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Are You There Alone: The Unspeakable Crime of Andrea Yates by Suzanne O'Malley
In the tradition of In Cold Blood, The Executioner's Song, and A Civil Action, Suzanne O'Malley exposes the human mystery of the most horrifying crime in recent history and the legal drama surrounding it.
As a journalist, Suzanne O'Malley began covering the murders of Noah, John, Paul, Luke, and Mary Yates hours after their mother, Andrea Yates, drowned them in their suburban Houston home in June 2001. Over twenty-four months, O'Malley interviewed or witnessed the sworn testimony of more than a hundred participants in this drama, including Yates herself; her husband, Rusty Yates; their families; attorneys; the personnel of the Harris County district attorney's and sheriff's offices; medical staff; friends; acquaintances; and expert witnesses.
O'Malley argues persuasively that under less extraordinary circumstances, a mentally ill woman would have been quietly offered a plea bargain and sent to an institution under court supervision. But on March 12, 2002, Andrea Yates was found guilty of the murders of three of her five children. She is currently serving a life sentence and will not be eligible for parole until 2041.
O'Malley's exclusive personal communications with Andrea Yates and her interviews with Rusty Yates allow her to offer fully realized portrayals of people at the center of this horrifying case.
In "Are You There Alone?" O'Malley makes a critical contribution to our understanding of mental health issues within the criminal justice system.
As a journalist, Suzanne O'Malley began covering the murders of Noah, John, Paul, Luke, and Mary Yates hours after their mother, Andrea Yates, drowned them in their suburban Houston home in June 2001. Over twenty-four months, O'Malley interviewed or witnessed the sworn testimony of more than a hundred participants in this drama, including Yates herself; her husband, Rusty Yates; their families; attorneys; the personnel of the Harris County district attorney's and sheriff's offices; medical staff; friends; acquaintances; and expert witnesses.
O'Malley argues persuasively that under less extraordinary circumstances, a mentally ill woman would have been quietly offered a plea bargain and sent to an institution under court supervision. But on March 12, 2002, Andrea Yates was found guilty of the murders of three of her five children. She is currently serving a life sentence and will not be eligible for parole until 2041.
O'Malley's exclusive personal communications with Andrea Yates and her interviews with Rusty Yates allow her to offer fully realized portrayals of people at the center of this horrifying case.
In "Are You There Alone?" O'Malley makes a critical contribution to our understanding of mental health issues within the criminal justice system.
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First published January 6, 2004
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June 3, 2020
Are You There Alone is a true crime book written by journalist Suzanne O'Malley and covers the horrendous deliberate drowning of five young children at the hands of their own mother, Andrea Yates on June 20th 2001.
This is a gut-wrenching read of an unspeakable crime but one that nobody denies happened, not even Andrea who made the 911 call immediately after killing her children. Although I still label this a true crime book it really is more a book about depression, psychosis and bipolar. These are the illnesses that hounded Andrea for years culminating in her crime that she saw as the "only" thing to do to save her children from the devil. Andrea DID NOT claim she did the crimes for reasons of insanity, she believed she did them because Satan made her and even believed she had '666' blistered on her head. In the courts, the commital of the crimes was never argued but it was Andrea's mental health that was the main point of discussion - insanity meant life behind bars, sanity meant the death penalty.
Her lawyers trolled through countless medical examinations and hospital stays leading up to the fateful day. O'Malley lays out a paper trail of the months before and after the trial, showing the cracks in which Yates fell through whilst trying to get the mental health services she required. Her husband, Rusty, stayed by her side the whole way through believing, as her lawyers did, that she was not mentally responsible for her own children's death. True crime for sure but also a book that delves deep into the issues surrounding mental health and the justice system.
It is a hard thing to say but I am glad Andrea's guilt of the murders is never in question because it made the read easier for me. Her five children were all under the age of ten and I make no apologies for immediately registering her despicable. I would have found it an extremely difficult read if it was a book about someone trying to get away with the crime but it is more around the level of her culpability with a punishment guaranteed.
This is a gut-wrenching read of an unspeakable crime but one that nobody denies happened, not even Andrea who made the 911 call immediately after killing her children. Although I still label this a true crime book it really is more a book about depression, psychosis and bipolar. These are the illnesses that hounded Andrea for years culminating in her crime that she saw as the "only" thing to do to save her children from the devil. Andrea DID NOT claim she did the crimes for reasons of insanity, she believed she did them because Satan made her and even believed she had '666' blistered on her head. In the courts, the commital of the crimes was never argued but it was Andrea's mental health that was the main point of discussion - insanity meant life behind bars, sanity meant the death penalty.
Her lawyers trolled through countless medical examinations and hospital stays leading up to the fateful day. O'Malley lays out a paper trail of the months before and after the trial, showing the cracks in which Yates fell through whilst trying to get the mental health services she required. Her husband, Rusty, stayed by her side the whole way through believing, as her lawyers did, that she was not mentally responsible for her own children's death. True crime for sure but also a book that delves deep into the issues surrounding mental health and the justice system.
It is a hard thing to say but I am glad Andrea's guilt of the murders is never in question because it made the read easier for me. Her five children were all under the age of ten and I make no apologies for immediately registering her despicable. I would have found it an extremely difficult read if it was a book about someone trying to get away with the crime but it is more around the level of her culpability with a punishment guaranteed.
November 24, 2012
To be honest, I was very hesitant to even read this book. Like most people, when Andrea Yates killed her five children by drowning them in the family's bathtub, the only information I knew was what I heard from the media. I almost immediately formed my own opinion -- Andrea Yates was evil. So it took me awhile to open my mind to the fact that there could be more to the story.
Once I started reading ARE YOU THERE ALONE? I absolutely could not read fast enough. This book is fascinating in delving into the issue of mental illness, and what it truly means. I learned about psychosis, about postpartum depression, about bipolar disorder, and much, much more.
Although there are things I still don't understand (how Rusty Yates, Andrea's husband, could have left her alone with their children when he knew she was seriously mentally ill, for example), I have to say that I have a greater understanding of why Ms. Yates did what she did.
Hers was a horrific crime, and one for which she deserved to be punished. But she also deserved to get help for the problems that had plagued her for many years. For that, Suzanne O'Malley and the doctors, nurses, and many others involved in the case are to be commended.
Once I started reading ARE YOU THERE ALONE? I absolutely could not read fast enough. This book is fascinating in delving into the issue of mental illness, and what it truly means. I learned about psychosis, about postpartum depression, about bipolar disorder, and much, much more.
Although there are things I still don't understand (how Rusty Yates, Andrea's husband, could have left her alone with their children when he knew she was seriously mentally ill, for example), I have to say that I have a greater understanding of why Ms. Yates did what she did.
Hers was a horrific crime, and one for which she deserved to be punished. But she also deserved to get help for the problems that had plagued her for many years. For that, Suzanne O'Malley and the doctors, nurses, and many others involved in the case are to be commended.
January 12, 2009
This was an extraordinarily upsetting book. Not just because of the death of those beautiful kids, but because this poor woman showed so many freaking signs of mental damage, but no one cared to help her.
Extremely sad, and upsetting. People should read this before assuming that a woman having a hard time with her child/children is going to get over it.
Extremely sad, and upsetting. People should read this before assuming that a woman having a hard time with her child/children is going to get over it.
March 16, 2019
Horrifying and interesting case, but written drily and in a very impersonal way.
July 21, 2008
O'Malley is a good writer, and she was skillfully able to keep from sensationalizing this story - she focused on the many mental health aspects, and, regardless of how you feel about Andrea Yates when you begin this book, you'll come away from it shaking your head at the mental health system in the United States.
My only gripe is that O'Malley constantly second guesses the lawyers involved with the case. Unless I've missed something, O'Malley is not a lawyer, and since she wasn't privy to most of the trial preparation, I think that it's a bit unfair of her to repeatedly insinuate that both the prosecution and defense should have brought in particular pieces of evidence, called certain witnesses, and so on. Hindsight is easy....just report the facts and let the reader decide. (OK, clearly this is the lawyer in me!)
Recommended reading if you are interested in the case and in psychiatry.
My only gripe is that O'Malley constantly second guesses the lawyers involved with the case. Unless I've missed something, O'Malley is not a lawyer, and since she wasn't privy to most of the trial preparation, I think that it's a bit unfair of her to repeatedly insinuate that both the prosecution and defense should have brought in particular pieces of evidence, called certain witnesses, and so on. Hindsight is easy....just report the facts and let the reader decide. (OK, clearly this is the lawyer in me!)
Recommended reading if you are interested in the case and in psychiatry.
July 18, 2007
Infanticide cannot be tolerated by any civilized society. It is one of the most unnatural and heinous crimes one can commit. What drives a parent to commit such crimes can only originate from the depths of the hell of disparing mental illness. This book forces its reader to take a look at the prodromal signs Andrea Yates exhibited prior to murdering her children and points out startling evidence that these murders could have been prevented had Ms Yates received proper psychiatric care. We can point many fingers in this situation and assign blame but the responsibility not only rests in the hands of those people who were close to the situation. The failure of society to demand better psychiatric management of those who are a danger to themselves and others is the greater issue at hand.
June 10, 2012
read this because I lived in Clear Lake City where this happened. I know people have all sorts of opinions about what happened, but I have to say that after reading this book, her husband should have been tried as well as her. Her story is incrediably tragic. This is not written from her point of view, either.
May 7, 2023
Gut wrenching. This one was not a study of her crimes, her guilt was never in question, but of her mental illness.
September 16, 2018
I didn't especially want to read this, but as this crime is so puzzling to me I thought I would anyway. And it's now clearer that Andrea really truly was insane, she should not be in prison, because she should not have ever been out of a sanitorium in the first place. She was schizophrenic and psychotic, and should have been hospitalized with constant, STEADY AND STABLE treatment. You don't "get over" these conditions, and they treated her "incidents' like she had a flair up of some physical ailment. The treatment she did get was all over the map, she took this drug then that drug then when she refused to take drugs they shrugged, and oh, don't even get me started on the husband, who, KNOWING his wife is psychotic, suicidal and suffers from extreme postpartum depression, let God "send" them another baby, well, I said, don't get me started on the husband. Sigh. A horrifying thing that should never had happened.
July 13, 2012
How could a person - a mother - do such a horrid thing???? Suzanne O'Malley did a nice job of shedding light on Andrea Yates, her condition and how this tragedy was able to unfold right before everyone's eyes. I read this in an effort to try to understand why.... Still don't know "why" but definitely understand mental illness more and the dangers of complacency and denial in dark situations. Very sad and tragic, but hope in some small way Andrea's story can help someone else reach out for help or make sure a loved one gets the help they need. Sad... interesting... educational... and in a weird way O'Malley's words helped me find a place within myself where compassion lived for Andrea.
January 14, 2020
This is why I am an atheist. Tragic. Michael Woroniecki should have been charged as an accessory to murder.
June 18, 2020
Sadly, this book is not a good time. I will admit, I read it on audiobook, so there's perhaps some issue with the way it translated to an audiobook vs the format of the book itself. But I really think this entire book was just sloppy.
Firstly, it covers the crime of Andrea Yates, who is a woman who drowned all 5 of her children in a bathtub. She suffered some severe mental health issues, and sadly never got the help that she really needed. The crime itself is horrible, but if you're interested in it, I'd google for information.
This book suffers from two problems. It's repetitive, and therefore too long, and it's disorganized. Things were repeated so many times and in so many different ways, and at the end it felt like the author used the same six pieces of information to fill this 6ish hour long audiobook. And the information was not presented in any way that made it flow. It was all over the place, we'd go from her talking about her crimes in prison, to her life in hospitals for her mental health, but it was done back and forth with no real discerning so sometimes I was entirely confused what was being talked about.
All in all, this book is just not worth the time I spent on it.
Firstly, it covers the crime of Andrea Yates, who is a woman who drowned all 5 of her children in a bathtub. She suffered some severe mental health issues, and sadly never got the help that she really needed. The crime itself is horrible, but if you're interested in it, I'd google for information.
This book suffers from two problems. It's repetitive, and therefore too long, and it's disorganized. Things were repeated so many times and in so many different ways, and at the end it felt like the author used the same six pieces of information to fill this 6ish hour long audiobook. And the information was not presented in any way that made it flow. It was all over the place, we'd go from her talking about her crimes in prison, to her life in hospitals for her mental health, but it was done back and forth with no real discerning so sometimes I was entirely confused what was being talked about.
All in all, this book is just not worth the time I spent on it.
July 31, 2015
First off I have to say how I felt before reading this book. I got this at the library. I recently found out about Andrea Yates even though the crime happened in 2001. I was watching a documentary on Netflix called "Crimes of the Century" and Andrea Yates was one of them. I was very appalled by this crime. How can you murder all five of your children? How?! She was found not guilty by reason of insanity and so she'll spend her days at North Texas State Hospital. My opinion is she needed the death penalty regardless of insanity. She takes five helpless children's lives that are her own, she doesn't need help because there isn't no helping that kind of inhuman person to commit a crime like that.
Now after I read this book by Suzanne O'Malley which I might add was a very well written book. It will be definitely be one of my favorite true crime books. I loved the timeline the author, Suzanne, introduced in the beginning of the book. It really gives you a clear outlook on the years to follow of Andrea's life and everything is broke down to give you a timeline before you even begin reading. Even after reading this book and understand what mental illness Andrea did have I still believe she should have went to prison. Say I'm wrong or whatever you please but there was way too many things that Andrea herself could have done. What I mean by that is, how was the death of her children by her not premeditated? She had thoughts of harming her child after his was first born. Why did she not tell anyone or confide in her husband? So from the very first child she had she did have thoughts of harming them. To continue to have children would only add onto more of her stress. Throughout the book you will read that she refused taking her medicine and didn't want to take it, if you knew yourself you had thoughts of harming your children as early as your first child why would you not want to take the medicine? Andrea previously filled the bathtub and claimed she needed it for something else. I don't by that. Also she claims the devil was telling her to do it and if she didn't go through with it her children would not make it to heaven. She never mentioned that to any of her doctors until after the murders. I truly believe she is a sick person but to murder all five of your children well there will never be help for you and you deserve the death penalty. I really enjoyed this book. The author did an excellent job. Definitely recommend this book.
While reading the book I found a quote I really liked:
"Knowing the mind of Andrea Yates was the challenge."
Now after I read this book by Suzanne O'Malley which I might add was a very well written book. It will be definitely be one of my favorite true crime books. I loved the timeline the author, Suzanne, introduced in the beginning of the book. It really gives you a clear outlook on the years to follow of Andrea's life and everything is broke down to give you a timeline before you even begin reading. Even after reading this book and understand what mental illness Andrea did have I still believe she should have went to prison. Say I'm wrong or whatever you please but there was way too many things that Andrea herself could have done. What I mean by that is, how was the death of her children by her not premeditated? She had thoughts of harming her child after his was first born. Why did she not tell anyone or confide in her husband? So from the very first child she had she did have thoughts of harming them. To continue to have children would only add onto more of her stress. Throughout the book you will read that she refused taking her medicine and didn't want to take it, if you knew yourself you had thoughts of harming your children as early as your first child why would you not want to take the medicine? Andrea previously filled the bathtub and claimed she needed it for something else. I don't by that. Also she claims the devil was telling her to do it and if she didn't go through with it her children would not make it to heaven. She never mentioned that to any of her doctors until after the murders. I truly believe she is a sick person but to murder all five of your children well there will never be help for you and you deserve the death penalty. I really enjoyed this book. The author did an excellent job. Definitely recommend this book.
While reading the book I found a quote I really liked:
"Knowing the mind of Andrea Yates was the challenge."
November 7, 2014
A just about to finish this book and I think that am justified to write something about it.
Andrea Yates Killed her five children. That is the bottomline. The question is whether she had the intention to murder the children. I have noted that there was sufficient evidence to show that Andrea Yates was mentally sick. She was suffering from, am told. Postpartum Disorder. She had both visual and auditory hallucination. She believed that she was saving her children at the time she was drowning them.
Her case can be looked at from different angle, religiously, emotionally, psychologically or legally. After that you make your own decision as to whether she is guilty.
If am to be asked, I would say legally she clearly insane. Everything was so clear during the trial. That is what I thought after reading the book and even now. Judging Andrea Yates with the other standards which I have stated is a personal preference which leaads to different conlusions.
I personally sympathise with her.
It's unfortunate that in my country (Kenya) mentall illness is not considered during trial and mental patients still suffer from discrimination.
Andrea Yates Killed her five children. That is the bottomline. The question is whether she had the intention to murder the children. I have noted that there was sufficient evidence to show that Andrea Yates was mentally sick. She was suffering from, am told. Postpartum Disorder. She had both visual and auditory hallucination. She believed that she was saving her children at the time she was drowning them.
Her case can be looked at from different angle, religiously, emotionally, psychologically or legally. After that you make your own decision as to whether she is guilty.
If am to be asked, I would say legally she clearly insane. Everything was so clear during the trial. That is what I thought after reading the book and even now. Judging Andrea Yates with the other standards which I have stated is a personal preference which leaads to different conlusions.
I personally sympathise with her.
It's unfortunate that in my country (Kenya) mentall illness is not considered during trial and mental patients still suffer from discrimination.
February 10, 2016
This book surprised me with how excellent it was. I was expecting a typical run through of the horrific events of the crime, with lots of shaming of Andrea, particularly because it was released before her successful appeal, but I was very wrong in that assumption. The author builds an excellent timeline of the Yates' lives together up to the tragic murder of their children, and follows through to after Andrea's first trial and guilty verdict. Suzanne O'Malley goes to great lengths to accurately and astutely describe and explain the depth of Andrea's psychosis, from multiple opinions of countless doctors. I feel that the emphasis of this book is on the tragedy that is mental illness, how much it is misunderstood, mis-diagnosed, and misinterpreted, and that's where the focus should be. Andrea Yates did not get away with murder. She was and is a very sick woman, and the deaths of her children were 100% preventable: if only she had had the proper mental health treatment. I am glad that from this terrible event, much research and light has gone into mental illness in general and postpartum psychosis specifically, for it is long overdue.
Read
February 5, 2009O'Malley brings dignity to the true crime genre with Are You There Alone?. Through her in-depth research, interviews, and personal correspondence, O'Malley exposes the history of Yates's mental illness, attempted suicides, and the medical system that failed her. She asserts that if Yates had received a proper diagnosis and appropriate medical treatment, her children might still be alive today. While some critics found O'Malley's writing tedious, most were impressed with her exhaustive details, analysis of Yates's medical condition, and corrective to the media's story. Indeed, her attention to detail contributed to the discovery of a major flaw in the prosecution's case. Unfortunately, it came too late to reverse the jury's guilty plea, but influenced Yates's sentence of life in prison, rather than death, sentence. Overall, this book offers compelling insight into mental illness, healthcare, childcare, and the legal system.
This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine.
January 18, 2022
This book outlines the very sad events that surrounded the murder of Andrea Yates' five children. This is a harrowing read which encompasses a religious couple and mental health facilities, the role of insurance companies in getting the right medication and the law system in America. At the centre though is a very ill woman who not only stood trial, but faced the death penalty for acting whilst in the grip of psychosis.
None of this makes for easy reading but the format of the book makes the facts accessible and the author has stuck to her principles by not allowing some of those involved to review what is said of them prior to publication.
None of this makes for easy reading but the format of the book makes the facts accessible and the author has stuck to her principles by not allowing some of those involved to review what is said of them prior to publication.
March 16, 2010
I've read several true-crime books and ARE YOU THERE ALONE? has to be my least favorite. The author, who also happens to be a reporter, does just that, she reports the crime of Andrea Yates (the mother who drowned her five children in a bathtub) in such a way, that it feels like you're reading a police report (just the facts, m'am) rather than a non-fiction book. It would have been nice if she could have included a personal/human angle to this story so that the reader could have had a better understanding of the enormous impact this horrible crime had on the community.
February 9, 2010
Really interesting reporting on the tragedy of Andrea Yates' mental illness and crime. Scary to think that even in these most high-profile (and therefore, one would think, most thoroughly prepared-for) trials, there is so much room for error and for expert witnesses with agendas of their own. Also scary that people at the time were so eager to attribute all kinds of evil motives to what is so obviously a psychotic act.
September 13, 2011
I would have never believed that the US court system would not see such a blatant mental health crisis in Andrea but this book is a prime example of how sad the mental health system is in the US. My heart went out to Andrea Yates and her poor children... Thank God her convition was over-turned in 2006 and she is now being treated in a mental hospital and not living her life in a prison (reality, she is her prison). I have read this book at leat 4 times and still get information from it.
April 6, 2012
Mental illness is real, and though I don 't condone her actions, my heart is saddened by all the signs that were missed. If only those many times that she and her husband had sought help had been realized ... seven lives may have been spared.
November 6, 2017
Oh boy, who doesn't know the name Andrea Yates?
If you haven't, here's a quick recap:
One morning in June 1999, Andrea Yates waited for her husband to leave for work before drowning their five children in the bathtub. She immediately called her husband, Rusty, saying he needed to come home. She then called 911 asking for police to be dispatched to her home....
I'm honestly not sure when I first heard of the Andrea Yates case (I was 4 when it happened) but I have done extensive research and written many, many papers on Post-Partum Depression (called Post Partum Psychosis in the book) and many papers on Infanticide (called Filicide in the book).
That being said, it is amazing to me how much has changed in 18 years in the psychology/psychiatry field.
So here's the jist of the book.
Andrea Yates suffered from some unknown disorder for many, many years. She had an education, a career, and a life before she married Rusty and began barring his children. Soon after their son Noah was born, she began having delusions of hurting him. None of the other children, just Noah. When these delusions began coming more frequently, she started spiraling down an unknown road of mental illness. After their 4th child was born, they were advised to stop having children based on her unstable mental state. The baby blues are normal, but what she had was much stronger. Instead, they persisted that another baby was what they needed. So baby number 5 comes along, their first baby girl. Since Andrea was so unstable, she actually tried to commit suicide twice, in the hopes that she could save her children from Satan. In the end, she argued that killing her children was the only way she could save them from Satan and guarantee each of them a spot in Heaven.
Now, there is a large portion of this book that is 100% from the trial. Which is quite dry to read, but it definitely added to the story. Not to mention there are many interviews with Andrea trying to explain her reasoning through yes/no questions because of the catatonic state she was in through the extremely hard diagnosis.
If you like true crime, get this book.
This review and other true crime reviews can be found at A Reader's Diary!
If you haven't, here's a quick recap:
One morning in June 1999, Andrea Yates waited for her husband to leave for work before drowning their five children in the bathtub. She immediately called her husband, Rusty, saying he needed to come home. She then called 911 asking for police to be dispatched to her home....
I'm honestly not sure when I first heard of the Andrea Yates case (I was 4 when it happened) but I have done extensive research and written many, many papers on Post-Partum Depression (called Post Partum Psychosis in the book) and many papers on Infanticide (called Filicide in the book).
That being said, it is amazing to me how much has changed in 18 years in the psychology/psychiatry field.
So here's the jist of the book.
Andrea Yates suffered from some unknown disorder for many, many years. She had an education, a career, and a life before she married Rusty and began barring his children. Soon after their son Noah was born, she began having delusions of hurting him. None of the other children, just Noah. When these delusions began coming more frequently, she started spiraling down an unknown road of mental illness. After their 4th child was born, they were advised to stop having children based on her unstable mental state. The baby blues are normal, but what she had was much stronger. Instead, they persisted that another baby was what they needed. So baby number 5 comes along, their first baby girl. Since Andrea was so unstable, she actually tried to commit suicide twice, in the hopes that she could save her children from Satan. In the end, she argued that killing her children was the only way she could save them from Satan and guarantee each of them a spot in Heaven.
Now, there is a large portion of this book that is 100% from the trial. Which is quite dry to read, but it definitely added to the story. Not to mention there are many interviews with Andrea trying to explain her reasoning through yes/no questions because of the catatonic state she was in through the extremely hard diagnosis.
If you like true crime, get this book.
This review and other true crime reviews can be found at A Reader's Diary!
June 16, 2022
I picked this book up yesterday at the library when I took my girls to do an activity for the summer reading program. I have no idea why in the world I got this book, because this case makes me absolutely rage. Nevertheless, I got it, and I read it all last night. (This has it marked as 400 pages, but the edition that I have is less than 300 if you do not include the index pages.) Guess what? It made me so angry.
Andrea Kennedy Yates was born in 1964 in Texas. As a teenager, she suffered from bulimia and depression. She once even spoke to her friend about suicide. She did well in school, going on to become a nurse. She worked in that capacity until she met her husband, unfortunately marrying him. They decided they were going to have as many children as God would allow, which is a religious position that irritates me. If you cannot mentally handle having children, which is noticeable after the first one or two, (especially in this particular case), then you do not need to have four or five more.... you put yourself and your wellbeing at risk, not to mention the lives of the children involved, even if they aren't murdered. Anyway, I digress. That husband moved them into an RV, as though being crammed in an RV with babies while you are having a mental breakdown is helpful. He then decided he better get them a little bitty house to pack five kids into for "her health" as though continuing to have kids against all reason was for "her health".
Andrea Yates is portrayed in the media as this absolutely evil woman who murdered her children. When I first became aware of her case, I was shocked by her ability to drown five children one after another. In fact, I probably thought she was absolutely diabolical. I was wrong, and a lot of other people are wrong about her as well. She is not evil. Not by any stretch. Did she kill her children? YES. Is she guilty of doing that? YES. She is not evil. Andrea clearly suffered from mental illness. This book has a very useful timeline in the front of significant dates, which I appreciated. She had a baby in 1994 and 1995. Being pregnant and having children back to back creates a lot of changes in your life-mentally and physically. (I personally have some mental health issues, and I know they were worse when I was unmedicated during pregnancy and post partum depression was no joke.) She had a miscarriage in 1996, which creates a whole host of other feelings and changes. She has another baby in 1997. She has yet another baby in 1999. She was hospitalized for trying to overdose, and was diagnosed with major depressive disorder. She tried to kill herself again after that hospitalization. She is off and on medications and seeing therapists from that point onward. She has another baby in 2000, as though that was a great idea, since her therapist told them to stop having kids because it was making her mental issues worse. Her father died in 2001, right around the time that she was hospitalized for a third time with postpartum depression and recurrent major depression. In the spring of 2001, Andrea filled the bathtub with water, and thought about drowning her children, but did not because her mother in law and husband were home. She was hospitalized again. Two days before she killed her children, she saw her therapist. The woman was given medications and then taken off of them so much, I cannot imagine how she could regulate. She had also become obsessed with the Bible, the mark of the beast, and doing a sacrifice.
Andrea called 911 to report what she had done, but she never did confess over the phone. When the police arrived, she told him that she had killed her children. She sat on the couch and calmly waited until they finished with their crime scene stuff, and went calmly to jail. She confessed what she did. She was put on trial, which was delayed due to the attacks on the World Trade Center. She was found not guilty by reason of insanity, as she should have been. She was clearly disturbed and not thinking properly at all. Her mental illnesses were clearly documented prior to this event, and it was clear it wasn't a last ditch made up effort of a defense for trial. She has been incarcerated in a low security mental health facility since. She is reportedly doing quite well and is medicated, and she has no desire to leave the facility. I cannot imagine how she must feel about all that has happened when she is thinking clearly and not in the throes of a breakdown.
Something that really gets on my nerves is how everyone feels sorry for the husband. Yes, it is sad for him that he lost all of his children in one day. That's about all the sympathy he gets from me. He married this woman, and then was completely irresponsible. He could clearly see that she was struggling. He could clearly see that something was wrong. He claimed he was concerned for her wellbeing, yet he sure kept her pregnant as though that was helping the issue. He claimed he was concerned for the children, enough to have his mother come babysit his wife to make sure she didn't hurt them or herself. He wasn't concerned enough to stop having them. He wasn't concerned enough to listen to the medical professionals that explained to them that having children was setting off her schizophrenia and post partum psychosis. He just kept her pregnant and isolated. He is trash, and there isn't a soul on the planet that will change my mind from that stance. I have seen his interviews on various shows and documentaries, and he absolutely disgusts me. He filed for divorce from Andrea, because he just couldn't stay married to her after she had did that to their children, as though he bears no accountability for it. He remarried and his new wife filed for divorce from him.
The case is sad. It is sad that five little kids were brought into this world and had to live in such a strain for their short lives. It is sad that Andrea has suffered from mental illness for essentially her entire life. It is sad that she murdered her children, and it is sad that the children were murdered. It is sad that her husband was irresponsible and hid behind organized religion to fuel his own personal desires. It is sad that the media vilified someone who clearly should have been committed a long time ago, spreading misinformation about post partum psychosis and the onset of schizophrenia after childbirth. I hope that everyone involved finds some peace, even that husband, and that this case serves as a reminder that these issues are real and should not be glossed over with that "baby blues" term.
Andrea Kennedy Yates was born in 1964 in Texas. As a teenager, she suffered from bulimia and depression. She once even spoke to her friend about suicide. She did well in school, going on to become a nurse. She worked in that capacity until she met her husband, unfortunately marrying him. They decided they were going to have as many children as God would allow, which is a religious position that irritates me. If you cannot mentally handle having children, which is noticeable after the first one or two, (especially in this particular case), then you do not need to have four or five more.... you put yourself and your wellbeing at risk, not to mention the lives of the children involved, even if they aren't murdered. Anyway, I digress. That husband moved them into an RV, as though being crammed in an RV with babies while you are having a mental breakdown is helpful. He then decided he better get them a little bitty house to pack five kids into for "her health" as though continuing to have kids against all reason was for "her health".
Andrea Yates is portrayed in the media as this absolutely evil woman who murdered her children. When I first became aware of her case, I was shocked by her ability to drown five children one after another. In fact, I probably thought she was absolutely diabolical. I was wrong, and a lot of other people are wrong about her as well. She is not evil. Not by any stretch. Did she kill her children? YES. Is she guilty of doing that? YES. She is not evil. Andrea clearly suffered from mental illness. This book has a very useful timeline in the front of significant dates, which I appreciated. She had a baby in 1994 and 1995. Being pregnant and having children back to back creates a lot of changes in your life-mentally and physically. (I personally have some mental health issues, and I know they were worse when I was unmedicated during pregnancy and post partum depression was no joke.) She had a miscarriage in 1996, which creates a whole host of other feelings and changes. She has another baby in 1997. She has yet another baby in 1999. She was hospitalized for trying to overdose, and was diagnosed with major depressive disorder. She tried to kill herself again after that hospitalization. She is off and on medications and seeing therapists from that point onward. She has another baby in 2000, as though that was a great idea, since her therapist told them to stop having kids because it was making her mental issues worse. Her father died in 2001, right around the time that she was hospitalized for a third time with postpartum depression and recurrent major depression. In the spring of 2001, Andrea filled the bathtub with water, and thought about drowning her children, but did not because her mother in law and husband were home. She was hospitalized again. Two days before she killed her children, she saw her therapist. The woman was given medications and then taken off of them so much, I cannot imagine how she could regulate. She had also become obsessed with the Bible, the mark of the beast, and doing a sacrifice.
Andrea called 911 to report what she had done, but she never did confess over the phone. When the police arrived, she told him that she had killed her children. She sat on the couch and calmly waited until they finished with their crime scene stuff, and went calmly to jail. She confessed what she did. She was put on trial, which was delayed due to the attacks on the World Trade Center. She was found not guilty by reason of insanity, as she should have been. She was clearly disturbed and not thinking properly at all. Her mental illnesses were clearly documented prior to this event, and it was clear it wasn't a last ditch made up effort of a defense for trial. She has been incarcerated in a low security mental health facility since. She is reportedly doing quite well and is medicated, and she has no desire to leave the facility. I cannot imagine how she must feel about all that has happened when she is thinking clearly and not in the throes of a breakdown.
Something that really gets on my nerves is how everyone feels sorry for the husband. Yes, it is sad for him that he lost all of his children in one day. That's about all the sympathy he gets from me. He married this woman, and then was completely irresponsible. He could clearly see that she was struggling. He could clearly see that something was wrong. He claimed he was concerned for her wellbeing, yet he sure kept her pregnant as though that was helping the issue. He claimed he was concerned for the children, enough to have his mother come babysit his wife to make sure she didn't hurt them or herself. He wasn't concerned enough to stop having them. He wasn't concerned enough to listen to the medical professionals that explained to them that having children was setting off her schizophrenia and post partum psychosis. He just kept her pregnant and isolated. He is trash, and there isn't a soul on the planet that will change my mind from that stance. I have seen his interviews on various shows and documentaries, and he absolutely disgusts me. He filed for divorce from Andrea, because he just couldn't stay married to her after she had did that to their children, as though he bears no accountability for it. He remarried and his new wife filed for divorce from him.
The case is sad. It is sad that five little kids were brought into this world and had to live in such a strain for their short lives. It is sad that Andrea has suffered from mental illness for essentially her entire life. It is sad that she murdered her children, and it is sad that the children were murdered. It is sad that her husband was irresponsible and hid behind organized religion to fuel his own personal desires. It is sad that the media vilified someone who clearly should have been committed a long time ago, spreading misinformation about post partum psychosis and the onset of schizophrenia after childbirth. I hope that everyone involved finds some peace, even that husband, and that this case serves as a reminder that these issues are real and should not be glossed over with that "baby blues" term.
April 22, 2011
“Aku bertanya-tanya, apakah duka memiliki kapasitas tertentu? Sebanyak apa yang bisa Anda tanggung?” (Russel ‘Rusty’ Yates, halaman 401)
Pada suatu siang di musim panas tahun 1989, Rusty sedang menuruni tangga menuju kolam renang di kediamannya, Sunscape Apartments. Matanya menangkap sesosok gadis bertubuh ramping mengapung di kolam renang. Gadis itu sangat cantik. “Peri air”, demikian Rusty menjuluki gadis yang bernama Andrea Pia Kennedy.
Empat tahun kemudian, mereka menikah. Namun seperti banyak pernikahan lainnya, mereka menemui ujian. Salah satu ujian berat Rusty Yates adalah penyakit mental yang diderita Andrea. Dengan lima orang anak berusia 7, 5, 3, 2, dan 6 bulan yang mereka miliki, penyakit mental Andrea sungguh-sungguh menguji kesabaran Rusty.
Betapapun, ujian terberat datang pada 21 Juni 2001. Karena pada hari itulah, Andrea membunuh kelima anak mereka.
That Day
Baru pukul 09.56 pagi saat Andrea menelepon Rusty dan memaksanya pulang. Delapan menit sebelum menelepon suaminya, Andrea menghubungi 911.
Tak lama, Opsir David Knapp datang. Andrea menyambutnya dengan keadaan basah kuyup, mata terbelalak lebar dan napas tersengal. “Aku baru saja membunuh anak-anakku,” ujar Andrea.
Andrea kemudian membimbing Opsir Knapp menuju kamar tidur. Di sana, terbaring empat mayat anak dengan posisi yang telah diatur. Tubuh mereka ditutupi sprei. Anak kelima, ditemukan di bathtub. Tubuhnya mengambang tertelungkup tak bernyawa.
Kelima anak itu mati ditenggelamkan.
Menelusuri “Akar” Masalah
Akar masalah Andrea sungguh bercabang-cabang. Pertama, penyakit mental yang diderita Andrea. Brian Yates—saudara laki-laki Andrea telah didiagnosis menderita bipolar mood disorder, atau yang juga dikenal sebagai manik depresi. Setelah anak keempat lahir, Andrea mencoba bunuh diri dengan minum Trazodone. Sebulan kemudian, Andrea mencoba menggorok lehernya dengan pisau.
Kedua, pengaruh guru spiritual Andrea, pendeta Michael Woroniecki. Keluarga Woroniecki berkeliling Amerika Serikat menggunakan rumah mobil, mengunjungi banyak kampus dan mal, untuk berkhotbah secara agresif tentang setan dan neraka. Andrea sendiri meyakini bahwa ada setan dalam dirinya, dan dengan membunuh anak-anaknya, ia telah menyelamatkan anak-anaknya dan mengirim mereka ke surga. Seperti khotbah Woroniecki yang pernah didengar oleh mantan guru SMU-nya di sebuah mal: “Kamu tidak akan bisa diselamatkan sampai kamu dibersihkan di dalam air.” (halaman 178).
Ketiga, dugaan malpraktik. Andrea telah bertemu dengan banyak psikiater dan telah dirawat di sejumlah rumah sakit. Semuanya memiliki diagnosis tersendiri atas penyakit mental Andrea. Mulai dari depresi berat, psikosis tipe catatonic, depresi pasca melahirkan, skizofrenik, dan belakangan, manik depresi. Beragam asumsi ini berakibat berganti-gantinya obat yang harus dikonsumsi Andrea—yang memiliki efek samping pada kondisi fisik dan mental Andrea. Pada enam belas hari sebelum Andrea melakukan pembunuhan, psikiater Mohammad Saeed bahkan memutuskan untuk menghentikan obat-obatan anti psikotik Andrea.
Ketiga cabang masalah ini masih memiliki sejumlah ranting. Mulai dari ketidakseimbangan hormon Andrea yang membuatnya mudah hamil dengan jarak sangat berdekatan, Andrea yang berhenti bekerja sebagai perawat dan menjadi IRT, keinginan Rusty dan Andrea untuk memiliki banyak anak, masa-masa saat pasangan ini tinggal di rumah mobil meniru pendeta Woroniecki, kematian ayah Andrea, dan satu faktor yang membuat Andrea kemudian mengajukan naik banding: kegemarannya menonton serial Law & Order.
Temuan O’Malley
Sebagai reporter investigasi, Suzanne O’Malley memulai penyelidikan atas kasus pembunuhan Noah, John, Paul, Luke, dan Mary Yates berjam-jam setelah Andrea Yates menenggelamkan mereka. O’Malley mengikuti proses persidangan selama dua tahun, mewawancarai para jaksa penuntut, pengacara, juri, keluarga Andrea, pelatih renang Andrea semasa SMU, dan para psikiater. Tak hanya itu, Suzanne juga rutin berkorespondensi dengan Andrea dan pendeta Woroniecki.
Sehari setelah pembacaan putusan sidang, O’Malley menemukan kesaksian yang salah pada saksi kunci dari pihak penuntut, Dr Park Dietz. Sebagai konsultan serial Law & Order, Dietz bersaksi bahwa salah satu episode serial terkenal tersebut tentang seorang ibu penderita depresi pasca melahirkan yang menenggelamkan anaknya di bathtub. Dietz juga bersaksi bahwa episode ini ditayangkan pada malam sebelum Andrea melakukan pembunuhan.
Sebagai salah satu dari tim penulis Law & Order, O’Malley tak ingat adanya episode itu. Ia pun langsung menghubungi Dick Wolf—produser Law & Order, dan memastikan bahwa dari 269 episode Law & Order, episode itu “tidak pernah ditulis, tidak pernah dibuat dan tentu saja, tidak pernah ditayangkan.” (halaman 326)
Berdasarkan temuan ini, hakim menginstruksikan para juri untuk mempertimbangkan kembali hukuman bagi Andrea. Dan pada 15 Maret 2002, alih-alih dihukum mati, Andrea divonis hukuman penjara seumur hidup.
Tak hanya itu, dalam buku ini, O’Malley juga mengungkap sejumlah oknum pengadilan yang memanfaatkan momentum kasus Andrea Yates. Salah satunya, reporter persidangan yang bertugas untuk mengetik transkrip persidangan. Satu salinan transkrip persidangan Andrea Yates setebal dua belas ribu halaman dijual dengan harga 60 ribu dolar (halaman 344). Pada 3 Oktober 2003, sebuah salinan transkrip digital bahkan diiklankan untuk dijual di e-bay, dengan harga 3,500 dolar.
Luka, dan Harapan yang Ditinggalkan
Kasus Andrea Yates bukanlah kasus yang pertama. Pada 30 Mei 1990, Maria Amaya, 36 tahun, menggunakan pisau dapur untuk menggorok leher keempat anaknya—yang berumur 3-11 tahun. Namun kasus Andrea telah memicu adanya debat nasional di Amerika Serikat, tentang depresi pasca melahirkan, psikosis, penyakit mental dan definisi hukum tentang kegilaan. Terjadi sebuah perubahan penting dalam opini publik.
Pada 2003, Texas mengeluarkan Undang-undang Andrea Yates, yang mengharuskan pekerja perawat kesehatan untuk mengajarkan ibu-ibu baru tentang risiko kesehatan mental selama kehamilan. “Psikiater lain mengatakan kepada saya, dia merasa bahwa kasus Andrea Yates telah memajukan ‘penyebab kesehatan mental wanita’ selama lima puluh tahun ke depan.” (halaman 415).
Dan terbitnya buku ini, yang ditulis dengan kritis sekaligus diterjemahkan secara runut dan detil, turut melukis harapan itu di Indonesia.
Pada suatu siang di musim panas tahun 1989, Rusty sedang menuruni tangga menuju kolam renang di kediamannya, Sunscape Apartments. Matanya menangkap sesosok gadis bertubuh ramping mengapung di kolam renang. Gadis itu sangat cantik. “Peri air”, demikian Rusty menjuluki gadis yang bernama Andrea Pia Kennedy.
Empat tahun kemudian, mereka menikah. Namun seperti banyak pernikahan lainnya, mereka menemui ujian. Salah satu ujian berat Rusty Yates adalah penyakit mental yang diderita Andrea. Dengan lima orang anak berusia 7, 5, 3, 2, dan 6 bulan yang mereka miliki, penyakit mental Andrea sungguh-sungguh menguji kesabaran Rusty.
Betapapun, ujian terberat datang pada 21 Juni 2001. Karena pada hari itulah, Andrea membunuh kelima anak mereka.
That Day
Baru pukul 09.56 pagi saat Andrea menelepon Rusty dan memaksanya pulang. Delapan menit sebelum menelepon suaminya, Andrea menghubungi 911.
Tak lama, Opsir David Knapp datang. Andrea menyambutnya dengan keadaan basah kuyup, mata terbelalak lebar dan napas tersengal. “Aku baru saja membunuh anak-anakku,” ujar Andrea.
Andrea kemudian membimbing Opsir Knapp menuju kamar tidur. Di sana, terbaring empat mayat anak dengan posisi yang telah diatur. Tubuh mereka ditutupi sprei. Anak kelima, ditemukan di bathtub. Tubuhnya mengambang tertelungkup tak bernyawa.
Kelima anak itu mati ditenggelamkan.
Menelusuri “Akar” Masalah
Akar masalah Andrea sungguh bercabang-cabang. Pertama, penyakit mental yang diderita Andrea. Brian Yates—saudara laki-laki Andrea telah didiagnosis menderita bipolar mood disorder, atau yang juga dikenal sebagai manik depresi. Setelah anak keempat lahir, Andrea mencoba bunuh diri dengan minum Trazodone. Sebulan kemudian, Andrea mencoba menggorok lehernya dengan pisau.
Kedua, pengaruh guru spiritual Andrea, pendeta Michael Woroniecki. Keluarga Woroniecki berkeliling Amerika Serikat menggunakan rumah mobil, mengunjungi banyak kampus dan mal, untuk berkhotbah secara agresif tentang setan dan neraka. Andrea sendiri meyakini bahwa ada setan dalam dirinya, dan dengan membunuh anak-anaknya, ia telah menyelamatkan anak-anaknya dan mengirim mereka ke surga. Seperti khotbah Woroniecki yang pernah didengar oleh mantan guru SMU-nya di sebuah mal: “Kamu tidak akan bisa diselamatkan sampai kamu dibersihkan di dalam air.” (halaman 178).
Ketiga, dugaan malpraktik. Andrea telah bertemu dengan banyak psikiater dan telah dirawat di sejumlah rumah sakit. Semuanya memiliki diagnosis tersendiri atas penyakit mental Andrea. Mulai dari depresi berat, psikosis tipe catatonic, depresi pasca melahirkan, skizofrenik, dan belakangan, manik depresi. Beragam asumsi ini berakibat berganti-gantinya obat yang harus dikonsumsi Andrea—yang memiliki efek samping pada kondisi fisik dan mental Andrea. Pada enam belas hari sebelum Andrea melakukan pembunuhan, psikiater Mohammad Saeed bahkan memutuskan untuk menghentikan obat-obatan anti psikotik Andrea.
Ketiga cabang masalah ini masih memiliki sejumlah ranting. Mulai dari ketidakseimbangan hormon Andrea yang membuatnya mudah hamil dengan jarak sangat berdekatan, Andrea yang berhenti bekerja sebagai perawat dan menjadi IRT, keinginan Rusty dan Andrea untuk memiliki banyak anak, masa-masa saat pasangan ini tinggal di rumah mobil meniru pendeta Woroniecki, kematian ayah Andrea, dan satu faktor yang membuat Andrea kemudian mengajukan naik banding: kegemarannya menonton serial Law & Order.
Temuan O’Malley
Sebagai reporter investigasi, Suzanne O’Malley memulai penyelidikan atas kasus pembunuhan Noah, John, Paul, Luke, dan Mary Yates berjam-jam setelah Andrea Yates menenggelamkan mereka. O’Malley mengikuti proses persidangan selama dua tahun, mewawancarai para jaksa penuntut, pengacara, juri, keluarga Andrea, pelatih renang Andrea semasa SMU, dan para psikiater. Tak hanya itu, Suzanne juga rutin berkorespondensi dengan Andrea dan pendeta Woroniecki.
Sehari setelah pembacaan putusan sidang, O’Malley menemukan kesaksian yang salah pada saksi kunci dari pihak penuntut, Dr Park Dietz. Sebagai konsultan serial Law & Order, Dietz bersaksi bahwa salah satu episode serial terkenal tersebut tentang seorang ibu penderita depresi pasca melahirkan yang menenggelamkan anaknya di bathtub. Dietz juga bersaksi bahwa episode ini ditayangkan pada malam sebelum Andrea melakukan pembunuhan.
Sebagai salah satu dari tim penulis Law & Order, O’Malley tak ingat adanya episode itu. Ia pun langsung menghubungi Dick Wolf—produser Law & Order, dan memastikan bahwa dari 269 episode Law & Order, episode itu “tidak pernah ditulis, tidak pernah dibuat dan tentu saja, tidak pernah ditayangkan.” (halaman 326)
Berdasarkan temuan ini, hakim menginstruksikan para juri untuk mempertimbangkan kembali hukuman bagi Andrea. Dan pada 15 Maret 2002, alih-alih dihukum mati, Andrea divonis hukuman penjara seumur hidup.
Tak hanya itu, dalam buku ini, O’Malley juga mengungkap sejumlah oknum pengadilan yang memanfaatkan momentum kasus Andrea Yates. Salah satunya, reporter persidangan yang bertugas untuk mengetik transkrip persidangan. Satu salinan transkrip persidangan Andrea Yates setebal dua belas ribu halaman dijual dengan harga 60 ribu dolar (halaman 344). Pada 3 Oktober 2003, sebuah salinan transkrip digital bahkan diiklankan untuk dijual di e-bay, dengan harga 3,500 dolar.
Luka, dan Harapan yang Ditinggalkan
Kasus Andrea Yates bukanlah kasus yang pertama. Pada 30 Mei 1990, Maria Amaya, 36 tahun, menggunakan pisau dapur untuk menggorok leher keempat anaknya—yang berumur 3-11 tahun. Namun kasus Andrea telah memicu adanya debat nasional di Amerika Serikat, tentang depresi pasca melahirkan, psikosis, penyakit mental dan definisi hukum tentang kegilaan. Terjadi sebuah perubahan penting dalam opini publik.
Pada 2003, Texas mengeluarkan Undang-undang Andrea Yates, yang mengharuskan pekerja perawat kesehatan untuk mengajarkan ibu-ibu baru tentang risiko kesehatan mental selama kehamilan. “Psikiater lain mengatakan kepada saya, dia merasa bahwa kasus Andrea Yates telah memajukan ‘penyebab kesehatan mental wanita’ selama lima puluh tahun ke depan.” (halaman 415).
Dan terbitnya buku ini, yang ditulis dengan kritis sekaligus diterjemahkan secara runut dan detil, turut melukis harapan itu di Indonesia.
July 30, 2023
Absolutely 100% horrifying, sad, and heartbreaking. Hard book to read, but also well written. This book is difficult to rate, 4 stars for the writing, not the subject. The death of the children is so sad.
“A 2002 jury convicted her of capital murder, but sentenced her to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years. Yates' attorneys successfully appealed the case and the verdict was overturned. After a 2006 retrial, Yates was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Since January 2007, Yates has been at Kerrville State Hospital, a mental facility in Kerrville, Texas. Although she was remanded to the mental facility more than 15 years ago, Yates can undergo a review every year to see if she is competent to leave the facility.
Now 57, Yates opts each year to waive her right to be reviewed.
Her defense attorney, George Parnham, keeps in contact with Yates and says that Yates is "happy" in the facility.”
“A 2002 jury convicted her of capital murder, but sentenced her to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years. Yates' attorneys successfully appealed the case and the verdict was overturned. After a 2006 retrial, Yates was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Since January 2007, Yates has been at Kerrville State Hospital, a mental facility in Kerrville, Texas. Although she was remanded to the mental facility more than 15 years ago, Yates can undergo a review every year to see if she is competent to leave the facility.
Now 57, Yates opts each year to waive her right to be reviewed.
Her defense attorney, George Parnham, keeps in contact with Yates and says that Yates is "happy" in the facility.”
November 6, 2025
Interesting and disturbing read 41/2 rounded up.
I desperately need a palate cleanser after this deeply disturbing book!
Very well written
The writing is done in sections taking the reader through the case in its entirety!
What I found particularly spot on was how fast a read it was while being so thorough in its reportage.
This is a written who wanted to write the full story while not picking a side in the narrative.
Recomendations
I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone interested in how mental illness can, under the most dreadful circumstances, destroy lives. This was probably the scariest book I've read in a long time. This should be a must read for any true crime aficionado.
I desperately need a palate cleanser after this deeply disturbing book!
Very well written
The writing is done in sections taking the reader through the case in its entirety!
What I found particularly spot on was how fast a read it was while being so thorough in its reportage.
This is a written who wanted to write the full story while not picking a side in the narrative.
Recomendations
I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone interested in how mental illness can, under the most dreadful circumstances, destroy lives. This was probably the scariest book I've read in a long time. This should be a must read for any true crime aficionado.
August 28, 2024
This book takes quite a while to get into and there was a few times I nearly gave up on it but luckily it got better over time.Andrea Yates suffered from postpartum depression.I originally heard about this case when I watched the movie "Baby Blues" and the book is quite different to the movie but they're both good.
May 4, 2013
This book had me waffling many times between anger at Andrea Yates, for her brutal drowning of her five children, and anger at her husband, Rusty, for doing nothing, or almost nothing, so it seemed, to help his wife. The medical community was another entity that won a lot of my anger for their seemingly misdiagnoses or faulty treatment of Andrea Yates throughout the years that she battled mental illness.
The main character, Andrea Yates, does not say much in Are You There Alone? Throughout almost the whole story she says very little so it is hard to really get to know much about her other than that she suffers from some form of mental illness. Andreas’ illness, postpartum depression with psychotic features (this is just one of the diagnoses given for the illness that this young mother suffers from), also known as postpartum psychosis presents itself just shortly before and after the murders. That does not stop the reader from knowing that something terrible is in the wind.
Rusty Yates character is not really seen in this novel either. There is some stories from the past that are brought out in an attempt to show what type of person he is but the character himself is seldom heard from. Rusty is seen more the day his five children are murdered by their mother and a few other times throughout this story. In spite of this or because of this I am left with a question regarding Rusty: Why did you not take some type of action to help your wife?
Suzanne O’Malley presents a story in which it appears as though Rusty Yates did not do much to aid his wife throughout her illness and he did not seem to be present much of the time. I felt like he knew there was something terribly wrong with his wife yet he chose to stay at work, at times not taking Andrea to the hospital or to see a doctor until it was too late and she was seriously ill and needing heavy sedation and medical attention. I also am left with another question for Rusty: How could you leave your five small children alone with someone so sick?
The cast of characters in Are You There Alone also includes the Woroniekis who practice their religion fanatically and are instrumental in giving Andrea religious advice which is then misinterpreted by her. This advice will eventually lead Andrea down a very dark path in which there will seemingly be no escape except by drowning her small children.
Are You There Alone? The Unspeakable Crime of Andrea Yates gives us much reason to question a diagnoses by doctors who are either too busy to treat patients carefully or are not educated properly in all the nuances of a mental illness. It is scary that there seem to be many people who suffer through a mental illness and may never get the proper treatment. Suzanne O’Malley does a fantastic job of creating an opening for discussion and change in the treatment of the mentally ill.
This was a poignant story of one woman’s decent into mental illness and the result of misdiagnoses and mistreatment of this young mother. As I stated at the beginning, I waffled in my feelings for Andrea Yates between anger and being sympathetic to her. I do hope that she will eventually be given the correct treatment and can come to terms with the horribly unspeakable thing she has done to her children and to her husband as well.
The main character, Andrea Yates, does not say much in Are You There Alone? Throughout almost the whole story she says very little so it is hard to really get to know much about her other than that she suffers from some form of mental illness. Andreas’ illness, postpartum depression with psychotic features (this is just one of the diagnoses given for the illness that this young mother suffers from), also known as postpartum psychosis presents itself just shortly before and after the murders. That does not stop the reader from knowing that something terrible is in the wind.
Rusty Yates character is not really seen in this novel either. There is some stories from the past that are brought out in an attempt to show what type of person he is but the character himself is seldom heard from. Rusty is seen more the day his five children are murdered by their mother and a few other times throughout this story. In spite of this or because of this I am left with a question regarding Rusty: Why did you not take some type of action to help your wife?
Suzanne O’Malley presents a story in which it appears as though Rusty Yates did not do much to aid his wife throughout her illness and he did not seem to be present much of the time. I felt like he knew there was something terribly wrong with his wife yet he chose to stay at work, at times not taking Andrea to the hospital or to see a doctor until it was too late and she was seriously ill and needing heavy sedation and medical attention. I also am left with another question for Rusty: How could you leave your five small children alone with someone so sick?
The cast of characters in Are You There Alone also includes the Woroniekis who practice their religion fanatically and are instrumental in giving Andrea religious advice which is then misinterpreted by her. This advice will eventually lead Andrea down a very dark path in which there will seemingly be no escape except by drowning her small children.
Are You There Alone? The Unspeakable Crime of Andrea Yates gives us much reason to question a diagnoses by doctors who are either too busy to treat patients carefully or are not educated properly in all the nuances of a mental illness. It is scary that there seem to be many people who suffer through a mental illness and may never get the proper treatment. Suzanne O’Malley does a fantastic job of creating an opening for discussion and change in the treatment of the mentally ill.
This was a poignant story of one woman’s decent into mental illness and the result of misdiagnoses and mistreatment of this young mother. As I stated at the beginning, I waffled in my feelings for Andrea Yates between anger and being sympathetic to her. I do hope that she will eventually be given the correct treatment and can come to terms with the horribly unspeakable thing she has done to her children and to her husband as well.
December 19, 2018
I wanted to read this because the case of Andrea Yates is one of the first criminal cases that happened in my life time that I remember really standing out. I was vaguely aware of the basics, that she killed her children believing that she was saving them from damnation due to a religious delusion. I remember her asking to have part of her head shaven to reveal the mark of the beast that she believed was there. I remembered that her husband and her had a lot of children really quickly due to religious reasons and that she likely had stress related to that. Everything just felt so confusing and horrific.
Reading this book I learned so much more about the circumstances surrounding Andrea's religious delusions. This account takes a very thorough look into influences from the people she and her husband sought spiritual guidance from to psychiatrists not doing a thorough enough job and not weaning her off of medications on a proper schedule, to psychiatric misdiagnosis. I appreciated that it was very thorough, and I came out of it having a lot more empathy for everyone involved.
Reading this book I learned so much more about the circumstances surrounding Andrea's religious delusions. This account takes a very thorough look into influences from the people she and her husband sought spiritual guidance from to psychiatrists not doing a thorough enough job and not weaning her off of medications on a proper schedule, to psychiatric misdiagnosis. I appreciated that it was very thorough, and I came out of it having a lot more empathy for everyone involved.
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