An HBO documentary has been released, delving into the shocking case of a mother who killed all her children and exploring new theories about what led her to commit such a tragic act.
Andrea Yates is known for the horrific act of drowning her five children, Noah, 7, John, 5, Paul, 3, Luke, 2, and six-month-old Mary, in the bathtub of their home in Houston, Texas. This took place 25 years ago, with Yates living there with her husband Rusty, who believed in having ‘as many babies as nature will allow’.
On June 20, 2001, Yates called the police and confessed to the crime. Officers arrived to find the children, with four placed on her bed and Noah found in the bathtub. This event led her to be labeled as ‘America’s most hated mother’ and ignited widespread discussions.
The HBO Max documentary, titled The Cult Behind The Killer: The Andrea Yates Story, investigates the religious context surrounding the murders and considers whether preacher Michael Woroniecki’s influence played a role in Yates’ actions.
Yates had been battling postpartum depression and psychosis. Originally sentenced to life without parole, her conviction was later overturned in 2006, and she was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
Following this decision, Yates was placed in the care of a mental health treatment center and eventually moved to Kerrville State Hospital in Texas, a low-security facility.
She remains at this facility, choosing to forego an annual release hearing to continue receiving treatment for her mental health issues, which were a significant factor in the tragedy she caused at age 37.
Reports indicate that Yates struggled with mental health for several years before the incident. Initially described by friends as ‘happy’ and ‘strong’ after her first child, she became suicidal by the birth of her fourth child five years later.
Despite a psychiatrist advising against more children due to the risk of psychotic depression, Yates stopped medication and became pregnant with her fifth child.
The couple was cautioned again, yet a few weeks before the murders, Yates ceased taking her antipsychotic medication.
Rusty Yates, against medical advice, began leaving Andrea alone with the children for short periods each day.
During one such period, Andrea committed the tragic act. She later told a psychologist: “My children weren’t righteous. They stumbled because I was evil. The way I was raising them, they could never be saved. They were doomed to perish in the fires of hell.
“I was so stupid! Couldn’t I have killed just one to fulfill the prophecy? Couldn’t I have offered Mary?”
Despite everything, her defense attorney has confirmed she remains at Kerrville State Hospital.
“She’s where she wants to be. Where she needs to be,” he told ABC News in 2021. “And I mean, hypothetically, where would she go? What would she do?”
He also noted that the now 61-year-old continues to mourn her children.
“There’s not a day that goes by where she doesn’t care for, talk about, is happy about her children’s lives before June 20 and grieves for her children,” he said.