~Andrea Kennedy was her class Valedictorian and is a registered nurse and until 1994 worked at The MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. She is 40 years old. The Kennedy family has a history of mental illness that affects several members. Time magazine reported that Andrea's brother and sister both suffer from depression, another brother has bipolar disorder, and the father who died of Alzheimer's may have had depression.
~Rusty Yates was an Eagle Scout and has a degree in engineering, He works at Johnson Space Center for NASA.
~Rusty And Andrea Yates married in April 1993. At their wedding Rusty announced that they planned to have as many children as God would give them.Over a six year period their 5 children were born in quick succession: 2/26/94, 12/12/95, 9/13/97, 2/15/99 and 11/30/00 - Andrea also had at least one miscarriage.
~All of the children were home-schooled by Andrea and Andrea did all the cooking, housekeeping and child care. They did not attend church but had home bible study 3 nights a week. From 1996 till 1998 the family lived in a 38' travel trailer because Rusty wanted to live a "simpler life". In 1998 they purchased a 350 sq. ft bus and lived in that until they purchased the Houston house in early 2000.
~Michael Woroniecki was a traveling minister from whom Rusty purchased their bus and whose religious views had influenced both Rusty and Andrea. He preached, "the role of women is derived from the sin of Eve and that bad mothers who are going to hell create bad children who will go to hell." The minister teaches a very conservative form of Christianity that says that women should have a very subservient position in the home, and that Satan is constantly trying to drive people wrong. In correspondence, Woroniecki and his wife Rachel bombarded the troubled and isolated Andrea with talk of Satan, and the idea that God can see people's wickedness. In one letter, Rachel Woroniecki writes, ''Life is so short. It is so very cruel. It is so lonely and empty. You must accept the reality that this life is under the curse of sin and death.''
~Andrea attempted suicide twice following the birth of her 4th child - June 1999 and July 1999 and was hospitalized both times. The 1st time once home, Andrea did not take her medication and began to self mutilate and would not to feed the children because she thought they ate too much. She thought there were video cameras in the ceiling and heard characters on television talking to her and the children. She told Rusty about this, but neither of them told Andrea's psychiatrist. On July 20, Andrea put a knife to her neck and begged Rusty to let her die. She was hospitalized the 2nd time and was catatonic for 10 days. She was diagnosed with a major depressive disorder. She also had the beginning signs of Schizophrenia, but these warning signs were never disclosed to the Drs. She was prescribed Haldol and her mental state improved. She was put on out-patient care and at that time the Dr. advised her and Rusty that she could worsen with the birth of future children and should not have any more children. Andrea had difficulty communicating with her Drs and was reluctant to reveal any of her symptoms, she often relied on Rusty to speak for her.
~At the urging of Andrea's family, Rusty decided it would help Andrea to buy a home and move the family out of the cramped bus. They bought a home in a nice family neighborhood but Rusty exhibited a sense of arrogance as he explained to his new neighbors why his children had to be home-schooled: "The social integration that the world claims is so essential is exactly what we need to protect our children from." So the Yates didn't integrate with their neighbors, who didn't agree with Rusty's beliefs.
~Once in the new house Andrea seemed improved and stable so in March of 2000, Andrea, with Rusty's encouragement, was again pregnant and stopped taking her Haldol. November 30, 2000, Mary was born. In addition to caring for the 4 boys and newborn Mary, Andrea also did the majority of the daily care for her Father, who had Alzheimers. On March 12, 2001 Andrea's father died and almost immediately her mental state deteriorated. She stopped talking, refused liquids, mutilated herself, and would not feed Mary. She also frantically read the Bible. She again attempted suicide with her father's medications.
~The end of March 2001 Randy took a worsening Andrea to a different hospital. Her psychiatrist, Dr. Saeed, treated her briefly with Haldol but discontinued it, saying that she did not did not seem psychotic. Andrea was released only to return again in May. She was released after 10 days of hospitalization and in her last follow-up visit with Saeed, she was told to think positive thoughts and to see a psychologist.
~Two days later Andrea drowned her 5 children - During her confession she explained her actions by saying that she wasn't a good mother and that the children were "not developing correctly" and she needed to be punished. Found guilty Andrea was sentenced to life in prison.
~Rusty Yates filed for divorce in June 2004. He wishes to remarry and have a family, he said.
