A slide projector showed a picture of each child as Yates recalled potty-training episodes, bug-collecting, roughhousing games and holidays with his children. The 36-year-old NASA engineer then broke down in tears as he walked by each casket, laying a blanket beside each before closing the top. “If the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, that’s exactly what he’s done,” Yates told the mourners at the Clear Lake Church of Christ, just a few blocks from his Houston home. “He gave me all these children and now he’s taken them away.”
Meanwhile, NEWSWEEK has learned that his wife, Andrea Pia Yates, who has admitted drowning her five children last week in the family bathtub, had attempted to commit suicide a second time just a few months ago. A first suicide attempt occurred in June 1999, after the birth of one of the couple’s children, according to family members and a spokesman for Child Protective Services in Houston.
But according to her brother, Andrew P. Kennedy of Houston, Andrea held a knife to her throat at her parents’ home, threatening to kill herself, several months ago. She was hospitalized following that incident, Kennedy told NEWSWEEK, and once more after that. At least one of those times, he says, she was treated and released from the Devereux Texas Treatment Network facility in Houston. Officials there declined to comment on Kennedy’s remarks, citing patient privacy laws. Devereux is a private company with treatment facilities in 15 states.
Andrea Yates remains in jail, charged with two counts of capital murder, and is under 24-hour suicide watch. Her attorney, Wendell Odom, cited a gag ordered issued in the case on Tuesday and declined to discuss the second suicide attempt. She is expected to be arraigned during a hearing July 24. Her attorneys have said they are likely to enter an insanity plea on her behalf. “After her first suicide attempt, things really never got better as far as her mental state,” Kennedy told NEWSWEEK. He added that he knew of four times that she was hospitalized following that incident.
“I was amazed that she was able to do as much as she was,” he said of her efforts to raise five children, home-school them and tend to her house. Kennedy said the family is not considering civil litigation against any of those who treated his sister, but questioned the criteria used to release her. “What criteria is used to release somebody?” he asked. “I mean if somebody is in real bad condition in the hospital and you are a health care professional, do you know that?”
Kennedy says that in recent months he noticed his sister “in a zombie state.” “She would answer questions but they would be one- or two-word answers,” he recalls. “She would become more haggard, and she lost a lot of weight in the last year. I can’t even remember seeing her laugh in the last year.”
Like others who knew Andrea when she was younger, Kennedy says he doesn’t recall his sister ever battling depression or mood swings. “She was happy then,” he said. “I didn’t see any signs of it at all until at least five or seven years ago.”
During the children’s funeral, Rusty Yates made little mention of his wife. He spoke mostly of his children and how he loved them in very different ways. Noah, 7, was intelligent, independent and a fearless bug collector. John, 5, like to roughhouse and had an infectious smile. Paul, 3, was the best behaved, a sweet boy who followed directions. Luke, 2, was the “little bulldozer” who took what he wanted and challenged his parents. And Mary, six months, was the surprise little girl who added precious pink to a rough-and-tumble home of boys.
“I want to say how thankful I am that I took the time to get know them,” Yates said of his children. “Every minute I had I spent with those kids. I knew them so well…. They were my friends.” Yates wept as he said goodbye to each personally. “Thanks for everything we did together,” he told his son Noah as he looked into his casket, crying. “I’ll miss you so much. I love you. Goodbye.”
Next was John. “Rest in peace,” he said. “Goodbye son.” Then to Mary, Yates said: “Goodbye little princess. I’m sorry we didn’t get to know each other better. I’m sorry I didn’t get to see you grow up. Rest in peace little girl. You’re in good hands.” To Paul, he said, “You were such a good boy … I hope to see you again. You’re in good hands now.”
And finally, Yates said goodbye to Luke, “Thanks for all your enthusiasm. I love you, and I’ll miss you. I’ll see you again.”
Following the funeral, the children’s caskets were taken in five black hearses to a nearby funeral home. Yates and other relatives followed behind in black limousines. After a brief ceremony in the sweltering heat, the family greeted well-wishers then left by limousine. A gentle rain fell as the last of the caskets was lowered into the ground.
