Posted on 03/16/2002 7:41:28 AM PST by codebreaker
Prosecutors will weigh a number of factors that may lead them to prosecute Andrea Yates husband Russell for either child endangerment or negligent homicide. ABC News has learned.
No decision has been made, but it is being seriously considered, sources said. Prosecutors would charge Russell Yates if an when the evidence warrants, but do not have the evidence now, sources said.
Andrea Yates 37, was convicted Tuesday of two capital murder charges filed in the killings of her children last June.
Don't hold your breath waiting for, "Anyone who would leave his children in that situation MUST be mentally ill. He needs treatment, not punishment."
It's my understanding she had never revealed contemplating injuring the children. She had clearly indicated doing harm to herself. And her violent outburst betrays the lack of competancy of those providing medical care to her.
He is a lay person. Smacking him down in the absense of charges to professionals providing medical care to the woman strikes me as amazingly wrong-headed. Hey, that's MO. Take care.
At the very least. But I do wonder how unwilling he was. Could not a case be made that Rusty letting his wife go off her meds and knowing that she could become psychotic, is akin to loosing a hungry pit bull in a day care center?
Perhaps he knew he had the perfect weapon. Perhaps her psychosis was not as deep as his.
Reading the responses here, I do think that Rusty Yates was culpable in impregnating her further when it was obvious, with the knife episode etc, that she shouldn't have any more kids.
I do think that Rusty *tried* very hard to take care of her the best he can. I don't know why he kept impregnating her when she was not in the best mental way. Anyone have any ideas on why he did that??
I don't quite get your point as to what the mother's meds or lack of taking meds has to do with the father's culpability, but to humor you:
Haldol is prescribed for psychotic patients hearing voices or thinking delusionally," said Dr. Lucy Puryear, a psychiatry professor in Baylor College of Medicine's mood disorders research program. "The patient usually functions normally as a result of the medication, but is also subject to reoccurrences when he or she goes off it, so it's important to be sure they're not at risk of hurting themselves or someone else."(for complete article: Houston Chronicle: 6/25/01Haldol treats symptoms such as delusional or hallucinogenic thinking by blocking the flow of dopamine to the part of the brain that can hear voices. Puryear said Haldol has long been one of the first-line drugs for psychosis, though in recent years there are new ones she would prescribe first.
Haldol was one of four drugs Russell Yates said his wife took. He said she was taking Effexor and Remeron, both anti-depressants, at the time of the killings and was taking Wellbutrin, an anti-depressant, and Haldol before that.
He said that previously she had been in therapy but was not at the time. He said they had recently talked about her going into therapy again but she had not got around to it yet.
John Vincent, chairman of the University of Houston department of psychology, called that "most unfortunate." He said studies have shown that patients do best who receive both medication and psychotherapy and that relying on medication alone can be risky.
Russell Yates probably knew the effects of his wife not getting psychotherapy and only receiving meds, too. His wife needed help and she wasn't getting it. He is culpable.
Since you confuse homosexual practices with justice and enjoy fantasies about homosexual rape you must be a homosexual. But you might be in denial.
Your response? "...Russell Yates is the real peice of crap in this whole mess!..."
As they say in the movies--I rest my case......
If you bring a child into this world, protecting that child is your FIRST obligation. If you know that the other parent may cause physical or psychological harm to that child, you PROTECT THE CHILD. That is what being a parent is about. The welfare of minor children that you bring into this world should outweigh anything else, including a spouse.
He didn't neglect her or the kids.... but he should have gotton a vasectomy. His religious views kept him from making the rational choice. The kids are also victims of unthinking inflexible fundementalism.
I read somewhere that when Andrea called Russell - she said "Well, I finally did it." and he said "Which one?" and she said "All of them," not that her last response is all that germaine.
If this is accurate - then a whole bunch of things can be assumed. Russell knew about her threats against one or more of his kids. If so, he is an accomplice to murder and should definitely pay. Can someone please confirm or deny this dialog?
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