Andrea Yates By Jordyn Hart - PowerPoint Presentation

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Andrea Yates

By Jordyn Hart

Background

Born on July 2, 1964, in Houston TexasYoungest of 5 childrenSuffered from Bulimia and depression in teen years

Stellar student and class valedictorian (Officer in National Honor Society-Captain of

Swimteam

)Completed a 2-year pre-nursing program and graduated from the University of Texas school of NursingMarried Rusty Yates- was a disciple of preacher Peter Woronieki- condemned Yates’ for a hypocritical Christian lifestyleWorked as a nurse at MD Anderson Cancer (1986-1994)Had five children- John, Paul, Luke, Noah, and Mary.

Background (Cont.)

In 1999 Yates was treated for post-partum depression and

psychosis

- both illnesses that ran in her family

Attempted suicide twice in June of 1999After the birth of her 5th child (Mary) and the death of her father she went into severe depression and was forcefully admitted to Devereux-Texas Treatment NetworkContinued under Doctors care until June 20, 2001

Took Medication (

Hadol

)- it helped- stopped taking them in 2000Postpartum depression- noun: postpartum depression; plural noun: postpartum depressionsdepression suffered by a mother following childbirth, typically arising from the combination of hormonal changes, psychological adjustment to motherhood, and fatiguePsychosis-a severe mental disorder in which thought and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality

Crime

CRIME: Drowned all five children in a bathtubDATE: June 20, 2001

VICTIMS: Five children (John, Paul, Luke, Noah, and Mary)

PUNISHMENT: -Pleaded insanity by reason of postpartum psychosis

-First degree murder- life in prison with eligibility for parole in 40 years -January 2005- revised convictions

-July 2006- Yates found not guilty by reason of Insanity- committed to North Texas State Hospital

First degree murder-is defined as an unlawful killing that is both willful and premeditated, meaning that it was committed after planning or "lying in wait" for the victimParole-the release of a prisoner temporarily (for a special purpose) or permanently before the completion of a sentence, on the promise of good behavior

evidenceYates’ conversation with her psychologist Dr.

Puryear about the crimePictures from the crime scene

Autopsy photos of the Yates children

Police call after murders

7 year old Noah still face down in bathtubBruising on the children

Sentence and serving time

Jury found her guilty of capital murder. Voted for life in prison. At the age of 77 Yates would be eligible for parole (2041). But, in 2006 they found her not guilty by reason of insanity and she was committed to the North Texas State Hospital.

Capital

murder

-is any murder that makes the perpetrator eligible for the death penalty

Quotes

“ Mommy, what’s wrong with Mary?” - 7 year old Noah on his sister before Yates drowned him

“There are two tragedies… One is my children and the other is my wife.” –Rusty Yates

Nickname

Called herself “Fertile Myrtle”

Books written about her

“Are you There Alone?: The Unspeakable Crime of Andrea Yates” by Suzanne O’Malley

Movies and ShowsDesperate Housewives partly inspired by Andrea Yates (according to creator Marc Cherry)

Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode “Magificat

” based on Yates

2008 film Baby Blues (AKA Cradle May Fall in UK) is based on the killings, although story is largely changed from the true events

TV documentary series, American Justice, has an episode about the caseThe TV show “Deadly Women” did a segment on Andrea Yateshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDDPCftSetA

SongsSong “World Gone Crazy”, rapper Aaron Yates (AKA “Tech N9ne”) references his last name being the same and also references a women drowning her babies in the lyrics: “Sick mothers drowning they babies” & “Why I got the same last name as Andrea”

A song by the band

Trivium

, entitled “Entrance of the Conflagration”, deals with the drownings and is mostly based on Andrea Yates’ testimony

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeZGGBLpbsM

Labeling Theory

I believe Andrea Yate’s deviant behavior best falls under the labeling theory. Early in Andrea’s life she suffered from labeling when being labeled as depressed and bulimic. Perhaps that label carried with her throughout her life because she accepted the label and therefore showed it in her deviant behavior. Later on Andrea’s label of being a Christian turned into a negative label as a church member said she was a “hypocritical Christian”. The label imposed on her could have lead her to be such a hypocritical Christian or just the same it could have gone to the other extreme by making her believe that everything in her life was not good enough. In an interview she claimed that she drowned her children because she didn’t raise them right/good enough. Also, the label of depression and post- partum psychosis could have affected her. Her psychiatrist labeled her and although she most likely was depressed, the label could have pushed her deviance further. Also, she may have used the excuse of a “Higher Power” (AKA God) as her excuse. She could have claimed to used God as excuse to kill her children because they were not good enough for His kingdom. Lastly, the disciple of the church saying they couple should have as many children as they can and her labeling herself “Fertile Myrtle” could be a reason for her insanity. The doctor urged them to stop after their fourth child because the depression but she went against orders to have her fifth child Mary… All in all I believe Andrea Yates had fallen victim of labels her entire life. Although the labels don’t explain all of her deviance, it does give us a theory to go off of when trying to wrap the horrors of her crime in our brain to why a mother could kill her children.