At a Glance
- Andrea Yates drowned her five children on June 20, 2001, after years of severe postpartum depression and psychosis.
- Doctors warned the couple not to have a fifth child and not to leave her alone with the kids; both warnings were ignored.
- The ID docuseries The Cult Behind the Killer: The Andrea Yates Story streams on HBO Max but omits key medical and legal facts.
- Why it matters: The gaps raise fresh questions about accountability, treatment failures, and the influence of preacher Michael Woroniecki.
Andrea Yates called 911 and admitted she had killed her five children-Noah, 7; John, 5; Paul, 3; Luke, 2; and 6-month-old Mary-inside the family’s Clear Lake, Texas, home. A 2002 murder conviction was later overturned; a retrial ended in a 2006 verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. A new Investigation Discovery series now revisits the case, yet leaves out critical facts uncovered by News Of Losangeles.
Unheeded Medical Advice
Andrea’s descent began long before the drownings. Per Amanda S. Bennett‘s review of court records:
- She showed signs of depression as early as age 17 and attempted suicide multiple times after the births of her first four children.
- Psychiatrist Dr. Eileen Starbranch testified she told the couple another pregnancy would “guarantee future psychotic depression.”
- Despite that warning, Andrea became pregnant with Mary in March 2000 and stopped taking the antipsychotic Haldol.
Rusty Yates, interviewed in the docuseries, never explains why the couple rejected the medical directive. He likened relapse risk to a bout of flu: “If the risk…was the flu, that was a risk worth taking.”
The Alone-Time Order
Weeks before the tragedy, treating psychiatrist Dr. Mohammad Saeed documented that Andrea should not be left unsupervised with the children. Family members had rotated supervision duties, but on the morning of the killings Rusty went to work about an hour before his mother was scheduled to arrive. Andrea drowned the children during that gap; Rusty has never been charged.
The Woroniecki Factor
The series spotlights traveling preacher Michael Woroniecki, whose apocalyptic sermons Andrea followed. Former followers say his teachings stoked fears of damnation. Jail psychiatrist Melissa Ferguson testified that Andrea believed her kids “weren’t righteous…doomed to perish in the fires of hell,” prompting her to “save” them through death. Woroniecki, who declined to participate in the series, has denied responsibility and continues to preach nationwide.
Life After the Verdict
Andrea has been held in a Kerrville, Texas, mental health facility since 2007. Rusty, who divorced her in 2005, told News Of Losangeles in early 2026 that they text and speak by phone, meeting about once a year. He has encouraged her to seek release; she has “resisted the idea” but recently shown a “slight shift.” Rusty also visits his children’s graves, privately mourning their deaths for 24 years.
Key Takeaways
- Multiple doctors warned against another pregnancy and unsupervised care; both directives were bypassed.
- The docuseries omits Andrea’s extensive medication history and the explicit supervision order.
- Woroniecki’s role remains legally untested; he has never faced criminal charges related to the killings.
