Killer Mother Not Guilty By Reason Of Insanity For Drowning Her Five Children
Posted July 26, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
You may not remember her name, but you’ll never forget what she did. The Texas mother took her five children and drowned each one in the bathtub in June 2000.
Six-month-old Mary, two-year-old Luke, three-year-old Paul, five-year-old John and seven-year-old Noah were all found on a bed in her home, entwined in each other’s arms.
Yates had been suffering from depression but the psychiatrist treating her at the time didn’t think she was psychotic. She became obsessed with the Bible and explained she was trying to save the kids from going to hell because Satan was inside her.
She drowned each child separately, even catching up to one who ran screaming from the bathroom, and forcing his head under the water. She then phoned 911 to ask for help.
Yates was found guilty in 2002, but as bizarre as the case already was, it took another strange turn.
Eminent forensic psychiatrist Dr. Park Dietz testified about a “Law & Order” episode in which a woman was found not guilty by reason of insanity after drowning her children. It’s believed that played a part in swaying the jury, but when it was later revealed that no such show was ever made, the killer mom was given a new trial.
She was found not guilty on appeal, leading to yet another court date and this latest jury verdict.
Her lawyers in this latest go-round never denied her actions, but insisted she suffered from severe postpartum depression that led to the deaths and that she wasn’t responsible.
Under Texas law, a person can be found not guilty by reason of insanity if it can be shown they didn’t know what they were doing was wrong.
It’s rarely successful, and unlike what the public sees on courtroom TV dramas, rarely used. But after 12 hours of deliberation over three days, the jury believed the evidence was strong enough to warrant the determination.
Their decision means the 42-year-old Yates will be committed to a state mental hospital with periodic reviews about her mental state. A guilty finding would have meant life in prison. The jury wasn’t told beforehand what her sentence would have been if they returned with an insanity verdict.
