Introduction
Pre-Sentence Investigation Report (PSIR) is essential since it helps analyze the legal and social background of an individual convicted of a crime before sentencing. The history of criminal behavior is also explored during the PSIR. This report involves Andrea Yates, the offender who confessed that she drowned her five children in the bathtub. The report will focus on various aspects of the case, such as the demographics, description of the crime, reason for committing the crime, and the offender’s insanity defense.
Demographics of the Offender
Andrea Pia Kennedy Yates was born on July 2, 1964, in Houston, Texas, and she married Rusty Yates in 1993. She is 56 years old, and the youngest of five children, has three brothers and a sister (Weese, 2016). Yates is white, has dark hair, brown eyes, and her height is 5 feet 7 inches (Weese, 2016). Yates is a Christian, and her former spouse was a dedicated follower of the church. Furthermore, the couple hosted a Bible study group in their home three nights a week.
Yates attended Milby High School and graduated in 1982. She was an active member of the swimming team, where she was the captain. Additionally, Yates was the class valedictorian and the member of the National Honor Society. After graduating from Milby High School, she joined the University of Houston, where she completed a 2-year pre-nursing program (Weese, 2016). Yates also advanced her healthcare proficiency and graduated from the University of Texas Health Science of Center at Houston.
Yates offered healthcare services working as a registered nurse at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Based on her financial status, one can note that Yates is of middle-class level. Her estimated net worth is ten thousand dollars monthly (Weese, 2016). Additionally, Yates was paid seven thousand dollars after the divorce in 2005. She was also earning from the facility and was able to buy a house, showing that she was financially stable.
Description of the Crime and Reason for the Crime
Yates was arrested for killing her five children, and a series of investigations began. The offender confessed that she drowned her children in the bathtub. During the trial, Yates stated that she filled the bathtub after her husband had left (Denno, 2017). Police were alerted and found that the offender had locked the dog to ensure that it did not prevent her from killing the children. Therefore, Yates’ crime was premeditated murder, which is common in people with poor mental health.
The reason for the crime was analyzed, and poor mental health is the main aspect that influenced Yates’ actions. Psychological disorders have become a significant issue in the United States, with many incidences of suicide and murders associated with mental illnesses being reported. In this case, Yates was depressed, and her antidepressants were said to have caused her psychotic behavior (Parnham, 2016).
Religious influences were also linked to the crime since Michael Woroniecki, the preacher in church, which Yates and Rusty were attending, had imposed some religious beliefs on the couple. Yates claimed that she considered killing her children for two years since she was not a good mother (Denno, 2017). Additionally, she said that she was marked by the devil and wanted to save her children from hell by killing them. Therefore, based on Yates’ statements, one can argue that the primary reason for crime was severe depression.
The Health of the Offender
As noted earlier, Yates had cerebral disorders which influenced her actions. Her psychological issues were noted before committing the killings since she had attempted suicide some years before the incident. For instance, in 1999, Yates was treated for postpartum depression and psychosis (Holman & McKeever, 2017). Moreover, cases of psychosis have been experienced in her family. She was admitted to Devereux-Texas Treatment Network due to her severe depression caused by her father’s death. Yates attempted to kill herself by overdosing on pills. The doctors in the hospital stated that Yates had severe depression, and she was given antidepressants.
However, she continued experiencing poor mental health and attempted suicide by stabbing herself with a knife. Psychiatrists ensured that they educated her husband about Yates’ mental health and requested them not to have more children to avoid future psychotic episodes (Holman & McKeever, 2017). Nonetheless, the couple conceived their fifth child, forcing Yates to stop taking some of the medications. Hence, her mental health started deteriorating, leading to her psychotic behaviors.
Recommendation of Sentencing
Yates is a first offender and has no records of arrests and convictions. The offender should not return to the community but be taken to a mental health facility. Although murder is a significant offense, some aspects, such as severe depression, will be considered before sentencing. Consequently, Yates should not be imprisoned or have the death penalty imposed since her poor mental health influenced her actions.
Psychiatrists have also confirmed that the offender was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis and postpartum depression, which causes individuals to engage in suicidal attempts and murders. The jury should guarantee that the offender is monitored closely and receives proper medical care. Additionally, the protection of persons with mental illnesses ensures that the jury should avoid charging mentally ill people during a criminal trial since their mental issues influence their actions. In this case, mental health is assessed, and the jury should warrant that the offender is charged after improving her cognitive condition. The insanity defense also shows that persistent psychiatric disease influenced Yates’ criminal act, which requires her to seek medical care.
References
Denno, D. W. (2017). Andrea Yates: A continuing story about insanity. The Insanity Defense: Multidisciplinary Views on its History, Trends, and Controversies, 367-416.
Holman, L., & McKeever, R. (2017). The Andrea Yates effect: Priming mental illness stereotypes through exemplification of postpartum disorders. Health Communication, 32(10), 1284-1296.
Parnham, G. (2016). Beyond the Andrea Yates verdict: Mental health and the law. Tex. Tech L. Rev., 49, 847.
Weese, T. (2016). Can we forgive Andrea Yates? Web.