Andrea Yates news
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Andrea Yates, who drowned her five children in 2001, is institutionalized. Her case resurfaces as Lindsay Clancy's mistrial draws comparisons.
Background
Andrea Yates, a Houston mother, drowned her five children in a bathtub on June 20, 2001, during a period of severe postpartum psychosis and schizophrenia. She was initially convicted of murder in 2002, but the conviction was overturned in 2005 due to erroneous testimony from a prosecution psychiatrist. In a 2006 retrial, she was found not guilty by reason of insanity and has been held in Kerrville State Hospital since then.
How it unfolded
- Jun 20, 2001Andrea Yates drowned her five children in the bathtub of her Houston home and called 911 to report what she had done.
- 2002Yates was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison.
- 2005The conviction was overturned by an appeals court after it was discovered that a prosecution psychiatrist gave erroneous testimony about a 'Law & Order' episode that never existed.
- 2006In a retrial, a jury found Yates not guilty by reason of insanity, and she was committed to Kerrville State Hospital.
- Sep 2026As the Lindsay Clancy trial ends in a mistrial, Yates's case is cited in comparisons, and her ex-husband and attorney comment on the parallels.
Who’s saying what
- Defense
- George Parnham, Yates's attorney, said the mistrial in Clancy's case could benefit the defense and that he would take a hung jury 'every day of the week.'
- Ex-husband
- Rusty Yates said the Clancy case is 'not quite as clear' as Andrea's, drawing a line between the two cases.
- Public
- Parnham noted changes in public views on women's mental health over the years, as seen in jury selections.
Still unverified
Rusty Yates's statement that Andrea is aware of the Clancy case is based on his personal communication and not independently verified.