Andrea Yates “Yates does not fit the profile of a mother who kills her children” said Hay of Child Protective Services. (Glenn par. 14) Most mothers who kill their children are younger and generally start out as teen-age moms. However, thirty-seven year old Andrea Pia Yates killed her five children and is now on trial to receive a punishment for her actions. She claims the reason she committed the crime is because she suffers from a severe case of postpartum depression. Andrea Yates possesses many problems and no matter her state of mental health, she will be punished for the crime she committed.
On June 20, 2001, Andrea Pia Yates drowned her four sons and one daughter ranging from ages six months to seven years. She drowned Noah, 7, John, 5, Paul, 3, Luke, 2, and Mary, six months, in the bathtub in their home. The children were apparently killed approximately one hour after their father, longtime NASA Johnson Space Center computer engineer, left for work. The bodies of three of her sons and her infant daughter were found on a bed, covered by a sheet. The oldest boy was found in the bathtub, Houston Police said. (Glenn par.
2) She was arrested without bond on June 22 for the charge of murdering her five children. Andrea was arrested after summoning the police to her home located in Clear Lake. Andrea called her husband Russell after phoning police and said he had “better come home… .” (qt d. in Glenn par. 15).
When he arrived, police were already at the scene and would not allow him to enter his home. Taylor 2 Looking dazed, the skinny long-haired woman said: “I killed my kids.” (qt d. in Glenn par. 3). Andrea Yates claimed that the reason she killed her children was because she suffered from postpartum depression. Postpartum depression, which affects approximately eight to fifteen percent of mothers in America, usually starts four weeks after the birth of a child and can last for months (Post Partum Depression screen 1).
It causes feelings of panic, confusion, and hopelessness, and can change the sleeping and eating patterns of the one suffering. Postpartum depression is usually mild and is easily treated with medication. Yet, in come rare cases, it can lead to violence. Postpartum depression is classified in three different categories. The mildest is “maternity blues” or “baby blues” (Postpartum Depression screen 1). This occurs in forty to eighty five percent of women, therefore is not considered serious and does not need medication.
The next degree of postpartum depression is recognized as an actual complication of childbirth. Symptoms include loss of interest in usually pleasurable activities, difficulty in making decisions, feelings of guilt, and excessive anxiety of child’s health (Postpartum Depression screen 1). The most severe degree of postpartum depression is puerperal psychosis which is very rare and only affects 0. 1% to 0.
2% of deliveries (Postpartum Depression screen 1). Contemplations of suicide and severe withdrawal from her newborn child and other family members and friends are two major symptoms. The children of these women are also affected. Hospitalization of a postpartum depression mother increases the incidence of emotional disturbance in children (Postpartum Depression screen 1). Andrea Yates was treated at a psychiatric hospital in June of 1999 Taylor 3 after trying to kill herself, according to Children’s Protective Services records (Glenn par. 9).
On January 31, after three and a half weeks of interviews and careful selections, the jury for the trial was finally picked. Although their names were disclosed, a description of those chosen was released. The jury was composed of eight women and four men. Eight of the jurors have children and nine of them are married. (The Yates Trial Jury par.
2) Robert Hirsch orn, a Dallas area lawyer who has been a jury consultant on many high profile cases said: “Only four men (on the jury) says they ” re going to be spending a bunch of time bashing the husband. Men do not like to hear about another man being bashed. It’s not a subject many men open up to.” (Makeup of Yates’ Jury may Hint at a Defense Strategy par. 3) The trial began on February 18 at ten thirty in the morning. She was already convicted of capital murder.
It was the jury’s job to decide whether Yates belonged in prison, on death row, or in a mental hospital. Harris County prosecutors asked for the death penalty, but defense attorneys asked to have to her found not guilty by reason of insanity. (Yates Murder Trial Starts Today par. 2) Their proof is a history of mental illness which includes two suicide attempts and postpartum depression. The prosecutors tried their hardest to keep reminding the jury that there are five dead babies as a result of Andrea Yates. The jury heard the recording of Yates’ 911 call that repeatedly said she needed the police to come to her house but would not tell them why.
The jury also saw a videotape of the crime scene which had four of the children tucked in bed as if going to sleep and the oldest face down in the bathtub. They saw pictures of the five dead Taylor 4 children and heard Yates’ confession where she said she waited until her husband left for work, then filled the bathtub half full and drowned the five children. She told psychiatrists she had to drown the children because they were not “righteous” and would burn in hell if she did not take their lives while they were still innocent. (Jury Gives Yates Life Term Without Parole for Forty Years par. 5) Since Yates was already charged with capital murder her only two options were death row or life in prison.
In order for her to win (not get the death penalty), the defense attorneys had to prove to the jury that Yates was not aware of what she was doing on June 20. The defense attorneys were trying to focus on the events that occurred throughout her life instead of the horrible event that occurred on June 20. The jury reached their decision in thirty five minutes. (Jury Gives Yates Life Term with No Parole for Forty Years par. 3) They sentenced Yates to forty years in prison with out parole. Yates was confused when the sentencing was read because it did not state life or death.
She was heavily drugged throughout the hearing so she was never very emotional and did not talk much. She was of course relieved, yet experts believe that she really does not know everything that is going on around her. Ever since June 20, people across America have been confused and disturbed by the actions of Andrea Pia Yates. The hearts of everyone go out to her poor husband who is now left with no one to call his immediate family. Russell Yates made a website which is dedicated to his five children.
The website has pictures and home videos of each of the children. The world can only hope and pray that such tragic and shocking events like the one that occurred on June 20 will not occur in the future. Works Cited 1 Christian, Carol. “Makeup of Yates Jury Many Hint at Defense Strategy.” , “The Yates Jury Trial.” Houston Chronicle 31 January 2002. 2 Christian, Carol. “Yates Murder Trial Starts Today.” Houston Chronicle 18 February 2002.
3 Christian, Carol. “Jury Gives Yates Life with out Parole for Forty Years.” Houston Chronicle 16 March 2002. 4 Glenn, Mike. “June 20: Mom Held in Killing Five Kids.” Houston Chronicle 21 June 2001. 5 Post Partum Depression. 18 March 2002.
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