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Yates Murder Case 1 Andrea Yates Murder Case By Gavin Written for Criminal Justice Copyright 2010

Andrea Yates Murder Case

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Did Andrea Yates get away with First-Degree Murder? You decide!

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Yates Murder Case

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Andrea Yates Murder CaseBy Gavin

Written for Criminal Justice

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Andrea Yates Murder Case On June 20, 2001, Andrea Pia Yates did the inconceivable, she murdered her five children. Did Andrea Yates have the mens rea to knowingly murder her children, or was she insane and without control of her faculties? Mens rea defined by (law) is with criminal intent; the thoughts and intentions behind a wrongful act (including knowledge the act is illegal) (Word Web Pro, 2007). Did Andrea Yates display the thoughts and intent to satisfy this definition? This is one-half of the components necessary to charge anyone with murder. The other component is actus Reus, to complete the criminal act. Andrea Yates was charged with two counts of Capital Murder pursuant to Tex. Pen. Code Ann. 19.03(a) (8) (Vernon Supp. 2004-2005) (Floyd, 2006). The Grand Jury indicted Andrea Yates for two Felony Counts of murder on June 20, 2001 (Court TV, 2006). Did Andrea Yates act with reasonableness of mind, or was she questions Marie Mugavin, MSN, CFPN, under the influence of hallucinations, epilepsy, or delirium (Mugavin, 2005)? Or was she actually insane and without control of her faculties? Was Andrea Yates acutely psychotic when she murdered her children? Andrea Pia Yates was eventually found to be mentally incompetent on reverse and remand in the murders of her five children. However, her actions show mens rea and actus Reus, which show her to be lucid and in control of her actions.

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Andrea Pia Yates, the youngest of five children, was a high school valedictorian, a competitive swimmer, and she graduated from the University Of Texas School Of Nursing with a BSN degree. This pursuit would indicate someone with a facilitating mindset. Her mother was raised in Nazi Germany where she met Andreas father during the British occupation. The familys religion was Catholic (OMalley, 2004). There is no evidence of instability within this family, in any event discovered to date. Andrea Pia Kennedy marries Rusty Yates and soon they have five children (OMalley, 2004). Was Andreas future

behavior pattern latent? Andreas criminal behavior exhibits symptoms of conflicts, traumas, and deprivation of one sort or another. Dr. Stanton Samenow excogitates on this thought with the following statement. I thought that people who turned to crime were victims of a psychological disorder, an oppressive social environment, or both (Samenow, 1984). Dr. Samenow initially

questioned the behavioral reasoning of criminals, attributing their behavior to some psychological disorder, but his later research reveals that criminals choose to be criminals (Samenow, 1984). In order to determine Andreas state of mind prior to killing her children, the legal components must be considered. Andrea Yates actions did satisfy the criminal intent component; the thoughts and intentions behind a wrongful act (including knowledge the act is illegal). Andrea Yates also completed the criminal act. The state of Texas indicted Andrea Yates on two counts of capital

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murder (Court TV, 2006). The Grand Jury by this indictment believed that Andrea Yates satisfied the requirements for these charges. This means that Andrea Yates acted intentionally, knowingly, and with premeditation murdered her children. When Andrea Yates was examined by Dr. Michael Welner (Prosecution Expert Witness) said he found 60 instances wherein Andrea Yates knew drowning 6-month-old Mary, 2-year-old Luke, 3-year-old Paul, 5-year-old John and 7-year-old Noah was wrong (Court TV, 2006). Welner also asserted in his Power Point Presentation during Andrea Yates second trial she had previously thought about hurting the children (Welner, 2006). This was two years before she actually committed the crime! Also; Welner in his testimony and presentation before the jury states, that Andrea Yates thought about killing the children again two months prior to the actual act, and even went as far as to fill the tub with water (Welner, 2006). Dr Park Dietz, expert witness for the

prosecution, said in his interview with Andrea Yates she changed her mind about hurting the children on a previous occasion because Rusty Yates and Rustys mother Dora were home with her at that time and would have stopped her (Dietz, 2001). Dr. Park Dietz also testified in the first trial that Yates waited for the opportunity to kill her children. Dietz- So the very first opportunity when you were home alone with the children was on the twentieth? Yates-yes (Dietz, 2001). This candid question and answer reveals premeditation and intent.

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The hour and opportunity arrived wherein Andrea Yates was ready to activate her plan. Yates made careful deliberate movements; the planning stages were now over. Andrea Yates behavior was calculated, and according to psychologist James P. Thompsons testimony, she wanted nothing to get in her way. Before she drowned her children, Andrea Yates removed the mat inside the bathtub, turned on the water and put up the dog -- behavior that indicated she didn't want anything to get in the way of what she was about to do, a forensic psychiatrist told jurors (Thompson, 2006). Andrea Yates filled the tub with water three inches from the top and systematically drowns her children (OMalley, 2004). After drowning her children, Andrea Yates arranges four of

her children on her bed close together, covers them with a sheet, but Yates leaves her oldest son alone face down in the tub. He had struggled against her in an attempt to survive. Andrea Yates used her superior strength to forcefully drown him (OMalley, 2004). After she systematically murders all of her children, Andrea Yates calls 911, asks for a police officer to come to her residence. The police arrive and she tells Officer David Knapp that she just killed her kids (OMalley, 2004). Andrea Yates begins her confession (s) of murder with this first admission. She will confess in response to Sergeant Eric Mehls questions when he interviews her at the Harris County Police Headquarters (OMalley, 2004). Subsequent interviews by Drs Michael Welner and Park Dietz would also supply evidence against

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Andrea Yates. These interviews include confession, planning, and activation of an event long in formulation. However, Andrea would plead not guilty by reason of insanity during arraignment. From the beginning, speculation concerning Andrea Yates mental condition was directed towards insanity. Someone who would do something like this must be insane was the general consensus. But was Andrea Yates insane, or cleverly coy and extremely cunning? Several points that Dr. Dietz discovers in his evaluation show a pattern quite different than public opinion and general consensus. Dr. Dietzs evaluation of Andrea Yates would become almost irrelevant because during the initial murder trial of Andrea Yates, Dr. Dietz would make an incredible mistake during his so-called expert witness testimony. According to Ken Hausman: The inaccurate testimony by Dietz, who was the prosecutions only mental health expert, involved statements linked to his work as a consultant to the television show Law & Order. During crossexamination by a defense attorney, Dietz said that he had consulted on an episode that concerned a woman with postpartum depression who drowned her children in a bathtub and was found insane, and it was aired shortly before the [Yates murders] occurred. (Hausman, 2005) Dr. Dietzs entire testimony become irrelevant because of an inadvertent error made while testifying. Does this oversight completely devalue his other

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legitimate points? Dr. Dietzs testimony introduced subtle but obvious clues into Andrea Yates reasonings and ill feelings (resentment) she harbored against her husband. Dr. Dietz introduces some telling events prior to Andrea Yates becoming ill with something (undiagnosed) that influenced or changed her mental state (quasi). At what point did Andrea Yates mental state change? What were the triggers? Consider the following detailed observations expressed by Dr. Park Dietz, for relevancy in the overall diagnosis of Andrea Yates mental state. Some of the Life Events Affecting Mrs. Yates Before Her 1999 Episode of Illness: 1. Giving up her career 2. Giving up her possessions 3. Changing her faith 4. Giving up her identity (according to others) 5. Allowing her husband to make all decisions 6. Relative social isolation 7. Five pregnancies (four births and a miscarriage) 8. Living in an RV and a bus 9. Home schooling her children (Dietz, 2001). Analysis of these nine points reveal incidents, perhaps acting as triggers, that eventually contributed to Andrea Yates formulated hatred of her husband, Rusty Yates. In Andrea Yates mind he is the one responsible for causing (quasi)

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these life altering incidents. Dr. Park Dietz would testify during her first trial and present a Power Point Presentation pertaining to Andrea Yates cognitive functioning and rationale. Concerning Andrea Yates mental lucidity Dr. Dietz would attest to the following: Cognitive Functioning: A. Components include level of consciousness, motor behavior, use of language, memory, concentration, orientation, attention, ability to think abstractly, plan, and organize B. Impairment in cognitive functioning may vary from insignificant to extremely severe Mrs. Yates had No Significant Cognitive Impairment During the Drownings: 1. She was able to dress herself that morning 2. She awakened the children to say goodbye to Rusty, as usual 3. She remembered who each of her children was 4. She was able to stick to the task of drowning all five children 5. She was attentive to completing her task before Dora arrived 6. She remembered to call the police so they would be there before Dora arrived 7. She was able to call 911 and provide accurate information 8. She was able to dial her husbands phone number (Dietz, 2001). Further analysis of these astute details will point directly to someone lucid of mind, and entirely competent in every capacity. Andrea Yates lucidity of mind is apparent in the facts; she could pay attention to each detail and systematically

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execute them in a complete pattern. This is by plan and not by rote, and by noting the sequence of events; this is not Andrea Yates normal daily routine. So why evoke the insanity plea; because it was expected, and her Defense Attorney (probably) knew she was guilty. Associate Psychology Editors Richard E. Vates & Lee S. Weinberg report on the insanity aspect in their article Murderous Mothers, for USA Today Magazine. Let's look at Yates' claim that she was legally insane--i.e., according to the Texas Penal Code, that, "as a result of severe mental disease or defect, [she] did not know that [her] conduct was wrong" at the time of the killings. The prosecution and defense agreed that Yates was mentally ill when she killed her children, but the prosecution argued and the jury concluded that she was not legally insane--that she did know what she was doing was wrong (Vatz & Weinberg, 2002). After Dr. Yates detailed

psychology analysis, can insanity be considered a viable defense for Andrea Yates? Is not guilty by reason of insanity a valid plea in this case? There are many reasonable minded men and women who do not believe, or accept this plea regarding the Andrea Yates case. Why would her Attorney maneuver her defense in this direction? Dr. Gary Kesling affirms that a defense to prosecution can be found in the actors conduct was a result of severe mental disease. He also asserts defense rationale for pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. It is often the case that when the person is innocent the attorney will argue the facts; when the person is guilty the attorney argues the

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law. The defense attorneys in this case argued the law (Annals of the American Psychology Association, 2006). The evidence against Andrea Yates was substantial concerning her guiltiness in this case. And because of the evidence against her, defense argues the law, depicting Andrea Yates actions as less than sane. The evidence against her was damaging, and she was condemned in the eyes of many, but she was also considered by many to be insane. Now that the insanity plea has been entered, there must be some logical or even illogical reason for Andrea Yates actions. Perhaps it is a post partum disorder, or acute psychosis. To explain the insanity defense there must be a psychosis or psychiatric problem with Andrea Yates. Eileen Meier (JD, MPH, BSN, RN) offers this APA finding on postpartum depression: The American Psychiatric Association (APA, 2001) states that postpartum depression can be caused by changes in hormones and can be inherited; that about one in ten new mothers experience some degree of postpartum depression; that symptoms can include fatigue, feelings of hopelessness or depression, disrupted sleep or appetite, lack of interest in the baby, fear of harming the baby and mood swings (Meier, 2002). Is Andrea Yates suffering from post partum depression or an acute psychosis? Will this drive her to kill her children, all of them? Postpartum Psychosis: In some susceptible women, dramatic hormonal changes in childbirth and shortly afterward can result in a form of brief psychotic disorder often referred to as

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postpartum psychosis. Unfortunately, postpartum conditions are oftenmisidentified and improperly treated. In many cases of a mother killing her infant or committing suicide, postpartum psychosis is involved (Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders, 2005). However, not every woman with post partum symptoms or acute psychosis kills, or even considers killing their children! It can be said that some women may exhibit homicidal behavior during an episode of severe post partum psychosis, but this is the exception to the rule. Normally there is a window of time regarding this temporary psychosis. How long does post partum psychosis normally last among those afflicted by it? Usually by the first year, or dramatically less (three months) this psychosis diminishes. This time frame is not new to the law enforcement community. Past histories knew about this post partum issue and addressed the problem with the following solution. Psychology Editors Vatz & Weinberg pose this information on the tough legal questions encountered with the post partum dilemma. Precedence can be found for the post partum time element. So, a major issue of the Yates case is how to review what the legal system does with such cases and how it might be improved. One alternative is seen in the British law going back to 1922, which provides that, if a mother kills her baby prior to its first birthday, the act is seen as so different from other killings that society will treat the offender differently. Mothers convicted under this law are treated and counseled,

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rather than punished. Note that they do not need to show that they are insane. The law simply assumes that the mother's behavior is a manifestation of some profound mental or emotional problem associated with childbirth. However, mothers in Great Britain who kill children after their first birthday present the same dilemma as in the Yates case: Either they meet the difficult test of insanity or they are guilty of murder. In the Yates case, inasmuch as all but one of the children had passed their first birthdays, such an infanticide law would not have made any difference in the outcome. (Vatz, Weinberg, 2002) Is time relevant to post partum psychosis? Yes, time of incident and age of child is considered by law enforcement to be determinate. How often does filicide occur in the general populace, and is there correlation between killing ones children and spousal revenge? Filicide is rare in the general society with only 471 in 2001 roughly equal maternal, paternal according to Dr. Welners testimony (Welner, 2006). Marie E. Mugavin, MSN, CFNP, notes in her article A Meta-Synthesis of Filicide

Classification Systems: Psychosocial and Psychodynamic Issues in Women Who Kill Their Children spousal revenge filicide is listed as category five, and acutelypsychotic is category two in Resnicks 1969 seminal work: Classification of

Filicide by Motive (Mugavin, 2005). Was this a revenge killing by Andrea Yatesto make Rusty Yates suffer? Their former Pastor Michael Woroniecki

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emphatically made this accusatory statement. For whatever it may be worth, I want to reiterate that Andreas sole motive for her diabolical actions was revenge, he said. It was deep and it was intense. She had told me on several occasions of her intense hatred for Rusty. She pleaded with me for an answer on how to live with him. She despised him (OMalley, 2004). And, this man was never called to testify in this case (OMalley, 2004). So, was this a case of spousal revenge filicide? How does all of this explain the Andrea Yates case? Was this pre-planned revenge filicide, or did Andrea Yates have post partum psychosis when she murdered her children? If one leans towards the post partum psychosis reasoning, you must remember the youngest was Mary, and she was only six months old. Yes, Marys age falls into the up to one year category previously mentioned by Vatz & Weinberg. However, Andrea Yates had previous thoughts of killing her children and these thoughts occurred prior to the birth of Mary her youngest. Now the question that should be postulated; what if Andrea Yates knew exactly what she was doing all along? Andrea Yates planned to kill these children all along as an act of revenge against her husband Rusty Yates. Andrea Yates felt that he is responsible for all of the problems Dr. Dietz lists in his report and testimony. Andrea Yates planned this act of revenge and she planned to use the insanity plea. Is Andrea Yates insane or is she extremely clever? Pleading insanity in a Texas court of law comes with a degree of legal difficulty. Andrea

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Yates Defense Attorney enters a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity for his client, Andrea Yates. Can this argument be substantiated or supported legally? How does Texas legally define the use of MNaughten as a defense for insanity? Texas and the Insanity Defense: Texas uses a form of the M'Naughten test. The insanity defense is set forth in Texas Penal Code (TPC) Section 8.01 in two parts: (a) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution that, at the time of the conduct charged, the actor, as a result of severe mental disease or defect, did not know that his conduct was wrong; (b) The term "mental disease or defect" does not include an abnormality manifested by repeated criminal or otherwise antisocial conduct (Meier, 2002). The MNaughten test can be simply defined in the following description. A person was not responsible for criminal acts if as a result of a mental disease or defect he did not understand what he did or that it was wrong, or if he was under a delusion (but not otherwise insane) which, if true, would have provided a good defense. The person is unable to distinguish right from wrong (Gifis, 1984). Did Andrea Yates know right from wrong? According to Dr. Dietzs testimony and court presentation, Andrea Yates knew the difference between right and wrong (Dietz, 2001). Can this defense be applied considering the legal definition, the findings of law enforcement, and psychiatric

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examinations by leading Forensic Psychiatrists and Psychologists? In his book,

Straight Talk About Criminals, Dr. Stanton E. Samenow offers this insight.Some people who are mentally ill also commit crimes. Having evaluated a number of these individuals, I have found that, despite their mental illness, they still could distinguish right from wrong. I have encountered defendants whom others would consider to be legally insane because they reported delusions, hallucinations, and experiences of dissociation. Consider the defendant who asserts that he heard a voice commanding him to commit a crime and felt compelled to obey it. I asked one such person, Did the voice ever direct you to do something but you did not do as it instructed? He replied that he heard the voice command him to steal, but he chose to ignore it. I also inquired, Did you ever hear the voice order you not to do something, but you did it anyway? He observed that the voice told him to stay away from church, but he disobeyed it and went. (Samenow, 1998) Did Andrea Yates hear voices instructing her to do something wrong? Andrea Pia Yates insanity claims were basically prejudiced along some of these same lines and ideas expressed by Dr. Samenow. Was this part of her overall plan, to hear voices, talk to Satan? This is an old trick for those wanting to use the insanity plea in their defense. Remember she had a lot of time to construct her murderous ideas. Also bear in mind that she was the class

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valedictorian, and she would be considered somewhat intelligent. Can someone be executed that is found guilty of murder but then insane? Is there precedence for this exemption? The broadest significance of Ford v. Wainwright is its overall ruling that the execution of insane persons is forbidden by the Eighth Amendment. Although the amendment specifically prohibits "cruel and unusual" punishment, it does not define what such punishment is First, an insane person cannot help think of reasons why he should not be executed, which means that he or she is deprived of rights to protect himself or herself. Moreover, executing the insane frustrates the two main reasons for capital punishment: that it is a deterrent and that it offers retribution. Executing an insane person will hardly deter anyone, and if the insane person does not understand why he or she is being killed, no retribution has been achieved (West's, 1986) This case is based on someone not knowing the difference between right and wrong, someone incapable of understanding their actions. Andrea Yates cannot be classified in this case or category. Andrea Yates knew the difference between right and wrong. Technically, Andrea Yates could be executed for her crimes. But; there are those that oppose such an action. Andrea Yates was given another trial because of Dr. Dietzs untrue statements concerning events on the Law & Order show that never actually

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happened. The counter argument resides in the subsequent overturning of the murder convictions. Should this conviction have been overturned? Is Andrea Yates really insane? Some chose to believe she was mentally ill or insane at the time of the murderous incident. Is this true, and is there a compelling counter argument to support this theory? In "Who Is Andrea Yates? A Short Story About Insanity," Professor Deborah W. Denno opens a startling and compelling window on the Yates prosecutor's distortion and manipulation of facts through its star expert witness, Park Dietz. (2) Though surprisingly unfamiliar with the nature of the mental illness from which Andrea was apparently suffering (postpartum depression and psychosis), as Denno relates, Dietz opined with confidence that Andrea was sane and in control when she killed her offspring. At least in part because of Dietz's testimony, a jury convicted Andrea of capital murder (Colb, 2003). Initially she was found sane and competent to stand trial for the murders of two of her children. However, this conviction was overturned because of a witnesss false testimony. Andrea Pia Yates was eventually found to be mentally incompetent on reverse and remand in the murders of her five children. However, her actions show mens rea and actus Reus, which show her to be lucid and in control of her actions. This is something the defense hopes for, a mistrial or anything that would reverse the murder conviction, and in this case they got what they had

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hoped for. Now Andrea Pia Yates is incarcerated in a state mental facility at the taxpayers expense for a very long time. What would be the best possible outcome for this terrible event? The facts speak for themselves; she was guilty of murder in the first degree. She should have been executed for these atrocious deeds.

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References Annals of the American Psychology Association. (2006). Ask the Expert: The Case of

Andrea Yates. (Original work published 2006)Colb, Sherry F. (June 22, 2003). THE CONVICTION OF ANDREA YATES: A

NARRATIVE OF DENIADietz, MD. Park (2001). Interview of Andrea Yates. (Original work published 2001) http://parkdietzassociates.com/files/Excerpts_from_Interview_of_Andrea_Yat es_by_Dr._Park_Dietz_2001.pdf Web site: http://www.parkdietz.com Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders, 2005. http://www.minddisorders.com/Br-Del/Brief-psychotic-disorder.html Web site: http://www.minddisorders.com/index.html

Yates Indictment. (2006). (Original work published 2006) http://www.courttv.com/trials/yates/docs/felony1.html?print=yes&page= Web site: http://www.courttv.com/ Now http://www.trutv.com/newname.html Floyd, John T. 2006. http://www.johntfloyd.com/news/july/27a.htm Web site: http://www.johntfloyd.com/ Gifis, Steven H. (1984). Law Dictionary (2nd ed., Vol. 1). Hauppauge, NY: Barron's Educational Series, Inc. (Original work published 1975). 235. Hausman, Ken (February 4, 2005). Inaccurate Expert Testimony Wins Yates New

Trial (3rd ed., Vol. 40). . (Original work published February 4, 2005) http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/40/3/4. Web site: http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/

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Mugavin, Marie E. MSN, CFNP (2005). A Meta-Synthesis of Filicide Classification

Systems: Psychosocial and Psychodynamic Issues in Women Who Kill Their Children. (Original work published 2005) http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/508550_print Web site: www.medscape.com Meier, Eileen. JD, MPH, BSN, RN (May-June 2002). Andrea Yates: Where Did We Go

Wrong? (Original work published 2002 http://findarticles.com/ Web site:http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FSZ/is_3_28/ai_n18613836/print O'Malley, Suzanne. (2004). Are You There Alone? (1st ed., Vol. 1) New York: Simon & Schuster. (Original work published 2004) 4, 12, 14, 22, 28, 97. Samenow, Stanton E. (1984). Inside the Criminal Mind (1st ed., Vol. 1). New York: Time Books, Division of Random House. (Original work published 1984) Preface xiii & xiv Samenow, Stanton E. (1998). Straight Talk About Criminals (1st ed., Vol. 1). Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson, Inc. (Original work published 1998) 135. Thompson, James P. Court TV News. (2006). Psychiatrist: Andrea Yates' behavior

before drownings demonstrates self-discipline.http://www.courttv.com/trials/yates/070706_ap.html Web site: www.courttv.com/ Now: http://www.trutv.com/newname.html www.courttv.com/ Vatz, Richard E., Weinberg, Lee S. USA Today (Magazine) November 2002. http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/summary_0199-2229006_ITM Web site: http://goliath.ecnext.com/

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Web Pro Database. (2007). Web site: http://wordweb.info/. Welner, & Chairman. (2001). Andrea Yates Filicide (4)/Infanticide(1). . (Original work published 2001) www.forensicpanel.com/yates.ppt Website: http:// www.forensicpanel.com/ Welner, Dr. Michael (July 18, 2006). 2007. http://www.courttv.com/trials/yates/ 071806_psychiatrist_ap.html Web site: www.courttv.com West's Encyclopedia of American Law 1986. (1986). Ford v. Wainwright-Further

Readings: Great American Court Cases Vol. 6 (Vol. vol.6). . (Original work published1986) http://www.law.jrank.org/pages/12849/Ford-v-Wainwright.html http:// www.jrank.org Copyright 2007-Advameg Inc.

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