Mentally Ill Mother on Trial

[fireproof]

The trial for Andrea Yates is starting.  Now, I firmly believe that she knew what she was doing was wrong; however, I think that in her twisted mind she thought her children were better off in heaven than being raised by her.  In short, she chose the lesser of two evils based on her very disturbed logic.

Now, if that's not insane, I don't know what is.

I hope that the jury can do the right thing and have her committed where she can receive treatment.

[superninjaadmin]

The whole thing is just plain sad.  Those four boys were just beautiful...and I mean they were just B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L kids!  And, the newest born - the baby daughter...it's all a travesty.  What a waste of five beautiful kids.  I'm not a mother, and I don't know much about post partum depression, but I understand that the mind can persuade us to think crazy things sometimes.  It's too bad that horrible things like this have to happen for the spotlight to come on the subject of PP depression.  I hope something very positive comes from this tragedy.  

SNA

[mlm668]

My biggest question in this whole mess is why was she left alone with these children.  She had a history of severe post partum depression with the 4th child and from what I read, the Dr. advised her not to have anymore children.  

Did her husband care so little about her state of mind that he had to have another child?  Did he care so little about her state of mind that he had to have his children homeschooled by her while she was caring for a baby, a toddler and dealing with post partum?  I understand that she committed this crime before her mother-in-law could get there that day, but still.  I have a huge problem with the whole thing.  She had problems and she needed help, not the burdens that seem to have been imposed on her because of their church's teachings.

Yes, I believe she was wrong.  But I also believe that the hell in her mind is 10 times worse now.  And it all could have been prevented by a family that appears to have offered her no support system whatsoever.  She needed help then and she needs even more now.  And even after she gets some help, she still has to live with the guilt of what she did to her own children for the rest of her life.

Post partum depression (or any form of depression for that matter) is hard enough to deal with, but when you are left alone to deal with those feelings and take care of a home and raise and school your children, it has got to be even more overwhelming.  

Michelle

[chevygirl55]

I think she knew right from wrong as well but isn't it sad that society and her family expected so much from her but offered no support when she so despartely needed it?  The mind can play terrible tricks on someone under such stress.  I don't think she should be spared punishment for her actions but I can certainly offer empathy for all she has been through.

chevygirl

[hightechea]

I have to post my two cents on this one.  She was suffering with this after I think the 3rd child.  So why oh why would she have more children.  I don't get this.  Why didn't the doctors red flag this when she became pregnant again?  I understand we all have rights but so did those poor children and look what happened to them.
Just because you can have babies doesn't mean you should.  Like an earlier posted said she will have to live with what she did for the rest of her life.  I not only blame her but also believe her husband should also be on trial.  He was able to prevent this in my opinion.  Robin

[workerbee2]

I have nothing buy sympathy for Andrea.  From what I've read, it sounds like she was the scapegoat of her entire family.  Not only did she have her own problems, they expected her to help out taking care of their father, who has Alzheimer's Disease.  They just dumped, dumped, dumped on that poor girl; it's no wonder she cracked.

And the thing is, men don't understand this kind of thing.  They just want her blood.  I have a feeling she's going to end up on death row.  I don't think she even cares what happens to herself.

No easy answers here.

Elaine

[laundryhater]

The verdict came back from the jury: Guilty as charged. Did not buy into her insanity plea (she had known for years that she was "off her rocker" and she and her husband ignored her doctor's advice; she also maliciously chased down one of the children).

Still waiting to hear what the penalty will be. Will be either life imprisonment or death.

[radaro]

Does the father get charged as an accessory?

[blufire21]

They prob. will not bring charges against him.  He had nothing to do with the actual murders.  She waited until he had left for work to ensure he was not aware of what was happening.  In Texas, the law says that you are so incapacitated that you can no longer tell the difference between right and wrong, then you are not guilty by insanity.  Yates knew what she did was wrong, and that's why she was found guilty.  Also, it is the burden of the defense to prove someone is not guilty by insanity, not the other way around.  

Her husband did not know what was going to happen, and while I do agree that she was dumpped on, she admited her self that she got pregnant on purpose.  I've never been this bad, but I can honestly say that when you are having such problems, you tend to keep them to yourselves until you can't control yourselves.

I was really good at hiding my problems.  I was excellent in not taking my meds, and really great at acting like stuff wasn't there even when I could see it plainly as day.  Even her doctors were fooled.  One of them took her off of her antipsycotic drugs because she convience him that her delusions and problems weren't as serious as he thought.  This problem rests on her and her alone.  She could have asked for help but didn't.


Ellen (OK, I'll step off my box now) in TX

[hightechea]

Okay, I am sorry but I have to again put my two cents in.  This woman was walking around in a state of confusion/delirium most of the time.  Her mother saw it, her mother in law saw it, her best friend saw it (she even kept a journal on it!).  How in the world can we say her husband didn't know or has no responsibility in this whole sad mess.  I think he should have been arrested along with her and stood trial for murder.  This man left her alone day in and day out with these small children.  He knew what problems she was having.  He went with her to the doctors, knew the meds she was on.  I am sorry but I don't care how well she hid things, it sounds to me like there were some signs that people picked up on and chose to do nothing about.  Like filling a tub with water and saying "I may need that".  They will have to live with that for the rest of their lives.

Sorry to be so passionate about this but when it comes to children who are abused/taken in such a horrid way I just loose it.   Robin

[jak0215]

Robin,

You shouldn't apologize for your opinion.  Everyone has a right to one and it just so happens that mine is aligned with yours.  I feel that the husband is not faultless in this horrible mess.  I will be the first to admit that I really haven’t followed the whole story, but it seems to me that there were plenty of warning signs that people chose to ignore for reasons known only to them.  Shame on them.    

Jill

[laundryhater]

Haven't heard whether he will be charged as an accessory or accomplice (they made no mention of it during the reading of the verdict).

But I wholeheartedly agree with Robin. The husband should be charged. He knew her medical condition and left her alone with the kids AND made another kid with her against doctor's orders (takes two to "tango").

She definately knew what she did was wrong because she called 911 to report it.

[disallusioned]

The thing is, according to what I've heard, she knew what she was doing because she locked the doors and put the key to the lock up where the 7yr old couldn't find it to get out.  Then after it was all done, she called her husband before she called 911.  I also heard that if she had started CPR on the kids, one or more of them might have come to and survived the ordeal.  Instead she laid them out on their bed, except for the oldest who she left in the water, and called her husband to tell him what she did, then called 911.  She knew what she was doing, knew it was wrong, and deserves any punishment she gets.
Her husband is not blame-free though, either.  I think he is as guilty as he would have been if he had put a loaded gun in her hands, knowing she was unstable, and leaving her with the kids.  I don't know if they can make a case against him, but I really hope they do.
Depression is a bad thing, and the way a mind works is never completely understood.  I understand that she might have been able to fool some of the folks around her, but I'm sure that no matter how good she was her husband noticed something still wasn't right with her.  You can't tell me that someone who has lived with her and watched her reaction after each birth didn't know that she wasn't well.  My husband can tell if I have a headache, even if I'm smiling and laughing, pretending nothing's wrong.  Someone that close to you knows you as well as, if not better than, you do yourself, so for anyone to say that he didn't know is BS.  He knew and acted in depraved indifference of that knowledge.  But that is just my opinion.

[hightechea]

Just heard the verdict is in-LIFE IN PRISION.

What a crock, I think she should have gotten the death penalty.  Drowing in a bathtub.  She should suffer what those poor babies did.  This of course is my opinion.  Robin

[donnap99]

Robin - I'm with you!  I make no apologies - despite the fact that I have a daughter who has been borderline psychotic, and continue to be depressed, anxious, paranoid, etc., etc.  When she does something wrong because she's out of control, as opposed to being malicious, she will continue to believe that she was right - for the rest of her days - there's just simply no changing her mind.  This woman realized she had done wrong, which leads me to believe that she knew it at the time.  I just don't buy into the temporary thing at all.



DonnaP99