Rusty Yates and HIS Family on TODAY Show (Where's the Kennedy Family?)

3/18/02 | Self

[MVV]

Did anyone catch the two-fold interview on the TODAY Show with Katie Couric?

What a joke! And where was Andrea Yates' representation? No family members from her side! I smell a division brewing in that family.

Just like on Friday during the separate news conferences, hasn't anyone noticed this? Your thoughts and comments.

[belle99]

You think he may have brought his rumored honey along?

She's hidden away somewhere, waiting for him to return so she can service his needs after his stress filled interviews. By the way, did you notice how he was nodding as his mother was talking, as if he was giving his approval for what she was saying. He is one hell of a control freak.

[Havisham]

Thanks, I otta just bump myself!

[isthisnickcool]

Rusty Yates is not going to shut his trap until he gets rich and famous enough to do the Super Bowl half-time gig with Bono and U2.

Keep watching Rusty, every time he goes on camera a new little slice of him peeks out to the public. And he will be on camera a lot. He has been chomping at the bit to be on camera. He was pissed about the gag order during the trial. But he went on 60 minutes anyway.

Maybe they should ask him some direct questions when he is on TV? Just to put aside the "rumors"? Questions like: Was Rusty really out partying a week after the deaths? Did he usually not let the kids and the mom speak in public? Did they have to stay in the house when he was not at home and usually stay inside when he was? Did he really not ever lift a finger to do anything at home? Did Rusty ask one of his friends at NASA to email other employees about helping him buy new furniture for the house? Did Rusty have a little something on the side? Did he have a hand in scripting the "multi-media" presentation at the kids funeral? Even to the point that the caskets were closed on cue?

Nothing excuses what that woman did to those kids. Nothing. But something stinks here. And has from the get-go.

[MVV]

Fabulous post! Love your questions to Rusty too and for once I would like a real interview to be conducted instead of all this pussy-footin' around the real questions/issues! Thanks again.

[Jaidyn]

I tend to agree somewhat with you except that she thought the devil was in her. To rid herself of the devil would mean that she would have to do away with her own body, not necessarily the bodies of the children. She made several half-a$$ed attempts to kill herself and were she truly unconsolable and sincere with her illness, she would have done it right the first, or at least, the second time and quite possibly left a long letter describing her turmoil and her actions. I believe when she comes to terms with what she did and faces what Rusty really is, she will have a lot to say on the subject. Rusty better hope she never gets well.

[Lanza]

We know Katie won't be asking those kind of tough questions (and let's not count on Larry King either).

[oremus]

I agree. In a sense it would have been "better" had she taken her own life, and statistically speaking, you are probably correct about the mentally ill and murder. However, this case is DIFFERENT from the usual in that she was, in her own twisted reality, trying to PROTECT HER CHILDREN FROM HELL. This is evidenced by the fact that she *had* to do it when she did - the oldest was already 7 - which is considered in Christianity to be the age of accountability/reason. If she did kill herself, in her mind that wouldn't have "helped" the children in the way she was intending. She felt she would go to hell for this, and knew she would be punished by the system. This shows that she knew that it was against the commandments, but again, she was willing to lay down her life for her children's souls.

In this way, we're not talking about just plain mental illness - we're talking about mental illness coupled with a twisted fear of one's children otherwise heading toward hell because of her being a "bad mother" (partly due to Rusty's mental abuse and brainwashing, along with that damn preacher and his propaganda).

As for her statements that day, her catatonic state and eerily calm, cool detachment from what she had done clearly shows she was not in her right mind. If you ask me, I believe that she was possessed to some degree at that time.

And in case anyone's wondering, I do believe this woman needs to be kept out of society (although I question whether a prison is the right place for her). My only complaint is that people call her a "cold-blooded" murderer. I heartily disagree.

[oremus]

Thank you. You are a most gracious thread-host. ;)

[cake_crumb]

My brother has a tendency to go off his meds on a regular basis, like all schizophrenics. However, the only crimes he's ever committed are vagrancy a couple of times, and hitch hiking on an on-ramp of a freeway in Florida.

Yes, Andrea Yates' symptoms, as described, DO sound like one or more of the 53 known types of schizophrenia. Unlike the 'victim', Rusty, I LEARNED all I could in order to help my brother.

I've never heard anyone argue that Htler was sane, either. We don't hear arguments thay UBL is sane. What we DO believe is that they knew the difference between right and wrong. And that they're both cold blooded killers.

REAL cold blooded killers ar sociopaths. Which means that real cold blooded killers are also crazy. They know the difference between right and wrong. They just don't give a rat's tail end.

I'm not assuming or implying that Andrea Yates is a sociopath as well as a possible schizophrenic. I'm pointing out a flaw in your reference to real, cold bloodd killers.

Another possibility for Andrea's psychosis: the same symptoms also occur in speed freaks. She IS very thin. Not to say she's a speed freak. Just pointing out another possibility for her symptoms and actions, as outlined in court and in public statements to the press.

[cake_crumb]

"Yes, I belive she knew right from wrong too. I think she should have been found guilty too. However, I don't make excuses for her, and I am not going to make excuses for him leaving his children with a psycho."

Me either. BUMP

[oremus]

You're right, I just didn't take it there re: murderers (although I don't think Susan Smith is a sociopath, just a selfish human being). I do believe all people who murder have at least one screw loose, and many are sociopaths which is the case where they have no conscience whatsoever, although for some it is simply a crime of passion (in which case they also definitely have a screw loose, even if only for a moment).

My point is HER distorted reasoning at the time during her period of mental illness, which of course most can't seem to comprehend as we are sane (I hope - LOL) and simply don't think that way.

[oremus]

Good point, but I highly doubt she was on speed. I have had problems w/depression, and when depressed I tend to have an almost non-existent appetite, and/or even a lack of motivation to prepare a simple meal. That woman was not taking care of herself at all - she wasn't capable.

[isthisnickcool]

I saw a snippet of Yates on TV this AM and he addressed the control-freak thing without anyone asking. Hmm..

I know the area they live in. If they had interacted with the neighbors and if the neighbors had seen a woman talking to herself, pulling her hair out, etc. Someone would have tried to help her. Just like most folks, that's just the way Texans are and most other "mothers" who ran across such a thing would do something about it.

Someone seeing this womans condition would have got riled up. And CPS would have been called by someone. With 5 kids in the house you can bet on it. Looks like she was kept tucked away from others though. Still does not excuse what she did, but the people around her clearly contributed to what happened. And her husband, ANY husband, should have known better. He was part of those childrens first line of defense. And nothing he can say or do will ever change that he was not there for them.

[MVV]

Thanks!

[oremus]

It has been said by neighbors that they hardly ever saw the family outside - maybe once or twice they saw Rusty playing basketball with Noah. So it probably was hard for anyone to really know what was going on with Andrea or the family, unless they were close friends or family.

[cake_crumb]

"Could it be she just wanted out from under and does not care what the difference is between right and wrong? As the parent of 4 and my household can be a living hell sometimes - I could never imagine nor kill my kids."

I think you just answered your question. Normal people just don't do this sort of thing. As a mother of three, whose house STILL breaks out in complete chaos when my grown kids come home, I never came close to considering the possibility of murdering my children either. And Heaven help anyone who DOES try to hurt them.

Can you imagine what must have been going through the mind of the seven year old boy? The living NIGHTMARE of his own mother, his protector and nurturer, STALKING him through the house...who the heck could he turn to to save him? Certainly not his mother.

Psychotic or not, every time I think of those kids, I would cheerfully STRANGLE the b*tch (if I could reach her).

[oremus]

For one example, my friend's brother locked himself inside a bedroom with an M-16 and other rifles/guns once, thinking he was in a war and going to be attacked. The SWAT team was called in, and they would have killed him I'm sure if it wasn't for his other brother who came and demanded (big, huge guy) they let him go in and talk to him (with a bullet proof vest on, mind you). Very delusional - as I believe Andrea was delusional in her fears of the kids going to hell unless she took their lives. Each case is so different - we can never generalize, especially when it comes to mental illness.

[Helms]

He actually said "INDIAN" Doctur? LOL!

I think i know where he might be going w/ this:

Legal Action- but then again, there are alot of Indians, as well as other foreign psychiatrists in this country. Besides this is a very un-pc thing to say.

[Mfkmmof4]

I totally agree. I have a 7 year old and I could not imagine doing what she did.

[Mfkmmof4]

I totally agree. I have a 7 year old and I could not imagine doing what she did.