Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
Texas mom Andrea Yates made the headlines in 2001 after drowning her five children in a bathtub at their Houston home. She had been struggling with mental health at the time of her children’s murders. The complex case continues to garner attention as Yates has repeatedly denied undergoing a review that could determine if she is competent to leave the mental facility.
Per CNN, Yates was initially found guilty of capital murder in 2002 and was sentenced to life in prison. However, she was acquitted in 2006 as a Texas jury found her not guilty by reason of insanity. Following the verdict, the jury foreman told the press Yates “needs help.” They added, “Although she’s being treated, I think she’s worse than she was before.” The jury foreman then believed Yates would “probably need treatment for the rest of her life.” Yates was suffering from severe postpartum depression, postpartum psychosis, and schizophrenia, reported People Magazine.
Where is Andrea Yates today?
According to New York Post, Yates, 60, is now living a quiet life at the Kerrville State Hospital. This medical facility provides inpatient mental health services to individuals acquitted of a criminal offense. They are committed to the facility by a court.
The report adds that Yates spends days making crafts like greeting cards, which often feature butterflies and rainbows. She sells them at festivals and art shows. Yates Children’s Memorial Fund, which helps people suffering from postpartum depression, receives proceeds from her sales. The 60-year-old also has access to the internet. She often looks at her children’s photos on the family website that her husband, Russell “Rusty” Yates, launched.
On June 20, 2001, after her husband went to work, Yates killed her five children—Noah, 7, John, 5, Paul, 3, Luke, 2, and Mary, six months old. Following the ordeal, she called 911 and reported the crime herself.
While she is eligible for a hearing each year that could determine her sanity, Yates again declined the assessment in 2024, reported New York Post.
