the kids. Your tax dollars
at work. June twentieth, two thousand and one eight thirty am.
(10:56):
Rusty left for work, told Andrea his mother would arrive
at night nine thirty am one hour. Andrea just needed
to watch the kids for one hour. Andrea fed them
breakfast cereal. The boys ate in the kitchen. Mary was
in her high chair. Then Andrea walked to the bathroom,
turned on the faucet, filled the bathtub nine inches of
cold water, then went back to the kitchen. She picked
(11:19):
up Mary, six months old, carried her to the bathroom,
placed her in the tub, held her under the water.
Mary struggled, kicked, then went still drowned. Andrea left her
floating in the tub. Went back to the kitchen. Called
Luke two years old, Come here, sweetie. Carried him to
(11:40):
the bathroom, showed him the tub. Luke saw his sister floating,
started crying, screaming. Andrea held him under. He fought, She
held him down, he drowned. She lifted him out, laid
him on the bed in the master bedroom. Went back.
Called Paul, three years old. Same process, to the bathroom,
(12:01):
into the tub. Paul saw his brothers, knew something was wrong,
tried to run. Andrea caught him, held him under. He drowned.
She laid him next to Luke on the bed. Called John,
five years old. He was watching TV. Came when called.
Walked to the bathroom, saw the bathtub, saw Mary still floating,
(12:22):
started backing away. Andrea grabbed him, forced him into the water,
held him down. John struggled harder than the others, stronger, older,
fought for his life. Andrea held him until he stopped moving.
Laid him on the bed with his brothers. Noah was seven, oldest, smartest,
he'd been in another room. Heard the commotion, came to check.
(12:44):
Walked into the master bedroom, saw his four siblings laid
out on the bed, wet, still dead. Noah screamed, turned ran,
Andrea chased him, caught him in the hallway. Noah fought,
seven years old, fighting for his life, begging his mother, no, mommy, no.
(13:04):
Andrea dragged him to the bathroom. Noah was strong, struggled, kicked.
She forced him into the tub, held him under. Noah
fought the longest, his mother holding him underwater, the woman
who gave him life taking it away. Finally he stopped moving.
Andrea left Noah floating in the tub, pulled Mary out,
(13:26):
laid her in John's arms on the bed, covered all
four with a sheet, then sat down, called nine one one.
I need a police officer. What's the problem. I just
need a police officer. What's wrong? Just send somebody. The
dispatcher kept asking. Andrea wouldn't explain, just kept repeating, send someone.
(13:48):
I need help. Then she called Rusty at work, you
need to come home. Why it's time? I finally did it?
Did what Andrea? What happened? It's the children? What about
the children? Are they hurt? All of them? Rusty rushed home,
(14:10):
arrived same time as police officers wouldn't let him inside
crime scene. Five dead children, mass murder. Andrea was arrested,
confessed immediately, gave full statement, detailed everything, how she drowned them,
what order, why she did it, why they weren't developing correctly.
(14:31):
I'm a bad mother. They were going to hell. Satan
was inside them. I had to save them. Now they're
with God. Now they're safe. The state will execute me,
Satan will be destroyed. My children are saved. Postpartum psychosis
with religious delusions. Doctor Philip Resnik, forensic psychiatrist, later explained
(14:52):
Andrea genuinely believed she was saving her children, that drowning
them was an act of love, that their souls would
go to Hell heaven if they died young and innocent,
but if they grew up with her as a bad mother,
they'd be corrupted by Satan and damned to hell. In
Andrea's psychotic mind, she murdered her children to save them
from eternal damnation. And she believed the state would execute her,
(15:15):
which would destroy Satan, which would complete the salvation. Make
it make sense. The trials seven minutes February eighteenth, two
thousand and two. First trial began Harris County, Texas. Judge
Belinda Hill, presiding District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal prosecuting, seeking death penalty.
(15:35):
Defense attorney George Parnham arguing not guilty by reason of insanity.
Texas has strict insanity standard. Did the defendant know right
from wrong at the time of the crime. That's it
doesn't matter if you're psychotic, doesn't matter if you're hallucinating.
If you knew killing was wrong, you're legally saying. Prosecution argued,
Andrea knew, she called nine one one after new to
(15:59):
hide it from Rusty, knew police would come that show
she knew it was wrong, therefore legally sane. Therefore guilty
of capital murder. Defense presented Andrea's psychiatric history, two years
of hospitalizations, suicide attempts, doctor's warnings, medication failures, delusions about Satan,
(16:19):
belief she was saving her children from hell. But prosecution's
star witness was doctor Park Deets, forensic psychiatrist testified for prosecution,
interviewed Andrea, concluded she was legally sane when she killed
her children. Diets claimed Andrea was influenced by an episode
of Law and Order SVU where woman drowned her children
(16:40):
and was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Andrea
watched that episode, Diets said, and copied it to get
an insanity verdict. Powerful testimony suggested Andrea was malingering, faking psychosis,
calculated the whole thing. March twelfth, two thousand and two,
(17:10):
jury deliberated, returned verdict in less than four hours. Guilty
two counts, capital murder. Penalty phase began. Prosecution sought death.
Defense begged for mercy, presented Andrea's mental illness, her lack
of criminal history, the tragedy of it all. Jury couldn't
(17:31):
agree on death penalty, sentenced Andrea to life in prison
with possibility of parole. After forty years, But then two
thousand and five appeal, Andrea's attorneys discovered something that Law
and Order SVU episode doctor Deetz testified about never existed.
No such episode. Deats was wrong or lying. The testimony
(17:56):
was false, the jury relied on it, the conviction was tainted.
Texas Court of Appeals overturned the verdict, ordered new trial
July twenty sixth, two thousand and six. Second trial, same charges,
same evidence, different jury, different outcome. This time, defense emphasized
(18:16):
Andrea's psychosis more effectively. Multiple psychiatrists testified, detailed her delusions,
her hallucinations, her genuine belief she was saving her children.
Prosecution still argued she knew right from wrong. Still sought conviction,
but without Dietz's false testimony, their case was weaker. The
(18:36):
jury deliberated, returned verdict not guilty by reason of insanity.
Andrea Yates was acquitted, sent to North Texas State Hospital,
later transferred to Kerrville State Hospital, mental health facility, not prison,
treatment not punishment. She remains there today, twenty four years later,
(18:56):
will likely stay there the rest of her life. Annual
of valuations. Still severely mentally ill, still delusional at times,
still requires medication and supervision. Rusty divorced her in two
thousand and five, remarried, has more children. Advocates for postpartum
depression awareness says Andrea would never have hurt the children
(19:18):
if not for her illness, that she was sick, that
it wasn't her fault. Andrea's attorney, George Parnham, and his
wife created the Yates Children Memorial Fund raises awareness about
postpartum psychosis. Advocates for better mental health screening for new mothers,
for insurance coverage for treatment access. The case changed, laws
(19:39):
changed how courts view maternal mental illness. Forced America to
recognize postpartum psychosis as real, as dangerous, as treatable if
caught early. But five children are still dead. That's celebrity
trials for Friday. November twenty eighth, twenty twenty five, Black Friday.
(20:01):
Andrea Yates drowned her five children, Noah seven, John five,
Paul three, Luke two, Mary six months, one by one
in the family bathtub because she believed Satan was inside them,
because she thought she was saving them from hell. Doctors warned,
don't have more children, don't leave her alone. She's severely
(20:22):
mentally ill, She's dangerous. Rusty Yates wanted a big family,
pushed for fifth child, took her off medication, left her alone,
despite explicit warnings, despite knowing she'd filled bathtubs before, despite
two suicide attempts. Two thousand and two trial guilty, life
in prison, two thousand and six retrial, not guilty by
(20:45):
reason of insanity. Now at Kerrville State Hospital, where she'll
likely die. This case is different from others we've covered.
Joel Guide Junior murdered his parents for money. Susan Smith
murdered her children for a boyfriend. They were evil. Andrea
Yates was sick, severely, catastrophically mentally ill. Postpartum psychosis is real.
(21:09):
It's rare, affects one in a thousand mothers, but it's treatable,
if caught, if medicated, if supervised. Andrea wasn't supervised, wasn't medicated,
wasn't caught. Noah Jacob Yates should be thirty one years
old today, John Samuel thirty, Paul Abraham twenty eight, Luke
twenty seven, Mary Deborah twenty four, should have grown up,
(21:32):
should have had lives, should have had futures. Rest in peace.
Your mother loved you. Her sickness killed you. I'm read Carter.
Tomorrow we continue the Holiday special with the next notorious
American trial. This is celebrity Trials.
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