Posted on 06/29/2006 4:30:16 PM PDT by freepatriot32
HOUSTON - Andrea Yates believed that cartoon characters told her she was a bad mother who fed her children too much candy, a jail psychiatrist testified Thursday.
Dr. Melissa R. Ferguson, who talked to Yates the day after her arrest in the bathtub drownings of her five children, said the defendant suffered from a major depressive disorder and was psychotic, picking at her lip until it bled.
Ferguson was the first defense witness in the second murder trial for Yates, who has pleaded innocent by reason of insanity. She is being retried because her 2002 conviction was overturned last year by an appeals court citing erroneous testimony.
Yates, who turns 42 on Sunday, would be sentenced to life in prison if convicted.
Ferguson, the former medical director of psychiatric services at the Harris County Jail, said Yates became upset at times during the interview but otherwise showed little emotion. She said Yates could not provide her children's birthdays, although Yates had given the information to a police detective the day before. Ferguson said Yates could have been confused because she had just been prescribed new medication earlier that morning.
She said Yates thought the television characters were berating her for giving her children too much candy and cereal.
"No, I do not believe she was faking her symptoms," Ferguson testified.
Prosecutors rested their case Wednesday after showing how Yates killed Noah, 7; John, 5; Paul, 3; Luke, 2 and Mary, 6 months, in the family's Houston-area home on June 20, 2001.
Defense attorneys have never disputed that Yates did the killing. They say she had severe postpartum psychosis and did not know the drownings were wrong.
Attorney George Parnham said Yates, in a delusional state, had a "prophecy" in which she thought that killing the youngsters was the only way to save them. She also thought that would somehow kill Satan, he said.
"That underscores how crazy she was on the day she killed her kids," Parnham said Wednesday outside the courthouse.
The defense must show that Yates meets the state's legal definition of insanity. That is, that because of a severe mental disease or defect, she did not know at the time of the offense that it was wrong.
Prosecutors cannot seek the death penalty this time because the first jury rejected death and authorities did not find any new evidence.
I am of the opinion that the father should also be on trial for leaving his precious babies alone with a woman that he knew was unstable.
Amazing what a couple of years of coaching can teach to one using the "sanity" defense
That's a pretty valid accusation actually. I would agree.
"Amazing what a couple of years of coaching can teach to one using the "sanity" defense."
Isn't it?
She earned capital punishment a long time ago.
Ex hubby is on with his life ... and there she is still making up excuses for what she PREMEDIATED.
The insanity defense always amazed me. I don't see why it is allowed. Hang the crazy ones first.
Twinkie Defense...kinda.
but how could they continue to vote Democrat (and a quick visit to DU will affirm that they do) if they were dead?
Oh,.... wait a minute,.....that doesn't stop them either, does it?
LOL...absolutely.
And their lawyers and shrinks second and third!
I really agree with you! The husband, father was the stable one and his wife was very sick. She had suffered a severe post partum depression and he insisted they have another child...against psychiatric advice. He discouraged her from taking her medication and left her alone to handle these children when at the least she needed assistance.
Sorry, but I do believe she snapped and that he is even more of a sickie becuase he allowed this to happen.
He was on TV saying that he had her in a hospital and wanted her kept there, but the dr. had her released under pressure from the insurance companies. That all is fine and dandy, but any which way, there's no justifying leaving anyone at home ALONE with 5 kids with the older ones to be home schooled. He could've deferred the schooling responsibilities till later. At the very least, he could've had the older 2 in state-subsidized day care (public schools) and got someone to help with the younger 3.
I fault him a whole lot. either he was ..is..arrogant, self centered, or stupid. No one stays in the hospital very long these days...then they need follow up care and a family that helps to make adjustments. With 5 kids at home there was no way she could have gone to a mental health day care for follow up for even a half day of therapy and monitoring.
Guess he got what he wanted...she's in the hospital now and not his problem any more.
You make excellant points. Her whole family must have been really dense or I don't know what. To leave such a sick woman alone with all those kids ? Duh.
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