Final Case Study: Andrea Yates Criminal Case Analysis

What Psychological path took Andrea Yates to commit the crime?

“Andrea Yates was a common American girl, the last born in family of five. The family from which she came from was a middle class barely able to meet the needs of the family. Her father was an auto shop teacher in a high school while her mother did home making. Her performance in school was good and graduated from her high school. She took up several positions in her school; she was the captain of the swim team among others. She worked in a cancer treatment center for eight years” (Denno, 2003).

An in depth look at her life past showed that a history of mental illness. Mrs. Andrea Yates was taken to the hospital about four times for a series of mental cases that she later got treatment for like severe depression and depression that came due to psychosis. In one her stays in the hospital, she was defined as “a profoundly psychotic women” (Tanay and Simon, 2009). “She has on several instances tried to commit suicide; in one instance she tried to overdose herself using antidepressants and two times she tried to kill herself by stabbing herself” (Walsh, 2001, Montaldo, n.d.). She has gone through adverse paranoia. “For instance, she was of the belief that there were video cameras that were placed everywhere in the house to track what she was doing. Additionally, she claimed that there were cartoons that were talking to her” (Tanay and Simon, 2009).

Doctors recommended Andrea Yates to take “antidepressants like Effexor, Remeron and Zyprexa” (Huss, 2008). At a certain time in the treatment she was advised to go for an electroshock therapy. It was while she was on Haldol that her state started to get better. However, her psychiatrist warned her of having more children as this would aggravate her state. It was, however, due to her husband that she stopped medication and went to have more children. “This led to the birth of another child and the impact of her father’s passing away led her to suffer from an intense case of depression. This case led her to kill her children” (Denno, 2003).

In 2001 in Texas, Andrea Yates drowned her five children in a bathtub. This tragic and shocking case caught the attention of several people. She was sentenced to life in prison he following year. However, the Yates was found to be not guilty when the case went through an appeal in Texas four years later. “The Jury found Yates to be insane. This led the court to direct her to go to hospital in North Texas” (Denno, 2003; Huss, 2008). This hospital was a high security mental center in Vernon, Texas.

Andrea Yates was in a psychiatric care due to major depressive disorder when she bore her fourth child in July 1999. This progressed even as she bore her fifth child a year later. About 20% of mothers go through postpartum depression when they go through pregnancy. Psychotic manifestations are not that common and are hence not well comprehended. According to Psychiatrist Michael Welner, “one in five children that are born play part to the mother’s psychosis” (Huss, 2008). Contrast in Britain, where the mental health system looks after the mothers for a good period of time after pregnancy for any sign of depression and mood swings, Americans do not have the advantage of getting to know how hormonal changes in real sense leads to violent hallucinations and thoughts. Just as in the case of Andrea Yates, “most of these women are incoherent, paranoid, and irrational and become delusional” (Huss, 2008). These conditions may lead them to commit very risky things even take their own lives or those of their children. The mother may not be aware of this kind of illness until it is too late.

 

 

Describe the psychological, behavioral, environmental, and cognitive factors that you believe led to the offender’s criminality

Andrea’s psychosis had a religious background. She became obsessed with satanic images. According to her, it was the seventh sin and that her children had committed several bad things. The children’s conduct, according to her, were due to her character.

Andrea Yates mental state went on to decline. She went to several doctors but not one could help her. “She used several medications, new one each time she got to a new doctor. This was since no doctor had any history of her medical past” (Huss, 2008). This played a role in her decline in state. Her body became ineffective, it was close to catatonic and was in no position to take care of her children. In such a condition and no 1 to take care of her. She drowned her children, one after the other.

Andrea Yates case was one of psychoanalytical theory. Andrea’s case, according to he, had been a case of psychology and biblical aspect. There are some Christians who use psychology to give biblical counsel. The psychoanalytical theory acts on human behaviour and arises basically due to the unconscious and instinctive controls. “Freud gave an example of libido that grew to a life and death instinct. He later focused on the id, ego and superego. In the id, Freud spoke of it being due to psyche that comprises mostly of biological aspects and is controlled by pleasure” (Denno, 2003). It sees itself as the sole being that needs to be satisfied, hence selfishness. “On the other hand, there is the ego psychological aspect of a person’s personality which is controlled by reality” (Huss, 2008). This controls the id and creates rationality and intellect to the person. The super ego is the moral aspect of a person in regard to consciousness. According to Freud, the moral aspect of the superego is the globalization of the values of the family and the society as a whole. This aspect looks to acquire perfection and is comprised of emotions of pride and guilt. “Freud went on to state that the psychic ability found in these three factors of personality; define the human behaviour and how energy will be shared” (Denno, 2003).

Andrea Yates case was one of the superego. She found herself guilty of being not worthy of living. “She blames herself for the state her children are in and looks to save them from the condition” (Denno, 2003). Her belief that her children would go to hell and they will suffer made controlled her behaviour. This took up her conscious self and imparted guilt on her.

“Freud described of the conscious and unconscious aspect. The unconscious aspect of the mind is what makes the person to react automatically and this may lead to neuroses” (Denno, 2003). Most of the unconscious aspects of a person, as in the case of Andrea Yates, arises due to the relation with id, ego and superego. “Additionally, Freud stated that the term ‘ego-defense’ described anything that individuals use to safeguard their egos and manage anxiety-denial” (Denno, 2003). Andrea Yates was in the defense of denial. She saw her children had been doomed to suffer in hell and so aimed to help them. She blamed herself for this condition and so aimed to make it right.

In regard psychoanalytical theory with a religious aspect to it, “God is seen as the symbol of morality and purity” (Huss, 2008). The concept of id that is controlled by pleasure is similar to what the Bible defines as a sinful nature. While the ego, according to Freud connects to reality, is basically that part of the human being that is well aware God’s revelation and is regard to be eternal. As for the superego or conscious aspect, there is conflict on sin and our godly nature. According to Freud, the superego arises from social aspect. Christians are of the belief that morality arises from God. “The main aim of psychoanalyst is to connect the unconscious aspect to the conscious aspect” (Denno, 2003). However, according to Freud, the health of a human being arises from being self-aware and ego, we are aware that true living and satisfaction comes from Christ and not Satan. This was the basis onto which Andrea Yates claim that she had to save her children.

Case Topology

Andrea Yates was charged for two counts of capital murder; 1 for killing the son and the one for killing the girl. “However, the court did not charge her for the murder of the two small children. The family members, both the father and mother, backed her all through. They agreed that they were never conscious of the state Andrea was in and the defense used being insane as the basis of her defence” (Denno, 2003).

On the side of the prosecution, Andrea Yates was termed to be well aware of what she was doing when she drowned her children in the bath tab. “This was before she arranged their bodies and called in the emergency line” (Denno, 2003). The prosecution believed that her actions showed clearly that she was in good control of herself and the charge on insanity was not existent. This was in regard to Texas Law that one can be preempted from any criminal crime on the basis of insanity. “The prosecution lawyers laid a strong basis that even in a case where she was mentally ill, the fact that she was well aware of what was taking place means the Texas legal standard of insanity could not be applied in her case” (Tanay and Simon, 2009).

“The Defense arguments stated that Andrea Yates had gone through a postpartum depression for about two years in addition to psychosis” (Denno, 2003). They showed all of her medical records and her psychiatrists had not been able to make her stable through the use of regimen and noting the seriousness of her case. The different doctors that she had been through did not give her the right handling. As she had to be constantly go through a change in medicine when she met a new doctor. The doctors could have hence played a role in the worsening of her condition. In regard to her thought that her children were part of a satanic practice made the prosecution claim of her knowledge of the condition. “The defense, however, claimed that the knowledge of something being illegal does not necessary mean that they are aware of it being wrong” (Bagley, & Savage, 2010).

However, the case is one of infanticide. “According to the British Act of 1938 that has been acquired by several countries as well as the US, women that kill their children in the first year of their birth are not liable of murder but just manslaughter” (Tanay, & Simon, 2009). This calls for psychiatric treatment as described by the act. The case of infanticide, is treated as one of a contrasting crime if there is medical issues in the killing. The American law does not have any other law or legislative provision of postpartum psychosis as a main factor. However, disorder may be used as a defence in the criminal cases.

In the case of Andrea Yates, her appeal was based on her mental illness. “Even though the Texas law was vague on this, Yates was supposed to attend medical service for mental ability” (Tanay, & Simon, 2009). The case was generally ne of mental disorder that got backing on a health and legal perspective.

Personality Disorder and Laws Applicable

The case for which Andrea Yates was charged with was one of Mental Instability. The lawyer that stood to defend Yates described her as one of insanity as she had no control of her mental self when she committed the crime. “Andrea Yates had undergone intense medication that would have messed her mental self. The several doctors that she had been through gave her strong medication that rendered her body weak” (Denno, 2003). This gave her hallucinations, depressions among other attributes of a mental ill person. In addition to this, she was going through intense pressure from her family; her husband wanted to get another child against the recommendation of her doctor, while her father had passed away. This broke her down mentally and with the religious aspect in play, she sought to abide to her region and save her children.

The attorneys that stood in for the state agreed that she was mentally unstable though not to the extent that the defense was putting it. “Texas does not have a law that guides infanticide. Most of other states do have guidelines on mental instability” (Bagley, & Savage, 2010). “The law in Texas is one that arises from the M’Naighten rule, it grows from a criminal case that happened in Britain in 1843 and describes insanity into ways” (Tanay, & Simon, 2009). A person can be described as insane by a ‘disease of the mind’ present when one commits crime that he or she may not be aware that what they are doing is wrong. “However, Texas standard aligns with the first part of this law. It restricts on if the defendant is aware that they undertook the task that is either right or wrong. However. ‘wrong’ on the legal basis is defined while morally wrong is not described” (Tanay, & Simon, 2009).

The law states that insanity defence applicability can only arise when there is ‘severe mental illness’ and there is proof that the defendant is severely mentally ill. According to Winslade, “the irony that most of the laws in the United States describes law as acquired from the British that have a much improved system of law” (Bagley, & Savage, 2010). The American law used this law in the ruling of the case on Andrea Yates. She was later directed to go for medical attendance.

The insanity ruling was one that was valid as Andrea Yates had been through physical and emotional pressure that would have affected her mental ability. It is not uncommon for mother to be faced with such cases. Her case was one of psychotic; she was depressed, hallucinated and faced religious pressure.

References

Bagley, C.E., & Savage, D.W. (2010). Managers and the legal environment: Strategies for the       21st century (6th ed.). Mason, OH: Southwestern-Cengage Learning.

Denno, D.W. (2003). Who is Andrea Yates?: A short story about insanity. Duke Journal of

            Gender Law & Policy. 10 (Summer), 1-85.

Huss, M. (2008). Forensic Psychology. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Tanay, E. & Simon, R.I. (2009). American Legal Injustice: Behind the Scenes with an Expert

            Witness. Blue Ridge Summit, PA, USA: Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group.

Walsh, D. (2001).Texas mother drowns children: Andrea Yates and “family values”.      International Committee of the Fourth International. J(02). Retrieved on 3rd September   2013 from: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/jul2001/yate-j02.shtml