Andrea Yates: A Study in Mental Illness and Crime

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This paper discusses the case of Andrea Yates, she confessed to the drowning of her five children and was charged with capital murder in 2001. The initial conviction was overturned and Yates was found not guilty due to insanity and was ordered to a mental hospital in 2006. Yates had sought help for her mental illness and was seeing a psychiatrist, who advise her not to have another child. Andrea Yates only received a minimal amount of therapeutic treatment. If the treatment was possibly longer could have help with the deterioration of her mental condition. CASE STUDY OF A CRIMINAL OFFENDER During the criminal proceeding of the Andrea trial, there were several mental health professionals that were call by the defense to testify in the first trial, including several of her treating psychiatrists. In the Yates trial, both defense and prosecution experts agreed on three issues, Yates suffered from a mental disease, she knew that her conduct was against the law and that a subjective moral wrongfulness issue had to be considered (Resnick P,2007). …show more content…

On June 18, 1999, Mrs. Yates took an overdose of medication to take her life. The jury believes that Mrs. Yates needed help and basis on their observation and testimony from experts witness that she was worse off than when she committed the crimes. Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Phillip Resnick testified that Yates believed deeply that killing her children was the right thing to do. Yates, according to defense expert Resnick, believed that Satan had taken over her body and soul and was eyeing her children 's souls next. Mrs. Yates mental illness was the basis of her found not guilty at the second trial. Resnick diagnosed Yates with schizoaffective disorder, severe depression with schizophrenic symptoms, (CNN, December

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