Just happened Chron http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4073570.html July 26, 2006, 12:07PM JURY FINDS YATES INSANE, NOT GUILTY Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle A Harris County jury has found Andrea Yates not guilty by reason of insanity during her second capital murder trial for the drowning deaths of her children in the family's bathtub in 2001. The verdict upholding Yates' insanity defense comes after the jury deliberated more than 12 hours and spent two nights sequestered at an area hotel . The acquittal in Yates' second capital murder trial follows nearly a month's worth of exhaustive testimony, capped by four hours of emotional closing arguments Monday, during which Yates broke down in tears and her former husband, Russell Yates, abruptly left the courtroom. The jury's verdict means Yates, 42, will be sent to a state mental hospital for treatment, rather than be sentenced to life in prison. Shortly before 10:30 this morning, the jury sent a note requesting exhibits showing a family portrait and a photo of the children before their deaths. Over the past two days, the jury appeared to focus on medical expert testimony from both prosecution and defense witnesses. Tuesday, they asked to see video tapes mental-health experts made of their interviews with Yates after the killings as well as testimony from Park Dietz, a prosecution expert witness, about Yates' statements regarding Satan's presence. It is unknown how long Yates will be hospitalized, but she will be subject to periodic reviews by state District Judge Belinda Hill's court. The trial is the second time Yates has faced a jury. She was convicted in 2002 of the crime and sentenced to life in prison, but an appeals court last year threw out that conviction based on a forensic psychiatrist's erroneous testimony. Yates, a former nurse and housewife with a history of psychiatric hospitalizations and suicide attempts, called police and led them to the bodies of her five children — Noah, 7, John, 5, Paul, 3, Luke, 2, and 6-month-old Mary — after drowning them in a bathtub at her Clear Lake home on June 20, 2001. Defense attorneys had urged jurors to find that Yates' mental illness led to the children's deaths. Experts testifying for the defense said Yates drowned her children in an act of love to save their souls from eternal damnation. Prosecutors did not dispute that Yates was mentally ill, but argued that her condition did not keep her from knowing right from wrong. A death sentence could not be considered during her retrial since the first jury rejected that option four years ago.
Yates Well, they found Andrea Yates not guilty by reason of insanity. That is what's freaking insane! I am so pissed. Someone else just posted, can you lock this thread please. Sorry about that.
do you really believe someone drowning 4 kids one by one, their own kids, is not insane? you may feel she still needs to be locked up prison, but I believe she's clearly insane.
the question is whether she knew what she was doing was wrong. i'm not sure. i'm glad i wasn't on the jury.
That is clearly an insane action but the question did she know right from wrong? She should be in jail for the rest of her life.
If you are insane and your insanity makes you kill your kids or anyone for that matter, you deserve the needle. Insanity is not a defense for what that b**** did. Her hubby should get it too. He is a piece of ****. If my wife or anyone else hurts my children in any way, shape, or form their ass is mine.
Correct me if I'm wrong...Yates will be in a mental hospital for the rest of her life? It's not like she is walking away.
You know, I for one have never believed in the so-called insanity plea. But this one woman -- she's gotta be C-R-A-Z-Y. Send her to an asylum already.
