Yates Found Not Guilty In Second Murder Trial

HOUSTON -- Jurors found Andrea Yates not guilty by reason of insanity Wednesday on the third day of deliberations in her capital murder retrial, KPRC Local 2 reported.

After deliberating nearly 13 hours, jurors determined the Clear Lake mother was legally insane when she drowned her five children in the bathtub.

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Video: Team Coverage: Reaction To Yates' Verdict

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Yates' attorneys never disputed that she drowned 6-month-old Mary, 2-year-old Luke, 3-year-old Paul, 5-year-old John and 7-year-old Noah in their Clear Lake home in June 2001. But they said she suffered from severe postpartum psychosis.

Yates sat back in her chair, staring wide-eyed as the verdict was read. She then bowed her head and wept quietly.

The verdict means that Yates will be committed to a state mental hospital, with periodic hearings before a judge to determine whether she should be released -- although by law, jurors were not allowed to be told that. The judge will determine to which hospital Yates will be sent.

Jurors deliberated more than three times longer than the nearly four hours it took a first jury, which convicted her in 2002. That conviction was overturned on appeal last year.

Yates, 42, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in both trials. Under Texas law, a person can be found insane if, because of a severe mental illness, he or she does not know the crime is wrong.

Yates' family, including her ex-husband, have supported her throughout the two trials.

"I think she was probably prepared for either verdict. She's the kind of the person who doesn't want to get her hopes up too high so as to not be disappointed," said Rusty Yates, Andrea's ex-husband. "This is really about Andrea's quality of life for the balance of her life. Is she going to spend her time in a prison cell with barely adequate medical treatment and no interaction with other people or family members, or is she going to spend some time in a hospital getting medical treatment and have some hope of possibly living a somewhat normal life later?"

Rusty Yates said he was surprised at the not guilty verdict and believed Andrea Yates understood its significance.

"She's much clearer now," he said. "I’m really proud of the jury."

Yates was charged in only three of her children's deaths, which is common in cases involving multiple slayings.

She would have been sentenced to life in prison if she had been convicted of capital murder.

Yates' defense attorney George Parnham has fought for his client since he took her case. He became a strong advocate on behalf of the mentally ill.

"For George Parnham, Andrea Yates represented mental health education," defense attorney Rocket Rosen said.

"I think the right thing was done and mental health has been addressed. That's so important. This case is almost a watershed for mental illness in the criminal justice system," Parnham said. "I'm very pleased with the verdict. I think it sends the right message to this community about mental health."

Prosecutors pushed for a different outcome in the trial.

"In 2001, the Houston police department, together with the District Attorney's office, the medical examiner's office, tried to infer why Mrs. Yates killed her children from the evidence that was available to us. We consulted with mental health experts and ultimately concluded that Mrs. Yates was not insane when she killed her children because she knew it was a sin, because she knew it was legally wrong and because she knew that society would disapprove of her actions," prosecutor Joe Owmby said. "We are extremely disappointed with the verdict."

Andrea will remain at the Harris County jail until a judge sends her to the facility that will treat her.

"She's on anti-psychotic drugs. She's also on anti-depressants," Parnham said. "She will probably be sent to Vernon, a state mental hospital where an evaluation will take place about whether she remains a danger to the community. Andrea Yates is not a danger to anybody other than possibly herself."

Yates is then expected to be transferred to Rusk State Hospital.

"In Rusk, she will come up for review by a board and then the judge, in this case, will have lifetime jurisdiction over Andrea Yates," Parnham said. "This court will have the ultimate decision over whether Andrea ever leaves the grounds of Rusk State Hospital and lives within some community for the rest of her life."