BellaOnline Forums News and Politics Crime Andrea Yates Gets 200,000 Bond

Jury selection began 6/22/06.
They have 108 potential jurors to weed through.

Andrea's lawyer has stated, that mentally she is doing much better mentally but they are still going with the insanity plea.

Vicki L. Forte'
BellaOnline
Crime Editor

Opening Statements began on 6/26/06.

Defense attorney George Parnham told jurors that Andrea was insane at the time she drowned her children.

He related that she was psychotic not depressed and had a history and paper trail of mental illness. Prior to the deaths Andrea had attempted suicide twice.

After the killings Andrea was seen by a doctor, she told the psychiatrist to look at the triple 6's on her head. The doctor was shocked by what he had seen.

Andrea really believed this -- she had scratched and dug so violently to remove these imaginary sixes, that her scalp was infested with sores & scabs.

She also told them to cut open her head and look at her brain. They would find the mark of the beast.

Prosecution says Yates knew what she was doing and there was physical evidence showing that the young children fought back.

Rusty Yates, the father and exhusband is attending the trial and standing by Andrea.

Catherine Crier interviewed Rusty and he is praying the jury will find that she was legally insane at the time of the murders and she will be able to return to the psychiatric hospital to receive the help she obviously needs.

Vicki L. Forte'
BellaOnline
Crime Editor

If it was a male, the verdict would of probably turned out worse...insanity or not.
They dragged this case out long enough for the emotions to settle.
I feel that there should be no excuse for crimes such as these. Whether insane or not, the crime was committed. Therefore, should be held accountable. I have mixed emotions about the death penalty to begin with, but she should of received several life terms at the very least.

Insane or not, the court on some level gave justification to a crime that should never be committed by anyone.

I would love to see her drowned but she has "rights" so life in nut house will have to do.She is going to hell anyway so really it does not matter what happens to her.