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American Morning

Mourning in Texas: The Yates Children Put to Rest Today

Aired June 27, 2001 - 10:08   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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: A heartwrenching gathering is scheduled for next hour in Houston. Five small white caskets will carry the bodies of the Yates children. Those are the youngsters allegedly drowned by their own mother a week ago.

Our Ed Lavandera is covering the funeral services. And he joins us from Houston -- Ed, good morning.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, just a short time ago, folks here from the Clear Lake Church of Christ handed out the programs for today's funeral service -- very simple: pictures of all five children on the front, with very poignant pictures of each one of them -- simple. And on the back, it says, "The children are survived by their parents, Russell and Andrea Yates."

Mr. Yates, we're told, will deliver the eulogy at this morning's service for 7-year-old Noah, 5-year-old John, 3-year-old Paul, 2-year- old Luke and 6-month-old Mary. Mr. Yates has said he will speak about each child individually. And as he speaks, we're told, that an image will be projected on to the wall of each child.

And there will also be a collage of pictures of the children greeting visitors and families at the entrance to the sanctuary as they start arriving. And the minister, who spoke with reporters just a few hours ago, said that, in the first part of the service, he will try to help everyone in the sanctuary try to make sense of what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. BYRON FIKE, CLEAR LAKE CHURCH OF CHRIST: ... is an understatement. I don't believe there are words in any language that can describe what has happened. We -- I -- the only way that Mr. Yates or anybody else can deal with this adequately is going to come from the strength that the Lord provides.

This is -- Mr. Yates has lost all of his children. And, in essence, he's lost his wife at this time. He is in desperate need. And yet he is clinging to the Lord as his rock and as his security at this time. And so he's finding support from Him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: I asked Minister Fike if he thought it was remarkable that Russell Yates would be able to make it through a eulogy of this magnitude. He said that he thought only one in a thousand people could deliver a eulogy like this. And that one person, he thinks, is Russell Yates, to make it through the entire way. And that service is scheduled to start here in about -- in less than an hour and a half -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And, Ed, as I understand it, Andrea Yates remains in custody, obviously. And the judge in the case has put a gag order on it.

LAVANDERA: Yes, the gag order was issued yesterday. There had been some reports or indications that Russell Yates was going to speak today. His attorney said last week that he'd -- they'd speak after the funeral. But it doesn't look like that will happen.

Andrea Yates, we're told by a sheriff spokesman, will not be here. In fact, we are told that no attempts were ever made to even bring her. That would never have been an option.

KAGAN: Ed Lavandera in Houston -- Ed, thank you.

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