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American Morning

Five Children Killed: Police Charge Houston Mother With Murder

Aired June 21, 2001 - 09:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Houston police have charged a mother with capital murder after the deaths of her five children. Police say Andrea Yates called police to her home in the Houston suburb of Clear Lake yesterday and then she confessed when they arrived that she had killed her children. Shocked neighbors have been leaving flowers in front of her residence.

CNN's Ed Lavandera brings us up to date from Houston.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a tranquil suburban neighborhood south of Houston, police started the day responding to a 911 phone call from a woman asking for help.

JOHN CANNON, HOUSTON POLICE: A responding patrol officer came to the door and the woman, who was still breathing rather heavily at that time, said that, "I just killed my children."

LAVANDERA: When the officer walked into the house, he found a 6- month-old girl and three boys between the ages of 2 and 5 dead in a bedroom. A second officer found a 7-year-old boy dead in the bathtub. Police say their 36-year-old mother, Andrea Yates, drowned all five children.

CANNON: You could tell that she was in some type of a panic after she said that she had killed her kids. And our responding officer who went in the house himself has children. And he was just basically in shock at that point.

LAVANDERA: Wednesday night, Houston Police filed formal charges against Yates. She could now face the death penalty if convicted.

ROBERT HURST, HOUSTON POLICE SPOKESMAN: Multiple charges of capital murder had been filed on Andrea Pia Yates, 36 years of age, in connection with the deaths of her five children.

LAVANDERA: The news stunned neighborhood friends, who had just enjoyed a weekend party with three of the Yates' children. But one family friend quickly found out there were problems when she asked Andrea Yates' husband why the rest of the family didn't make it to the party.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He asked her -- asked him, "How come she didn't come?" And she had said that she stayed back with one of the kids and the baby because she was going through a depression from having babies. That's what he said.

LAVANDERA: There are reports that the first signs of postpartum depression emerged in 1999 when Andrea Yates attempted to commit suicide.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: (AUDIO GAP) been undergoing treatment for that depression for the last two years and as far as Mr. Yates, we understand that he has been talking with police officers over the course of the last day. He is a NASA engineer and was at the Johnson Space Center, which is just a short distance away from this neighborhood, and that's where he was when police broke the news of -- to him of what happened.

Now, we understand that Mrs. Yates is in the jail near the Harris County Jail in a temporary holding facility there. She, of course, as we've mentioned, has been charged with capital murder. We've asked for details as to what she's told police officers over the course of the last day. Police officers won't give us any details about that. They'll only say that she has been cooperating with investigators. And, of course, capital murder comes with the possibility that she could face the death penalty if convicted -- Leon?

HARRIS: All right, thanks much, Ed Lavandera reporting live this morning from Houston, Texas. Thanks for the update.

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