NATIONAL NEWS – Andrea Yates, mother who drowned her 5 children in 2001, rejects chance to go free

Zoe Mckey, Staff Writer

Andrea Yates, the Texas mother who tragically drowned her five children in 2001 while experiencing postpartum psychosis, remains in Kerrville State Hospital and has chosen not to seek release. Yates, now 60, has declined annual competency reviews required by her conviction, showing no desire to leave the mental hospital where she spends her days crafting greeting cards and other items, which she sells to benefit the Yates Children’s Memorial Fund. The facility, designed for those acquitted of crimes by reason of insanity, provides a quiet environment for Yates, who engages with the family website created by her husband and looks at photos of her deceased children.

On June 20, 2001, Yates, who was 37 at the time, drowned her children—Noah, 7, John, 5, Paul, 3, Luke, 2, and Mary, 6 months—while her husband was at work. Initially convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison, Yates’ case was later retried due to her severe mental illness. In 2006, she was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to Kerrville State Hospital. Despite being eligible for periodic reviews to assess her mental state, Yates prefers to stay in the hospital, where her attorney confirms she is content and believes it is where she needs to be. She maintains monthly contact with her ex-husband, who has since remarried.