Ep 3. Andrea Yates

As a warning, the following episode description contains mentions of infanticide, mental illness, and suicide, which may be distressing to some readers.

Crimes of the Century is a true crime series that takes an in-depth look at some of the most notorious crimes throughout history. In season one episode three, titled Andrea Yates, the focus is on a tragic case of maternal filicide that shocked the world.

Andrea Yates was a mother of five who suffered from severe postpartum depression, psychosis, and schizophrenia. On June 20, 2001, she drowned all five of her children in the family's bathtub in their home in Houston, Texas. The victims were Noah, seven; John, five; Paul, three; Luke, two; and Mary, six months old. Yates's husband, Rusty Yates, was at work at the time of the murders.

The episode begins with a description of Yates's upbringing and her marriage to Rusty Yates. It then delves into her mental health struggles, which started after the birth of her fourth child, Luke. She became severely depressed, convinced that she was a bad mother, and afraid that her children were going to hell. Yates's condition worsened after the birth of her fifth and final child, Mary, in November 2000.

The episode includes interviews with family members, experts in maternal mental health, and jurors who were present during Yates's trial. The prosecution believed that Yates was sane at the time of the murders and that she had carefully planned and executed the crime. The defense argued that Yates was legally insane and that she did not know right from wrong at the time of the murders.

The episode shows the legal battle that followed the murders, with Yates first being sentenced to life in prison. However, after a successful appeal, Yates was retried in 2006, and the jury found her not guilty by reason of insanity. She was subsequently committed to a mental health facility, where she remains to this day.

Overall, this episode of Crimes of the Century is a poignant and heartbreaking look at a mother who suffered from severe mental illness and could not get the help she needed in time. It is a sobering reminder that postpartum psychosis and other mental health issues affect many mothers and that early diagnosis and treatment can save lives.