...Introduction Andrea Yates, a Houston, Texas native, phoned police on June 20, 2001 from her home. She called to tell police she drowned all five of her children. During the phone call, she admitted to drowning her five children in a bathtub. She was 34 years old when she committed this crime. She was put on trial for capital murder in 2006. She later received a sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years. Background History On July 2, 1964 Andrea Pia Kennedy was born in Houston, Texas. Her family was Roman Catholic. When she graduated from high school, she was class valedictorian, captain of the swim team, and an officer in the National Honor Society. She went on to the University of Houston and completed a two-year pre-nursing program. Upon graduating from the pre-nursing program, she went to the University Of Texas School Of Nursing. She graduated with a nursing degree in 1986. Upon receiving her degree she then went to work at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center as a registered nurse. She worked there from 1986 to 1994. In 1989, Andrea met her soon to be husband, Russell “Rusty” Yates. They met at their apartment complex in Houston. She did not start dating till she was twenty-three. Therefore, prior to meeting Rusty she had only dated one other man. Then, on April 17, 1993 she became Andrea Yates (Montaldo). When she married Rusty, Her religious views changed also. Rusty was a disciple of the preacher Michael Peter Woroniecki...
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...Andrea Pia Yates was a 36 year old woman, married to Rusty Yates and together they had 5 children. The children ages ranged from 6 months to 7 years; Mary, 6 months, Luke, 2, Paul, 3, John, 5, and Noah, 7. Rusty Yates worked as a NASA engineer for the Johnson Space Center while Andrea was a stay at home mom who home schooled her children. After battling depression and post partum depression over a period of 2 years, Andrea Yates drowned all 5 of her children on June 20, 2001. Andrea Yates was born on July 2, 1964 in Houston Texas. She was the youngest and had 4 older siblings. She was an active child and got very involved in school activities. She had graduated high school as Valedictorian. She went on to receive a nursing degree from the University Of Texas Health Science Center and worked as a registered nurse. She met her husband Rusty at age 25, dated for 3 years and married in 1993. After the birth of her 1st child, Noah, she quit nursing and became a stay at home mom. Not long after is when she began to exhibit extremely volatile visions of someone being stabbed and also audio hallucinations of Satan (the devil) speaking to her. She never mentioned these to her husband due to his “Bible-Inspired notions about family and motherhood” and kept these secrets from everyone. That is when Andrea’s postpartum psychosis began but went undiagnosed and untreated. Andrea Yates got involved in, what I would call a religious cult with a preacher named Michael Woroniecki...
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...Causal Argument “Andrea Yates: A Fallen Angel?” Introduction The tragic and shocking case grabbed the attention of millions of people—Andrea Yates was found guilty of drowning her five children in June 20, 2001. She was sentenced to life in prison on March 12, 2002. Yates' conviction was later overturned on appeal by a Texas jury on July 26, 2006. The jury ruled Yates to be not guilty by reason of insanity. She was consequently committed by the court to the North Texas State Hospital, a high-security mental health facility in Vernon, Texas (Wikipedia). What drove Andrea to commit such atrocities? Why would a mother kill her own children? How can someone be so cold and calculated? Was she possessed by evil spirits, or was she legitimately sick? I will attempt to sort through these and many other questions and arguments posed by many. The Faithful Morning Around 10:00 a.m. on June 20, 2001, Rusty Yates received a shocking phone call from his wife, Andrea, whom he had left only an hour before…"You need to come home," she said. “It's time. I did it.” He dropped everything he was doing at the time and left his job as a NASA engineer at the Johnson Space Center. When he arrived fifteen minutes later, the police and ambulances were already at their Houston, Texas home. Rusty was told he could not go into the house, so he put his forehead against a brick wall, trying to process the horrifying news, and waited (Ramsland). Restless for information, he went to...
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...When it comes to post-partum depression and psychosis Andrea Yates is one of the most infamous names known. Andrea Yates was a mother of five who went into severe depression after having her fifth child and because of her illness she was found guilty of first degree murder for drowning all five of her children in the bathtub. After court appeals the decision was reversed and she was found insane. Prior to June 2001 when she drown her five children she was treated for post-partum depression and psychosis in 1999 because the illness ran in her family. After the birth of her fifth child and the passing of her father the severe depression set in and was forced into Devereux-Texas Treatment Network (The Biography Channel website, 2013). While being treated she was given a series of psychiatric drugs for treatment. He also quickly stopped prescribing the antipsychotic Haldol, which is the medication that helped Andrea recover in 1999 ("The Atlantic", 2013). Andrea Yates started having psychological issues after she gave birth to her fourth child and she tried to commit suicide. Shortly after the birth of her fifth child she tried to commit suicide again and was hospitalized twice. Both times after trying to commit suicide she was released from the hospital while she was still ill and eventually the post-partum psychosis took over and that is when she drowned all of her children. After she drowned her children she recognized that it was a horrible thing to do and she was not in...
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...Andrea Yates Bonnie Adams PSY-303 Michelle Robison Andrea Yates was well educated woman in nursing. The moment she married her husband she knew she wanted as many children as nature would allow them to have. Andrea Yates gave birth to four boys and one girl of the period of years. Overtime she was diagnosed with postpartum depression. Her illness got worse as time went on and she became a danger to herself and children. Andrea Yates was a religious woman and was very dedicated to her children. She had five children aging from seven years old to six-months old. She home schooled her children and followed her religion closely. After the birth of her fourth child her illness became worse and attempted suicide on several occasions. She was diagnosed postpartum psychosis. She was hearing voices and thought her children would be tormented by Satan. She was in and out of the hospital over the years for being psychotic and having thoughts and feelings that she could not control. She was given medication for her illness but would not take it properly or thought it did not help her. I think staying home with her five children and home schooling them did not help her illness at all. Being confined at home all the time and having no time to herself make her illness worse. Her behavior should have been noticed by her husband or loved ones that spent time with her. I think if she would have went back to her career and sent her children to a public school things could...
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...An insanity defense requires that an individual not be aware of their actions during a mental episode, and that is how Andrea Yates got away with the murderous drowning of her five children. On the other end of the spectrum, there is self-defense, which states that “based on the recognition that individuals have an inherent right to protect themselves and that to reasonably defend oneself from unlawful attack is a natural response to threatening situations” (Schmalleger & Hall, 2014) and protection of property; and this is the defense that Markus Kaarma attempted to use in order to justify the killing of a repeat intruder into his garage. In June 2001, Andrea Yates – a mother of five young children who had a history of mental issues and battled postpartum depression – drowned her children in the household bathtub in order to, as she claimed, save their souls from Satan (CNN, 2007). “Yates turned herself in immediately after the drowning deaths… because she thought her own death would fulfill a Biblical prophecy: If she were executed, Satan would be executed” (CNN, 2007) – during her psychosis, she believed that she was doing the right thing. Yates’ first trial, after only a few hours of deliberation, resulted in the jury finding her guilty of capital murder, but did not believe she should receive the death penalty, but rather life in prison (CNN, 2007). However, after an appeal and during her second trial, she was acquitted of the capital murder charges, and was only charged...
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...Deadly Deceivers: Why criminals shouldn’t be able to plea insanity Just imagine for a second this scenario. Its premier night for the most anticipated movie of the year “The Dark Knight Rises” and you’re finally making it into your seat after standing for about an hour outside the theatre. The lights dim as the movie starts, and bang! A guy busts through the door fully armed and starts firing into the seat. Seventy people are injured, twelve of them die. The man responsible for this crime is currently on trial, and has the chance to be acquitted because he plans on pleading insanity. Prosecutors in this case proclaim: This just allows the defense to think through how they want to proceed…That makes it easier for the defense to plan its best case. Holmes could plead insanity and would wind up in a mental hospital indefinitely – and would never face execution, if the jury finds in his favor (Campbell). This would not be fair to the people who were injured and to the loved ones of the people who lost their lives in the shooting. Just as a kid would do anything not to get in trouble by their mother, so would a criminal who could face life in jail or execution, which is why pleading insanity shouldn’t be up to a criminal, because they would do anything to get out of jail time. The insanity plea, also known as the insanity defense, is a type criminal defense used in order to reduce their liability in court. Barry S. Edwards, a Minnesota criminal defense attorney, asserts...
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...Andrea Yates was born in Houston in 1964. She was a Milby High School graduate in 1982. She was the valedictorian of her class, swim team captain, also an officer for the National Honor Society. She finished a pre-nursing program at the University of Houston. Later she graduated in 1986 from the University Of Texas School Of Nursing. Andrea and Rusty met for the first time at the apartment complex they both lived in. Andrea initiated the conversation which was odd given she kept to herself a lot. They moved in together and most of their time spent on prayer and religious studies. They married each other on April 17, 1993. In the 8 years of their marriage, Andrea had five children. Noah Yates was the first born on 1994, John Yates was the...
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...The case of Andrea Yates is a very rare and difficult case to be analyzed by the court since Yates was diagnosed with serious postpartum depression. At first, Yates was charged with first-degree murder and sentenced for life but after several studies on her case, she was found insane due to her mental instability. Andrea’s decision of drowning all of her five children was a combination of all factors of biopsychosocial approach: biological, psychological, and social. Although Yates had a dreaming life with a husband that has a successful job, a house in the suburbs of Texas, and five healthy children, she was suffering from social problems that were not related to money. Her social issue started when she became very religious and a student...
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...Andrea Yates was born on July 2nd 1964 in Houston Texas. Yates was being treated for post partum depression and psychosis, but after giving birth to her fifth child she went into major depression. On the day of June 20th 2001, she drowned all five of her children in the bathtub and later found guilty to first degree murder and sentence to life in prison, later court of appeals founder her insane. Yates was being treated for these illnesses that actually ran in her family. After giving birth to her 5th and last child and the death of her father, she went into a major depression and was forced in being admitted into a psych ward. June 20th 2001, from her husband heading out to work and her mother-in-law arriving, Andrea Yates murdered all...
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...Humanistic approach on Andrea Yates Andrea Yates was a mother of five children, who lived in Houston Texas, according to the article Biography.com, Yates drowned her children one after the other in the bath tub of her home. In this article we take a humanistic approach to look at the events that took place earlier and up to the murder of her children. We want to look into the inner self of Andrea Yates, looking at all mental and physical disorder that may have troubled her. Yates was the youngest of five children and according Wikipedia Yates even as a teen suffered from bulimia but was a high achiever, doing Swimming team then going on to nursing school. The article explains that during these early year she attempted suicide. In a humanistic approach these early years show that some of Yates needs may have not been met. While there is no evidence that her basic needs went without it is possible with having so many siblings that Yates may have felt...
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...MSNBC, July 26, 2006 Andrea Yates grew up in Houston, Texas in a typical Roman Catholic family environment. Her family has been described as middle-class American family. Her father was a school teacher who taught shop. He would retire and then later suffer from Alzheimer’s. He passed away before the killings. Her mother worked to keep the house running and attend to the families 5 children. Andrea, born on July 2, 1964 was the youngest and considered the brightest of the siblings. She proved to be a high achiever coiled with personal motivation as demonstrated in her role as captain of the swim team, National Honor Society member, and valedictorian. She graduated from Milby High School in 1982. She went on to the University of Houston, where she completed a two-year pre-nursing program. Upon completion of the pre-nursing program, she was accepted to the University of Texas School of Nursing in Houston from which she graduated in 19986. Andrea then took a position with the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center where she worked from 1986 to 1994 as a registered nurse (Denno, 2003). Andre met her future husband much the way any other person might. In 1989, Andrea and Russell (Rusty) were both living in the same apartment complex. Rusty, “a summa cum laude graduate of Auburn University, was designing computer systems for NASA” (Denno, 2003) was described as popular and athletic. In a move that was considered uncharacteristic of Andrea, she approached him and...
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...Texas law, defendants must prove that are legally insane, under the rule M’Naghten, this rule must by present evidence that the defendant was before, during and after the committed crime mentally diseased. The defense must also prove that the defendant did not know during the period of the crime was wrong because of mental defect (Find law). In the case of Andrea Yates the defense has proved that Andrea was sent to a mental hospital several times for intent of suicide, and after she had her fourth child, she had a psychosis and decide to murder her kid saying if she does it at early age they can go to heaven, but in her mind found at explanation not kill her self because if she did it Satan will win. In the first trial was present the...
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...This paper will address the validity of the insanity defense as it relates to the case of Andrea Yates. I believe that the court was incorrect in the verdict of Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity. I believe this because she and her family could have taken many precautions in preventing the tragic deaths of her children. Also, after the murders of her children, she called her husband and stated that she “finally did it”; her saying this indicates that she had been planning the murders of her children for some time and had just then decided to act on her plans. Additionally, following her arrest, Andrea told her husband that she wouldn't need a lawyer because she wasn't planning on pleading not guilty. First of all, there were numerous precautions...
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...The debate between federalists and anti-federalists was very intense during the time the constitution was ratified. The reason why I consider myself a member of the Anti-federalist party is due to the fact that I agree with their main purpose, which was States ’ Right. I believe the rights and powers should be held by individual rather than by the Federal government. How would our country be like without these rights in the first place? Chaotic Right?! Federalists believed in a stronger centralized government, was led by James Madison and Alexander Hamilton. Two quotes from the Federalist papers would be. “We may define a republic to be, or at least may bestow that name on, a government which derives all its powers directly or indirectly from the great body of the people, and is administered by persons holding their offices during pleasure for a limited period, or during good behavior.” And “In republican government, the legislative authority necessarily predominates.” Also the Federalist Party supported the Virginia plan Anti-Federalists believed in strong states’ rights wanted a weak federal government that would not threaten states’ rights was led by Patrick Henry and Richard Henry Lee. Although the name does not mean that they were federalism, they were against a strong central government. "It is the opinion of the greatest writers, that a very extensive country cannot be governed on democratical principles, on any other plan, than a confederation of a number of small...
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