> At a Glance
> – June 20, 2001: Andrea Yates drowned the couple’s five children in Houston.
> – Andrea was later found not guilty by reason of insanity and remains in a Texas psychiatric facility.
> – Rusty Yates discusses the tragedy and his regrets in The Cult Behind the Killer: The Andrea Yates Story.
> – Why it matters: The case reshaped national conversations on postpartum psychosis and criminal responsibility.
Rusty Yates’ life changed forever when his wife, Andrea, killed their five children in 2001. In a new HBO Max docuseries, he opens up about the trauma, Andrea’s mental illness, and a controversial religious influence.
The 2001 Tragedy
Doctors warned another baby could trigger a relapse of Andrea’s postpartum psychosis after a 1999 suicide attempt. The couple still had a fifth child, Mary, in 2000.
Rusty told producers he expected a brief re-occurrence, “like a flu,” treatable with the same drugs. On June 20, 2001, Andrea called him at NASA and said simply, “You need to come home.”
> Rusty recalled:
> “The police wouldn’t let me inside. I remember banging on the back door saying, ‘How can you do this? I don’t understand.’ I was heartbroken.”
Andrea later confessed to drowning Noah, 7, John, 5, Paul, 3, Luke, 2, and Mary, 6 months.
Trials and Verdicts
- March 2002: Andrea convicted of capital murder; life sentence imposed.
- 2006: Conviction reversed after a prosecution expert admitted error.
- Retrial: Jury found her not guilty by reason of insanity; she was committed to a state hospital, where she has lived since 2007.
Rusty testified in both proceedings, insisting Andrea’s psychosis-not malice-caused the deaths.
> He told the docuseries:
> “Here’s a loving mother who would never have harmed our children had she not been psychotic, and the state is prosecuting her for capital murder.”
Religious Influence Under Scrutiny
The couple began following traveling preacher Michael Woroniecki in college. Rusty admired the “edgy” message that church membership wasn’t required for salvation.
Key points explored in the series:
- Woroniecki condemned public schools as satanic, prompting the Yateses to homeschool.
- Rusty drifted from the group; Andrea continued letter-writing and listening to taped sermons.
- Producers suggest Woroniecki’s apocalyptic rhetoric may have fed Andrea’s delusions.
> Rusty admitted:
> “Looking back, I miscalculated the effect on Andrea. If I could do it over, I would not have introduced her to them.”
Life After the Murders
- 2005: Rusty and Andrea divorced.
- 2006: He married Laura Arnold; they had a son in 2008 and divorced in 2015.
- Present: Rusty works at NASA’s Johnson Space Center as a computer engineer.
He calls Andrea monthly and visits her once a year at the Kerrville facility.
| Life Event | Date | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Murders | June 2001 | Five children drowned |
| First conviction | March 2002 | Life sentence (later reversed) |
| Final verdict | July 2006 | Not guilty by reason of insanity |
| Divorce | March 2005 | Rusty and Andrea separated |
| Remarriage | 2006 | Wed Laura Arnold (divorced 2015) |
Key Takeaways
- Andrea’s actions were driven by severe postpartum psychosis, not criminal intent, according to multiple courts and Rusty.
- Rusty still supports Andrea and believes the insanity verdict was just.
- He regrets exposing her to Woroniecki’s teachings, which he now sees as potentially harmful.
The story continues to prompt debate on mental-health defenses and the boundaries of religious influence.
