Divorce of Andrea and Russell Yates finalized

Houston Chronicle ^ | March 17, 2005 | ROMA KHANNA

[PAR35]

A Harris County judge today gave final approval for Rusty Yates' divorce from his wife, Andrea, who drowned their five children in a bathtub at their Clear Lake-area home in 2001.

Under the terms of the uncontested divorce, Andrea Yates will be given the cemetery plot closest to the graves of her five children. Rusty Yates also agreed to give her $7,000 to pay bills, in addition to half of his retirement benefits from NASA.

{snip}

Salinsky declined to say why his client sought a divorce, but he did say Yates is not currently in another relationship.

[gura]

Ouch.

[conservativewasp]

How do you figure, wasn't he at work when SHE murdered 5 defenseless children? Seriously, what did I miss?

[Lurking Libertarian]

But why?!!! Was the penalty not harsh enough for her!? This case just infuriates me.

The prosecution presented perjured testimony. She gets a new trial.

[pogo101]

I'm missing something here, as to the several comments disparaging Rusty Yates. I infer that the commenters are suggesting Rusty Yates was "in on" the drownings beforehand?? Or are they "only" suggesting that he was inappropriately defensive of his wife's murders, after the fact?

Links would be appreciated. I hadn't known that Rusty Yates was anything worse than a perhaps too-forgiving husband.

[Terabitten]

LOL Lauralee... don't hold back. Tell us what you really think about this one. :)

[LauraleeBraswell]

""Rusty reminds me of Hedda Nusbaum who aided and abetted the abuse and murder of Lisa Steinberg.""

My older sister was just Lisa's age when that happened. And my parents lived in Greenwhich village. ANd AND AND - My sister and Lisa looked strikingly similiar. Same shape face similiar features, brown hair. When that happened my parents were just aghast at how someone could do that. It was very close to home for them. Joel Steinberg should be hung from a tree. He did a horrific thing to that child. Hedda Nusbaum was beaten by Joel too, but she was an adult. she had money, she had a job, Lisa didn't. Do you know how Joel got Lisa? Some decent girl got pregant and wanted to put her baby up for adoption in a good home. Joel was a lawyer, and you need a lawyer for the adoption process So this girl PAID JOEL to take her daughter to a good family. And Joel just took Lisa home with him. Joel was in prison for ONLY ten years. That case infuriates me even more.

[SouthernFreebird]

Wrong, she chased them down and held them under the water. SHE is guilty.

[LauraleeBraswell]

Why is he guilty too? He didn't drown those children.

[LauraleeBraswell]

What about Double Jeopardy? I'm glad it doesn't apply to this case, but I don't know why.

[SJSAMPLE]

Just my personal opinion here:
1. His wife was already diagnosed as mentally ill and he keeps knocking her up.
2. He had more than enough evidence that she could be a danger to herself and her children.
3. He continues to leave here alone with the children and without more advanced care.

[deport]

I think she'll qualify under his Social Security if they have been married long enough. I don't know what the time is but I think 10 years or there about.

[bonfire]

Yep. WOnder who the NEXT lucky Mrs. will be?

[Brytani]

I agree with you 100%. I have absolutely no sympathy for Andrea Yates and believe to this day she deserved the death penalty for the massacre of her children.

Glad to see there is another woman out there who agrees with me (you are female right?)......

[deport]

Even if it does she wasn't tried for all the murders, only three if I remember correctly. But murder trials are redone when errors occur.... not double jeopardy when you've not had a complete legal trail is it?

[conservativewasp]

When convictions are thrown out due to error, the state gets to retry the case, unless they choose not to. Double jeopardy would apply if she had been found not guilty and the state re-tried her on the same charges.

[Naomi4]

I thought the husband should have been on trial too as an accomplice.

He knew she was mentally ill. He knew the doctor had warned about the increasing effects of post partum depression with each pregnancy. That did not stop him from participating in three more pregnancies and births.

He let her home school the children in spite of all this.

He didn't know she was severely depressed?

As the only competent adult in the home he was directly responsible for the safety of the children, and for help for his wife.

I hold him responsible for what happened to those children.

[najida]

Please reread my post...
Yes, I believe Andrea is guilty and responsible for her actions. She is mentally ill, but able to distinguish between right and wrong. That is why she was convicted.

BUT, her husband contributed to her mental illness and left his children in the care of a woman with a long history of mental problems.... and a history of being on various heavy duty psychotropic meds.

Plus, he did multiple things to exacerbate the situation even when he was advised many times of the volatility of situation.

So yeah, she killed her kids. But he saw the train comin' and left the kids sittin' on the tracks. Honestly, I find him contemptible.

[Naomi4]

It was overturned by reason of insanity.

I have not heard of a re-trial. However if it is by reason of insanity then some doctor some time in the future can pronounce her cured and she is free to walk.

[najida]

Yeah, he was the one who refused birth control because he wanted them to have 'all the children God could give us', even though his wife was clearly decompensating after each birth.

And toss in that they were going to a church with a Fire and Brimstone, You're Evil, I Hate You and God Hates You Too minister. Geez, gasoline on the fire.

[conservativewasp]

I don't recall her being diagnosed as mentally ill, previous depression/post-partum, yes. Post-partum is not rare, yet most sufferers don't murder their 5 children because of it. I'm not saying he made the best decision to leave her with the kids, but could he have really known she was that far gone. Somebody has to work to support a family, he's not the first to do so when his wife was depressed. So I'll ask again, what did this guy do that makes him responsible?