Andrea Yates-Not guilty due to insanity

[chell]

Sorry that I haven't read the entire thread yet but here is my take on things - in order to take another life you have to be somewhat insane in the first place.

 

[disney1990]

I was at the Crimes Against Children Conference in Dallas last summer and her forensic psychiatrist gave a seminar about her case. He showed us video of Andrea shortly after the murders and she was profoundly psychotic and delusional. She was as sick mentally as anyone could get.

Just because her lawyers put on a good defense and she is well medicated NOW does not mean she was not criminally insane when the murders occured. It has taken YEARS to balance her on medications and she is still very ill.

Her ex-husband does share some of the blame because Andrea had already been diagnosed mentally ill and was in deep trouble Before the murders. Her husband knew this because he had his mom helping her because of her inability to function. Clearly he should have had her hosptialized. But he didn't and she was allowed to get worse. Mental illness is just as valid and serious as cancer and although it is not an excuse it is, in very limited cases, the cause of violence. The not guilty by reason of insanity is the hardest thing to establish in any court. I pity Andrea because her life is and will be a living hell for the rest of her life. Even if she eventually gets well (and that is doubted) she will then have the cognitive ability to realize what she has done.

Well said. Unfortunately, in this country when somebody has a mental disorder, people do not equate it to a real medical ailment, like cancer, etc. When people are depressed, they are told to shake it off. Hum, would you tell somebody with Cancer to shake it off -- no. Clearly (after reading through these postings) mental illnesses are totally misunderstood.

Andrea got the correct verdict. Finally, now she may get the help that she needs.

 

[JimFitz]

Insane, not insane, crazy, not crazy...............bottom line is the women drowned her 5 children in a bathtub and chased them around the house to do it.

She should be hung from the highest tree in the land.

She is true evil.

God bless her innocent children.

 

[declansdad]

I am just wondering what kind of precident this verdict will set. Now anyone who kills their own children can say "but I am insane, I would have to be to kill my own kids"

I think if they say she was insane, and go by the evidence her lawyer and husband provided, documenting her PPD, then her husband needs to be brought up on charges. He KNEW his wife was unbalanced, and he left his children with her, all day, everyday. Never giving her a break. I wonder if his 2nd wife is pregnant yet.

He didn't leave her alone with the children all day, everyday. Either he or his mother (or mother in law) was usually with her. On this day there was a brief period when this didn't happen.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

There was a brief period of time on many days between when the husband left for work and the MIL arrived to help. That was why she planned for the murders to occur during that time period.

I don't agree with the verdict, but I can live with it IF the woman never sees release from the mental hospital. I also fully wish that the woman could somehow be prevented from ever conceiving again -- double that for her husband.

I'm not sure what this means "Huge victory for the rights of the Mentally Ill." The right to do WHAT? Have more and more children even though you can't even be trusted to even care for yourself .... go off your meds everytime your husband decrees God wants you to have another ... and then murder them all because the stress is too much for you to handle?

 

[TinkInPink]

Insane, not insane, crazy, not crazy...............bottom line is the women drowned her 5 children in a bathtub and chased them around the house to do it.

She should be hung from the highest tree in the land.

She is true evil.

God bless her innocent children.

soo true. and you cant tell me that some on who is "insane" could have planned the murders that well.

 

[Poohbear123]

I think it is important to note that this is not a "I snapped for a moment" type of situation. She was chronically mentally ill with a history of suicide attempts and hallucinations about killing dating back to her first pregnancy. She had ongoing documented history.


By the way, I agree that Russell Yates should have been brought up on charges and let the courts decide if he should have anticipated his children being in harms way.

Yes, I agree he was blind to the fact his wife was mentally ill, however, SHE could have taken Birth Control and not gotten pregnant again.

 

[beattyfamily]

Right now on Primetime (ABC) they are telling the whole story of what happened in her own words.

With very sad home videos and pictures.

 

[BuckNaked]

There was a brief period of time on many days between when the husband left for work and the MIL arrived to help. That was why she planned for the murders to occur during that time period.

I don't agree with the verdict, but I can live with it IF the woman never sees release from the mental hospital. I also fully wish that the woman could somehow be prevented from ever conceiving again -- double that for her husband.

I'm not sure what this means "Huge victory for the rights of the Mentally Ill." The right to do WHAT? Have more and more children even though you can't even be trusted to even care for yourself .... go off your meds everytime your husband decrees God wants you to have another ... and then murder them all because the stress is too much for you to handle?

Well said, TF, and I totally agree.

I'm confused as to how a law that let a woman get away with murdering five young children is considered "too restrictive".

 

[Disney1fan2002]

Yes, I agree he was blind to the fact his wife was mentally ill, however, SHE could have taken Birth Control and not gotten pregnant again.

You think he was blind to the fact she was mentally ill? She was under Dr. care, what do you think he thought all the meds were for?

From what I heard, HE wouldn't allow her to use bc. She was his baby-making machine. He was the one who wanted all the kids.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

A complete tragedy. I'm certain my opinion will not be popular, but I find Andrea Yates almost as much a victim as her adorable children. The woman didn't spend 8 plus years methodically plotting the demise of her children in order to get free orange jumpsuits... She is/was profoundly mentally ill... as for her unindicted accomplice, Rusty... he was sane and still put those children in her care, a task for which she was underwhelmingly qualified... and he knew it.

I hope she gets the help she so desperately needs. I hope one day she's well enough to smile. Don't think for one second she isn't punished every day of her life by the fact of what she did... it's a tragedy no matter how you view it.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I disagree.

She knew enough to chase her child around the house as he was running to get away. She knew exactly what she was doing. And I'm so tired of people killing and then pleading insanity to get off. Shame on our legal system. And shame on the people that didn't follow the proper rules and allowed the first verdict, the correct one in my opinion to be changed.

As someone who suffered PPD to the extent that I let it go too long before seeking treatment and to the extent that I was very very afraid I would harm my children...

unless in the depths of that illness at anytime in a woman's life--the illness will never be understood.

the verdict was correct.

 

[BuckNaked]

the verdict was correct.

Cool - then we can now excuse all crime by saying "She knew it was wrong, she knew it was illegal, but she couldn't help herself". That's basically what the jury said in this case, so let's let all murderers use the same excuse.

Should help empty the jails out quickly.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I cannot believe this.

A woman drowns her five children. How old was the eldest--seven?

AND IT'S PERFECTLY O.K????????

Noone said it was perfectly okay.

 

[BuckNaked]

Noone said it was perfectly okay.

The jury did. What punishment is she going to receive? Lounging around for a few years until a judge says she's cured and can go home?

 

[yeartolate]

The jury did. What punishment is she going to receive? Lounging around for a few years until a judge says she's cured and can go home?

The jury didn't say it was ok. The jury did what the husband, family, and doctors should have done to her before the children were murdered.

I still can't get straight in my mind why the heck anybody would have left her alone with the kids....I don't get it, I really don't.

Frankly, I think at some point she will kill herself.

 

[BuckNaked]

The jury didn't say it was ok.

Of course they did - no punishment for the murder of five children.

The jury did what the husband, family, and doctors should have done to her before the children were murdered.

I agree she should have had help beforehand, but that doesn't mean that she shouldn't be punished for murdering those kids.

Frankly, I think at some point she will kill herself.

And frankly, I wouldn't shed a single tear for her. IMO, she is not the victim in this situation, those children are.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

The jury did. What punishment is she going to receive? Lounging around for a few years until a judge says she's cured and can go home?

Maybe she'll celebrate by going to Disneyland?

I'd like to know how she "got away" with anything...b/c she will be in a mental institution as her sentence.

Sounds like a bit of hyperbole is going around.

 

[BuckNaked]

I'd like to know how she "got away" with anything...b/c she will be in a mental institution as her sentence.

That's punishment? Are you serious? As I said, she'll lounge around for a few years, then some judge will let her out and she'll be roaming around, free to do as she pleases.

Since she's already killed her own kids, I wonder who she'll decide "needs to die" next?

Sounds like a bit of hyperbole is going around.

Funny, it sounds to me like alot of denial is going around.

 

[Cool-Beans]

Sounds like a bit of hyperbole is going around.

OFF TOPIC:

Lisa, believe me, I'm not picking on you. Selecting you as many others might get seriously upset.

LOTS of people on the DIS have been using the word "hyperbole" to mean other things. Hyperbole isn't simple exaggeration, or something that goes on for an extended period. From dictionary.com:

A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect, as in I could sleep for a year or This book weighs a ton.
Thanks for letting me get this off my chest.