Her ex-husband calls it "a miracle'' that Andrea Yates has been found not guilty by reason of insanity in the drownings of their children.
Rusty Yates and his mother were both in tears as the verdict came in. Even the defense lawyers cried. Andrea Yates showed little emotion as she stood to hear the jury's decision. But when the judge in the Houston courtroom announced the proceedings were over, Yates and her ex-husband hugged her lawyers.
Justice for Andrea Yates
It took over four years but the criminal justice system in Texas finally got it right. Andrea Yates, described at the time of the killing of her children as one of the most severely mentally ill patients ever encountered, finally was recognized as such by a jury which took the time to consider what must have happened (or not happened) inside Yates' mind that morning in June 2001 to cause her to seek out and destroy those she loved most in life.
There is no victory here. Yates will be sent to heavily-guarded mental health facility, where she will probably spend the rest of her life. From time to time she will be evaluated. And, if past is prologue, every time her medicine allows her to regain a little bit of sanity she will realize what she did to her beloved children and then descend again back into some sort of madness. So this story started as a tragedy and continues as a tragedy even with though the defense finally won the day. (Reporter name unknown)
THIS PAGE ORIGINALLY POSTED JANUARY 2006 PRIOR TO THE 2ND TRIAL
I don't know Andrea Yates - I did not follow the case too close - I am not an expert
But I truly believe ...
ANDREA YATES IS INNOCENT BY REASON OF INSANITY
The Yates Family during happier times, the newborn child does not appear above.
For those of you that don't know, Andrea Yates is the Houston Texas USA area mother who several years ago was sent to prison for drowning all of her children to death in a bathtub in their home. If I am correct, she believed God wanted her to do this and she felt she was protecting the children by doing this.
My entire being screamed when I heard she was convicted of murder. I am still haunted by this case. I believe in my heart she was not in her right mind and she does not deserve to be in a prison. Something in my soul says she is not guilty. She may need to be in a mental hospital for the rest of her life, at least until they ascertain she won't ever do this again, but I don't believe she should have been placed in prison. This was a woman who experienced a complete psychosis at the very best, and not self-induced with drug use either as I recall but possibly she was a latent schizophrenic. A prosecution witness mistakenly told the court that what she did to her children was actually portrayed in an episode from a very popular TV Series when in fact no such episode existed, strongly prejudicing the jury. The new trial is scheduled for March 20th, 2006. She is facing life in prison and possibly worse. Don't get me wrong, I am not asking you to pray for her to be released or not convicted but instead that the entire truth comes out at her trial; if that is done I believe the rest will fall into place as it should. You can mail a link to this page or site with the Send Link option at the foot of each page. It will open your e-mail program so you can privately send easily to anyone in your address book. (My musical selections are strongly affected by my faith and may not be to some peoples taste. Adjust volume with the player below photos.)
I am creating and posting this page January 1st, 2006, 11:00 pm.
Comments Received about this page:
Date: Thursday, January 05, 2006
Concerning Andrea Yates.......All I have to say about the matter is, what if those were your children, your flesh and blood that she drowned in a tub. Would you still say she shouldn't have to go to prison? H, Hawaii (female)
H,
That is the thing, these were her kids, not another family's. She did not bring harm to any other than the children she brought into this world and nurtured up until that fateful day. It is imperative that we understand mental illness better as a country and a world, so that we can identify and prevent these things from happening in the first place by understanding the warning signs and having a network in place. We have to get past the social stigmas associated with mental illness to this day, in 2006. The individuals hit with this illness can be handled as ill people and not as premeditated, cold blooded, calculating murderers and rapists which is where they are being placed frequently. Imagine going to bed one night and waking up the next day in a maximum security prison with your states most violent offenders. This is how it can be for someone who has had a psychotic episode and committed some horrible offense, yet they have never had so much as a a traffic ticket until that day. For them it as if they are waking up once the psychosis subsides either naturally or with medication. People who become psychotic are no different than the craziest person at a mental hospital, but, their disorder can appear and disappear and never return again, by no fault of their own. The person you know and love for years, a parent or spouse, could have this happen, like Alzheimer's. I cannot imagine losing a child. The bottom line though, I am not an expert and that is why I just ask that the entire truth comes out. Her first trial had serious errors that inflamed the jury in my opinion and left them almost without any choice but the verdict they made. If she deserves prison then she should be there but if she honestly lost her mind and was truly insane, then no, I don’t want her in prison. And I think the acid test is the fact she actually took all of her children’s lives. If she was faking or not insane, I think she would have snapped back into reality after the first or second child, but to follow through on all 5 tells me that she was not in her right mind, in my opinion. Thanks for writing in. I welcome everyone's thoughts and comments on this, good or bad.
I wonder what her 5 children would want for their Mom. Shep
If she hasn't already, Andrea Yates will wake up at some point unless her condition is permanent, and she will realize what she has done, and rather than being surrounded by immediate family and her husband and/or trained medical staff that will assure her that things will be ok and that every thing will work out, and she will get through this, this instead will occur with her in a maximum security Texas prison among the worst women that have ever graced the State of Texas if she is forced to stay there. I do hope she is on suicide watch if and when that happens.
"Because ye have done this unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Jesus Christ, KJV
Saint Matthew 25:31-46 "Listen to your soul - it won't steer you wrong!"
I hope none of us experience the unbearable depth of pain Andrea Yates will experience and live with for the rest of her life in the absence of the five lives she brought into this world and then took out. Her whole world disappeared in one afternoon. Instead of a team of doctors able to help her sort through what happened and the overwhelming grief, she instead deals with hardened felons for the most part and probably has significant fear or anxiety around the clock as a result.
Again, learn the facts, I have only gotten bits and pieces and I may be wrong, which is why I just ask that all of the truth come out and that justice prevails. I think my soul threw up the day I heard what she did and again when she was convicted. We will all rest better knowing the right thing has been done in this case, whatever that may be.
UPDATE: The judge in Andrea Yates case today January 9, 2006, has accepted her plea of not guilty by reason of insanity and has set her trial date for March 20th of this year. Thanks for taking the time to become more familiar with her case.
Update June 28, 2006 - The trial has begun this week. Prosecution rests after several days of testimony and her defense begins. Use the Google Link below for minute-by-minute changes in her case-
The music below plays automatically on the Hi-Speed version of this website. You can try the play button below and see if your Internet Connection is fast enough to play it, plus if your computer has Windows Media Player and speakers. Anyhow, the music is specially selected but the text is the most important. If you have a fast Internet connection and speakers, try the broad band copy of this page by clicking: Andrea Yates Hi-Speed Page
The following music was specially selected and remixed for this page about Andrea Yates and is designed to capture the insanity of both the situation and the fact that a severely mentally ill person may be put in prison for the rest of their life, a potential death sentence in and of itself.
Washing of the Water - Red Rain (Remix) by Peter Gabriel, Live Secret World Tour (amazing song)
& Sarah McLachlan Arms of an Angel
& Jars of Clay - Worlds Apart Acoustic Version
I come to you, defenses down - with the trust of a child.
So deep, so wide, will you take me on your back for a ride If I should fall, would you swallow me deep inside
River, show me how to float I feel like I’m sinking down Thought that I could get along But here in this water My feet won’t touch the ground I need something to turn myself around
Going away, away towards the sea River deep, can you lift up and carry me Oh roll on though the heartland ’til the sun has left the sky River, river carry me high ’til the washing of the water make it all alright Let your waters reach me like she reached me tonight
Letting go, it’s so hard The way it’s hurting now To get this love untied So tough to stay with this thing if I follow through I face what I denied I get those hooks out of me And I take out the hooks that I sunk deep in your side Kill that fear of emptiness, loneliness I hide
River, oh river, river running deep Bring me something that will let me get to sleep In the washing of the water will you take it all away Bring me something to take this pain away
Red Rain Ending - Peter Gabriel
In the Arms of an Angel by Sarah McLachlan
Take My World Apart Acoustic Version by Jars of Clay
I am the only one to blame for this Somehow it all adds up the same Soaring on the wings of selfish pride I flew too high and like Icarus I collide With a world I try so hard to leave behind To rid myself of all but love to give and die
To turn away and not become Another nail to pierce the skin of one who loves more deeply than the oceans, more abundant than the tears Of a world embracing every heartache
Can I be the one to sacrifice Or grip the spear and watch the blood and water flow
To love you - take my world apart To need you - I am on my knees To love you - take my world apart To need you - broken on my knees
All said and done I stand alone Amongst remains of a life I should not own It takes all I am to believe In the mercy that covers me
To love you - take my world apart To need you - I am on my knees To love you - take my world apart To need you - broken on my knees
Did you really have to die for me? All I am for all you are Because what I need and what I believe are worlds apart
[Additional lyrics:]
I look beyond the empty cross forgetting what my life has cost and wipe away the crimson stains and dull the nails that still remain More and more I need you now, I owe you more each passing hour the battle between grace and pride I gave up not so long ago So steal my heart and take the pain and wash my feet and cleanse my pride take the selfish, take the weak, and all the things I cannot hide take my beauty, take my tears the sin-soaked heart and make it yours take my world all apart take it now, take it now and serve the ones that I despise speak the words I can't deny watch the world I used to love fall to dust and thrown away I look beyond the empty cross forgetting what my life has cost so wipe away the crimson stains and dull the nails that still remain so steal my heart and take the pain take the selfish, take the weak and all the things I cannot hide take my beauty, take my tears take my world apart, take my world apart I pray, I pray, and I pray take my world apart
