Who is Andrea Yates? Details analyzed ahead of the release of The Cult Behind the Killer

In the suburbs of Houston, Texas, on June 20, 2001, an event unfolded that captured global attention. Andrea Yates, a mother, drowned her five children, Noah, John, Paul, Luke, and Mary, in the family's bathtub. She then called emergency services, confessing to the act.

This raised urgent questions about mental health, motherhood, and the limits of human suffering. Andrea Pia Yates, born Andrea Kennedy on July 2, 1964, in Houston, grew up as the youngest of five in a close-knit family.

A high-achieving student and valedictorian, she earned a nursing degree from the University of Texas in 1986 and worked at a cancer center until starting a family. In 1993, she married Russell ‘Rusty’ Yates, a NASA engineer, and devoted herself to raising their children, influenced by strict religious beliefs from preacher Michael Woroniecki. 

Andrea Yates battled severe postpartum depression and psychosis after each birth, leading to hospitalizations and suicide attempts, yet she continued having children against medical advice.

As the world revisits this case through the new docuseries The Cult Behind the Killer: The Andrea Yates Story, premiering January 6, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Investigation Discovery, with episodes streaming on Max.

The Cult Behind the Killer: The Andrea Yates Story: Early life and marriage of Andrea Yates 

Andrea Yates was born on July 2, 1964, in Houston, Texas, to Andrew and Jutta Kennedy, the youngest of five siblings in a stable household. Her childhood was marked by academic excellence; she graduated as valedictorian from her high school and pursued nursing at the University of Texas Health Science Center, earning her degree in 1986.

Yates worked as a registered nurse at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center for eight years, specializing in patient care during a time when her career showed promise and dedication, as per CNN. In 1990, Andrea Yates met Russell ‘Rusty’ Yates, a devout Christian and NASA engineer, through their apartment complex.

They married on April 17, 1993, in a small ceremony, sharing a large-family-in-faith vision. Rusty had been influenced by traveling preacher Michael Woroniecki and adopted the fundamentalist lifestyle of insular homeschooling.

The couple toured the country in a custom bus and attended the home meetings of Woroniecki; sermons of sin and salvation motivated their actions. The couple’s first-born child, Noah, was born in February 1994, followed by John in December 1995, Paul in September 1997, Luke in February 1999, and Mary in November 2000.

The couple left their nursing position as they embarked on family life and were raising the children on their own without any outside assistance. Symptoms began to emerge after the birth of Noah and included exhaustion and mild depression, but they ensured they put God first despite health worries, according to CNN.

Onset of mental health struggles of Andrea Yates

Andrea Yates appeared stable for a while, but her mental health didn't truly start to deteriorate until February 1999, following the birth of her fourth child, Luke.  She experienced intense sadness, appetite loss, and disengagement from everyday activities due to severe postpartum depression.  

Yates was admitted to Methodist Hospital's psychiatric unit for the first time in June 1999 after attempting suicide by overdosing on antidepressants.  Her condition was momentarily stabilized after doctors diagnosed her with major depressive disorder and prescribed medication, including the antipsychotic Haldol, as CNN reported.

Despite the psychiatrist's recommendations that she not have more children, Andrea Yates delivered Mary in November 2000. Soon after, postpartum psychosis-a rare, severe affliction with hallucinations and delusions-set in.

Yates had visions of Satan and became convinced that her children would go to hell because she was such a bad mother. She refused to eat, sank into catatonia, and clawed at her scalp until she had circular bald spots. After another suicide attempt, by clamping a knife to her throat, she entered Devereux Texas Treatment Network in March 2001.

Her psychiatrist, Dr. Mohammed Saeed, treated her with psychotropic drugs but tapered off Haldol due to side effects, against some expert advice. Andrea Yates improved enough to return home in May 2001, but instructions required constant supervision around the children. Rusty arranged for his mother to assist, yet gaps in care persisted amid the family's religious isolation, according to ABC News. 

The incident and investigation

Rusty went to work at 9 a.m. on June 20, 2001. Andrea was alone with the kids, despite medical orders for supervision. A short while later, Andrea methodically drowned each child in the bathtub. First Mary, then the boys sequentially, with the older ones first.

Andrea put their bodies side by side on the bed and called 911 at 9:34 a.m. She said to the operator, "I just killed my kids," and handed the phone to a police officer who had arrived moments before. Andrea made no struggles as she led the officer back to where the bodies were.

The crime scene and subsequent interrogation took place rapidly at the family home in Clear Lake. Houston police detected no evidence of a struggle, and it became clear that Andrea Yates had acted alone.

She was arrested and put on suicide watch at the Harris County Jail’s psychiatric unit. While under interrogation, Yates confessed to delusions about feelings of inadequacy, thinking that taking her own life would spare her kids from eternal damnation. Forensic psychiatrist Park Dietz would later analyze her for the prosecution, according to CNN.

Rusty Yates expressed shock but supported his wife, blaming inadequate medical care. The case drew intense media scrutiny, with neighbors and experts piecing together timelines of her decline. Autopsies confirmed drowning as the cause of death for all five, ages ranging from 6 months to 7 years, as per NBC News. 

Trials, verdict, and ongoing care

The first trial of Andrea Yates began on February 18, 2002, in Harris County with capital murder charges against her for the deaths of Noah, John, and Mary. The prosecution offered evidence about her wrong intention, as evidenced by her 911 call and her confession.

However, defense attorneys introduced her psychosis, but Park Dietz testified about her taking inspiration from a “Law & Order” episode, influencing the jury. She was given a life imprisonment term on March 12, 2002, as CNN reported.

The Texas Court of Appeals overturned the conviction on January 6, 2005, ruling Dietz's testimony erroneous for falsely claiming the show depicted postpartum psychosis. A second trial in 2006 focused on insanity under Texas law, requiring proof she could not distinguish right from wrong.

Witnesses, including Dr. George Ringholz, affirmed her delusions of Satanic influence. After 13 hours of deliberation, the jury found her not guilty by reason of insanity on July 26, 2006, according to The New York Times.

Andrea Yates was committed to Rusk State Hospital and later transferred to Kerrville State Hospital in 2007 for long-term care. Annual reviews assess her risk; she has declined release hearings, remaining under court supervision, as per CNN. 

Watch The Cult Behind the Killer: The Andrea Yates Story, releasing on January 6, 2026, on ID.