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CNN Saturday Morning News

Yates Explains Children's Murders on Newly Released Tapes

Aired June 15, 2002 - 07:09   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A Houston prosecutor says Russell Yates will not be facing charges in the death of his five children a year ago. The children's mother, Andrea Yates, is serving a life sentence for the drowning death. And for the first time ever, tapes have been released of Yates explaining why she killed her kids.

Our Ed Lavandera has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We've never heard Andrea Yates speak, we've never heard the 37-year-old woman explain why she drowned her five children, until now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. PARK DIETZ, PSYCHIATRIST: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?

YATES: Yes, because I didn't want them (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

DIETZ: In what way?

YATES: Just the thoughts, they had thoughts.

DIETZ: Tell me as much about those thoughts as you can.

YATES: There was the thoughts about (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and maybe that even I had some Satan in me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: This interview was taped in November last year. The man asking questions is Dr. Park Dietz, a psychiatrist, and the prosecution's expert witness. Based on this interview, Dietz concluded Yates knew her actions were wrong. But at the time of the trial, defense attorneys argued these tapes showed Yates was legally insane, and that she believed murdering her children was the right thing to do.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DIETZ: Did you think it was a good idea?

YATES: Yes, at the time I did. DIETZ: Explain your thinking to me.

YATES: Well, I didn't want them ruined. I was afraid of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) continue, they would continue to go downhill (UNINTELLIGIBLE) save them before that happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: During Yates's trial, jurors intensely watched these psychiatric interview tapes. Many of those jurors have said it was Andrea Yates's own words that convinced them to vote for a guilty verdict and put Yates in a Texas prison, where she sits serving a life sentence.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Dallas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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