spazmodeus
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posted on June 20, 2001 05:39:02 PM
Five Texas Children Found Dead; Mother Held
By C. Bryson Hull
Reuters
HOUSTON (June 20) - A 36-year-old woman suffering from post-partum depression confessed to killing her five children, who were found dead in their Houston home on Wednesday, police said.
The four boys and a girl, ages 6 months to 7 years, were believed to have been drowned in the bathtub, they said.
The woman, Andrea Yates, had been taking medication for depression since the birth of her youngest boy two years ago, but it was not clear if that contributed to the crime because she had not made a formal statement to investigators, said Houston Police Department spokesman John Cannon.
She was in custody and was expected to be charged with capital murder, which brings a maximum penalty of death by lethal injection, he said.
A television report showed the long-haired, bespectacled Yates, her shirt torn in numerous places, being led away in handcuffs by police.
Police spokesman John Cannon said the woman called police to her home in a quiet suburb near NASA's Johnson Space Center. She was breathing heavily and was clearly disturbed when an officer arrived, he said.
''She said to the officer 'I killed my children' and the officer said 'where are they?''' Cannon told reporters.
''She led the officer to the bedroom where there were four bodies,'' he said.
The bodies, who included boys aged 2, 3 and 5 and the girl, 6 months, were wet and in a bed where they were covered with a sheet.
The fifth body, the 7-year-old boy, was found in the bathtub by a second officer responding to the call, Cannon said. Yates was also wet, he said.
Cannon said the father, whose name was not released, arrived at home at the same time as police. His wife had called him at work and told simply ''You better come home,'' Cannon said.
He was not a suspect in the crime and was cooperating with investigators, Cannon said.
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loosecannon
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posted on June 20, 2001 05:46:32 PM
Very bizarre and very, very sad. Of course her lawyer(s) will try to get her life in prison. That would probably be a worse punishment than lethal injection though, imo.
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rancher24
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posted on June 20, 2001 05:49:55 PM
How tragically sad. I can't imagine how sick a mother would have to be to do something horrific (sp?) like that! Sitting is jail for the rest of her life thinking of her action / remembering her children would be the worst hell she could get.
~ Rancher
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julesy
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posted on June 20, 2001 05:50:12 PM
I see a diminished capacity or insanity defense on the horizon.
Doesn't matter. It's Texas.
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kraftdinner
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posted on June 20, 2001 05:51:15 PM
What a sick woman spaz. Although what she did was horrible, wouldn't you think she'd be found insane if she was suffering from depression?
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Zazzie
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posted on June 20, 2001 05:53:59 PM
"Unlike "the baby blues" which affects 70% to 80% of new mothers and does not require prompt medical attention due to its mild nature. Major post partum depression attacks 10% of new mothers and is entirely a beast of a different nature, one that must be reckoned with.
Medical intervention is a necessity as an untreated case poses the greatest threat for suicide or infanticide."
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hepburn
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posted on June 20, 2001 05:56:20 PM
I don't care how mentally ill she is. How could she hold them all down, one by one and not understand what she was doing? Doesn't wash with me. Awful.
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spazmodeus
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posted on June 20, 2001 05:59:00 PM
Yup, I think she'll probably wriggle off the hook on diminished capacity.
Although like Julesy said, it's Texas ...
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kraftdinner
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posted on June 20, 2001 06:06:11 PM
That's a VERY good point loosecannon & rancher.....how could she live with herself if she got life?
Oops! Left rancher out!
[ edited by kraftdinner on Jun 20, 2001 06:07 PM ]
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spazmodeus
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posted on June 20, 2001 06:09:16 PM
I'm with you, Hepburn. Grim pun, btw.
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hepburn
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posted on June 20, 2001 06:11:02 PM
The same way Susan Smith is living her life. Doesn't seem to be bothering her very much anymore, thinking about what she did to her two boys. Plead insanity, kill your children, go to jail and live while your children are rotting in a grave. Sick.
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hepburn
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posted on June 20, 2001 06:12:12 PM
Spaz, I didn't even realize the pun. Now that you mention it, yes, it is grim. My apologies.
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spazmodeus
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posted on June 20, 2001 06:17:51 PM
Hepburn,
I wasn't being critical of your pun, just acknowledging it. No apology necessary.
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hepburn
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posted on June 20, 2001 06:21:08 PM
My apology was for you and anyone who may have thought I said it as a pun. But thank you for saying so.
(I would do a smiley as a thanks, but not in this thread. It would be out of place).
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gravid
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posted on June 20, 2001 06:34:22 PM
I kind of find it sad that since you can't understand what it must be like not to have control of your own thoughts and feelings you
slide right into denial and immediately say the insane are faking it and deserve to die.
I suppose all the obsessive compulsive people and people who mutilate themselves and who hear bizarre voices or cower in fear
unable to go out of the house are just putting on a show to get special privileges while you have to go to work and act normal? Look at how much more fun their life is for a little fakery. They get to live in poverty and danger after their loved ones and friends abandon them - what a sweet deal.
No wonder they burned witches. It's still how people think today.
[ edited by gravid on Jun 20, 2001 06:39 PM ]
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Zazzie
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posted on June 20, 2001 06:38:21 PM
Another question to ask---is why did no one in her life see that she was having major problems??
But what she did was terrible and she will most likely be punished with whatever the Texas courts can--and I'm sure it will be harsh and should be. But--a lesson to learn, is to keep your eyes and ears open around the mothers in your lives, this depression/insanity is not of their making and needs intervention to prevent tragedy
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hepburn
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posted on June 20, 2001 06:41:35 PM
People who do self mutilation hurt THEMSELVES. People who cower in corners stay inside and battle their own devils. This woman DROWNED her 5 children. One by one. Holding them down as they struggled. Carrying them to the bed, then taking the next one. And you want me to feel sympathy? I can't.
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gravid
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posted on June 20, 2001 06:45:04 PM
She was getting treatment. - Sounds like it was not effective. That is not to knock her doctor at all. It has only been a few years now that there has been any real help for these people, and they are far far away from being able to help all of them effectivly.
Most of the health insurance policies offer very short term help with a cost cut off well below what is offered for non-mental treatment. From their view the kids may be dead but it is cost effective.
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gravid
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posted on June 20, 2001 06:56:30 PM
If you can't imaigine being without control of yourself then I guess you could not have any sympathy.
Because you can not stretch your mind that far does not mean it is not reality.
The doctors and the courts both recognize there are people who can not control their thoughts or actions.
Both have seen it enough to know it is real.
It is frightening to see because the next question in your mind is could that happen to me? Easier to deny it that face the ugly truth.
That's why they hide the mentally ill and make fun of them.
She nuts - haha
Are you crazy or something?
If the insurance was offered it would be admitting it is needed also.
No need to push for the benifit because you will never need it right?
You will just exert your mighty will and do what is RIGHT no matter how messed up the chemicals in your brain are.
They should make people stop having heart attacks by "snapping out of it" and "getting a grip on yoursellf." Look how much money that would save!!
I guess we are advancing some if we don't burn crazy people at the stake as demonized.
Now we blame them for being sick instead of a demon.
[ edited by gravid on Jun 20, 2001 07:00 PM ]
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krs
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posted on June 20, 2001 07:43:23 PM
It's just a natural thing. Instinctive. No cause for alarm. Birds do it, so do dogs and cats.
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ashlandtrader
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posted on June 20, 2001 07:49:39 PM
Well said Gravid.
I heard on the radio that the state had investigated her a few years ago for child neglect or endangerment. They did not take the kids away then. I know that there are limited resources (leave no/every child behind and all that), but it is unforgivable that the state did not follow up.
This is extremely sad.
"I think it pi**** off god if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it." Alice Walker
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rawbunzel
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posted on June 20, 2001 07:52:56 PM
KRS, You are such a treasure! I believe you must have thought this was the "Artdoggy does Paris" thread. It's not.
I can see how if you were ill enough you could do such a thing. Terrible it is but hormones and chemical imbalances can cause people to behave in ways they would not ordinarily behave. I cannot put myself in her shoes. I'm glad. They would feel terrible.
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spazmodeus
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posted on June 20, 2001 07:53:52 PM
krs,
You brush this off so coldly, and yet you berated people for wishing to see Timothy McVeigh executed.
So in your world view, it's not okay to put mass murderers to death, but it's "natural" and "instinctive" for a mother to murder five innocent children?.
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krs
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posted on June 20, 2001 08:00:00 PM
"So in your world view, it's not okay to put mass murderers to death, but it's "natural" and "instinctive" for a mother to murder five innocent children?".
So then you DO equate the death penalty to murder, Spaz?
How then could you sanction the death of McVeigh and not the death of these children?
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artdoggy
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posted on June 20, 2001 08:02:11 PM
KRS is not being cold, he or she is stating a fact. I saw a cat eat her kittens once. I grew up on a farm. In nature some animals kill their offspring. The cat was old and tired of having kittens. This was the cats solution plus it provided a tasty snack...just kidding sick joke I know I will hear about it! What is the real tragedy is that no one reached out to these children and this woman and helped them. I am sure everyone just dimissed it hoping "the state" would take care of it. Well, we are the STATE and until we get off our butts and start taking responsibility for children, even if they are not our own, our entire society is going to pay. Children are the most vunerable segment of the population, virtually helpless. What does it say about us as a country that this tragedy occured? Someone noticed, someone said it was a shame and after the fact everybody is heartbroken, well why did "someone" not get up off their duff and try to INTERVENE? So maybe we are more like those heartless animals that KRS speaks of? We get really sad, but are we just like animals if we look away?
[ edited by artdoggy on Jun 20, 2001 08:05 PM ]
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uaru
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posted on June 20, 2001 08:23:49 PM
Only a crazy person could do such a thing. Nobody is going to consider a mother that does such a deed sane.
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jamesoblivion
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posted on June 20, 2001 08:31:05 PM
KRS is not being cold, he is fishing.
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uaru
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posted on June 20, 2001 08:34:51 PM
he is fishing
Was there ever any doubt?
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jamesoblivion
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posted on June 20, 2001 08:37:23 PM
Some seem not to get it completely. *shrugs*
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Hjw
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posted on June 20, 2001 08:40:11 PM
The fish was caught.
This woman is severly depressed and will surely be declared not guilty by reason of insanity. According to news reports she has been suicidal for several years.
The question is why this problem escaped so many people in the community...school, family, neighbors, and especially her husband.
Helen
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