21 years ago on June 20, 2001, Andrea Yates, did a horrendous crime by killing her 5 children, John, Paul, Luke, Mary, and Noah by drowning them in the bathtub of her Houston house.
At that time, 37 years old Yates, was suffering from postpartum depression, psychosis, and schizophrenia. After killing her children, she called 911 and her husband, Rusty who went to work. Before killing, her children she waited for her husband to leave for work.
Andrea is now 58 years old. She was born in Hallsville, Texas, United States on July 2, 1964, to Jutta Karin Koehler and Andrew Emmett Kennedy. Andrea was found guilty of capital murder and was charged with life imprisonment. But, Chuck Rosenthal, now former district attorney, wanted the death penalty for Yates.
Andrea Yates, credits: Time
As her case, proceeded, a new view came to light, a psychiatric expert’s statement changed her verdict overnight. Later, she was sent to North Texas State Hospital in the year 2006 on June 26, after she was found not guilty by insanity defense. Kates received mental health treatment in the hospital. After approximately a year, she later got transferred to Kerrville State Hospital, Kerrville, Texas mental hospital.
She married Rusty at a summer wedding in 1989 and after having their 4th child, Lukes, Andrea Yates started showing signs of depression. On 17th June 1999 she attempted to commit suicide, a day after she was found chewing her fingers by Rusty. She was immediately hospitalized and was given the care she needed. After, her release she again tried to kill herself and begged Rusty to let her kill herself and was again admitted.
Before, the birth of her 5th and final child, Mary, she had 2-3 breakdowns and was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis. Earlier Andrea and Rusty wanted to have ‘as many babies as nature allowed’, but after the birth of Mary, her fifth child, her psychiatrist, Dr. Eileen Starbranch, urged the couple to don’t give more births as it will cause more depression to Yates.
After the death of her father, she became so mentally unstable that she started harming herself and reading Bible over and over again. In the year 2001 on April 1, she was admitted and got out of the hospital, the same year on May 3, 2001.
Later, in the day attempted to murder her children, for which she filled the bathtub, she confessed the same to the police but they interpreted that she tried to attempt suicide and was again hospitalized. On June 20, 2001, Andrea again attempted to kill her children and was successful as she killed them by drowning.
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What Happened with Her?
Andrea confessed her killing her children and also dialing 911. In 2005, Park Dietz, a psychiatric expert doctor, gave a false statement in court due to which she was found insane and not guilty. In the 2006’s trial, a picture came into view, due to which she got bail and was admitted to North Texas State Hospital, for her treatment and was later transferred to Kerrville State Hospital.
Since 2007, Andrea is in Kerrville State Hospital. Throughout her all treatments and consultations with the doctor, Yates refused to be reviewed and chose to continue her treatment. George Parnham, Andrea’s former attorney said that he still talks to Andrea, Andrea’s case changed his career and people’s thoughts toward mental illness
He also said that she’s happy now, “She said, ‘Please don’t leave me alone,’ and I haven’t at all,” said George remembering her first words to him. He also said that Andrea daily grieves for her children and also watches videos of her kids.
(Andrea Yates, credits: Film Daily)
Andrea Yates Divorce
In the year 2006, Rusty was recommended not to leave Andrea alone with her 5 children but he started leaving her so that she can be responsible for her motherly responsibilities and stopped depending on Rusty and her mother. He later, said that he was never told that his wife was not mentally perfect otherwise he wouldn’t have left her alone.
Even after what Andrea did irrespective of her condition he was still beside her and claimed that she loved them. But, in the year 2004, he decided to end their marriage and filed for divorce stating that they haven’t been living together since that incident which he got in 2005. He then started dating Laura Arnold. The duo got married in 2006 on March 25, and later Laura filed for divorce in the year 2005.
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