Who is Andrea Yates? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Andrea Pia Yates

Age: 60 Years, 60 Year Old Females

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Russel Yates (m. 1993 - div. 2005)

father: Andrew Emmett Kennedy

mother: Jutta Karin Koehler

siblings: Andrew Kennedy, Brian Kennedy, Michele Freeman, Patrick Kennedy

children: John Yates, Luke Yates, Mary Yates, Noah Yates, Paul Yates

Born Country: United States

American Women Cancer Criminals

More Facts

education: University Of Houston

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1

What led to Andrea Yates committing the tragic act of drowning her five children?

Andrea Yates suffered from severe postpartum depression and psychosis, which led to her experiencing delusions and believing that she needed to kill her children to save them from eternal damnation.
2

Was Andrea Yates found guilty for the murders of her children?

Yes, Andrea Yates was found guilty of capital murder in 2002. However, her conviction was later overturned on appeal and she was found not guilty by reason of insanity in a retrial.
3

What legal implications arose from Andrea Yates' case?

Andrea Yates' case sparked discussions and debates about mental health, postpartum depression, and the insanity defense in criminal trials.
4

What was the impact of Andrea Yates' case on mental health awareness and advocacy?

The case of Andrea Yates brought attention to the importance of recognizing and treating postpartum depression and mental health disorders in mothers, leading to increased awareness and advocacy efforts.
5

How did the tragedy involving Andrea Yates and her children affect public perception of maternal mental health?

The case of Andrea Yates shed light on the struggles faced by mothers dealing with mental health issues, sparking conversations about the need for better support and resources for maternal mental health.

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Childhood & Early Life

Andrea Yates was born as Andrea Pia Kennedy on July 2, 1964, in Hallsville, Texas, United States, as the youngest of the five children of Jutta Karin Koehler and Andrew Emmett Kennedy. As a teenager, she suffered from bulimia, as well as depression, and had discussed suicide with a friend at the age of 17.

She was the captain of the swim team and an officer in the National Honor Society while attending Milby High School, from where she graduated as the class valedictorian in 1982. She pursued a two-year pre-nursing program at the University of Houston before graduating from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in 1986.

Following graduation, she registered as a nurse at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and while working there, met Russell 'Rusty' Yates at the Sunscape Apartments in Houston in the summer of 1989. The couple subsequently moved in together and got married on April 17, 1993, following which they bought a four-bedroom house in the town of Friendswood.

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Family Life

Andrea Yates' first child, son Noah Jacob, was born on February 26, 1994, soon after which they relocated to Seminole, Florida, where Rusty was offered a job, and began living in a small trailer. She gave birth to her second son, John Samuel, on December 15, 1995, in Florida, but moved back to Houston before her third son, Paul Abraham, was born on September 13, 1997.

The family lived in a GMC motor home, which Rusty, a Methodist, had bought from Michael Woroniecki, an itinerant preacher whose fire-and-brimstone rhetoric had particularly captivated Andrea, who was raised as Roman Catholic. The couple followed his preaching that married couples should have as many babies as nature allowed, while Andrea took seriously Woroniecki's words that their children will perish in hellfire for the sins of their parents.

Despite having a miscarriage, she gave birth to their fourth son, Luke David, on February 15, 1999, but subsequently began to suffer from postpartum depression and psychosis. She was seen chewing her fingers on June 16, and the next day, she attempted suicide by overdosing on Trazodone, an antidepressant.

Rusty admitted her in the Methodist Hospital where she was diagnosed with a severe depressive disorder and was given prescription antidepressants. However, a month later in July 21, she made another suicide attempt with a knife, and was admitted to Memorial Spring Shadows Glen where she was given Haldol, which seemed effective on her.

After they moved into a house, her condition stabilized, but the couple stopped the medication in order to conceive despite being advised against having more kids by psychiatrist Dr. Eileen Starbranch. She gave birth to her fifth child, daughter Mary Deborah, on November 30, 2000, and remained stable until her father's death on March 12, 2001.

In the following months, she stopped feeding her youngest child Mary, almost choked the baby once giving it solid food, feverishly read the Bible, and often inflicted injury upon herself. She was hospitalized at Devereux Treatment Center in League City on March 31, under the care of Dr. Mohammed Saeed, who initially refused to prescribe Haldol, as was requested by Rusty.

She was re-hospitalized on May 4 after telling her mother-in-law that she had filled the bathtub because she "might need it", and was released 10 days later while still under suicide watch for insurance constraints. While Dr. Saeed had again discontinued Haldol after reluctantly using it for the treatment, he had instructed Rusty to supervise her around the clock and not to leave the children in her care.

Killings

At a weekend family gathering days before the killings, Andrea Yates's husband Rusty had mentioned that he wanted to leave her with the children for an hour every morning and evening to improve her independence. On June 20, 2001, he went to work asking his mother, Dora Yates, to come to their house in the suburb of Clear Lake City one hour later to care for the children.

Within a period of about an hour, Andrea drowned all her five children, while locking up their family dog so that it could not interfere with her plan. She first drowned John, followed by Paul and Luke, and laid all three in her bed, but as she drowned Mary, she was interrupted by Noah, who asked her what was wrong with the baby.

She left Mary in the tub and ran after Noah, who was soon drowned and kept in the tub as she laid Mary in John's arms in the bed. She then called the police several times asking them to send an officer without revealing the reason, and also called Rusty, asking him to immediately come home.

Trial

After the police arrived, Andrea Yates confessed to killing her five children and was arrested; however, her lawyers pleaded that she was not guilty by reason of insanity. According to the testimony of Dr. Phillip Resnick, who interviewed her in jail, she knew that killing her children was illegal, but believed that she was saving them from an eternity in hell.

In March 2002, the jury accepted the defense testimony that she was psychotic, but rejected the insanity defense based on Texas law, because she was able to discern right from wrong. The jury declined death penalty, as sought by the prosecution, and sentenced her to life imprisonment in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, which meant 40 years in jail before qualifying for parole.

In January 2005, it was revealed that prosecution witness Dr. Park Dietz had given false testimony about a Law & Order episode in which a woman drowned her children and was acquitted through insanity defense. In January 2006, a new trial was opened and she was found not guilty by reason of insanity in July that year, following which she was sent to the North Texas State Hospital, Vernon Campus.

Facts About Andrea Yates

She was known for her love of reading and would often spend hours immersed in books on a wide range of topics.

Despite facing challenges with her mental health, Andrea Yates was described as a kind and caring individual by those who knew her.

She had a passion for gardening and spent much of her free time tending to her plants and creating beautiful outdoor spaces.

Andrea Yates had a talent for playing the piano and would often relax by composing her own music.

Andrea Yates Biography

You wanted to know

What led to Andrea Yates committing the tragic act of drowning her five children?

Was Andrea Yates found guilty for the murders of her children?

What legal implications arose from Andrea Yates' case?

What was the impact of Andrea Yates' case on mental health awareness and advocacy?

How did the tragedy involving Andrea Yates and her children affect public perception of maternal mental health?