HOUSTON — Attorney Wendell Odom recalled a court decision that concluded the Andrea Yates case in 2006 as the 25th anniversary of the killings of Yates’ five children was marked in Harris County.
Odom represented Yates during her retrial in 2006 at the Harris County Courthouse, where a jury found her not guilty by reason of insanity after she had previously been convicted of capital murder in 2002.
Yates was arrested in 2001 after authorities said she drowned her five children — John, Luke, Mary, Noah and Paul — in the bathtub of their Clear Lake home. The children ranged in age from 6 months to 7 years old at the time of their deaths.
The conviction was later overturned on appeal after a court found that a prosecution expert witness gave false testimony, leading to a new trial.
Odom said he stood beside Yates on July 26, 2006, when the jury delivered its verdict.
“It was relief and elation,” Odom said. “It was a combination that we had actually convinced the jury and the system that she wasn’t some premeditated murderer, and that also the right result had occurred.”
Yates is currently committed to Kerrville State Hospital.
The case drew national attention and prompted discussion on maternal mental health conditions, including postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis.
George Parnham, Yates’ lead defense attorney, and his wife Mary established the Yates Children Memorial Fund in 2001 to support people with maternal mental health disorders. The program is now supported by Postpartum Support International under the Yates Children Memorial Fund Legal Justice Program.
Odom said the case influenced how legal professionals handle similar cases involving mental illness.
“It educated a lot of people, myself included,” he said. “Today, a lot of these cases are dealt with between the district attorney and the defense attorneys. Those that aren’t, when they do go to trial, there’s a whole new perception on what this type of mental illness is.”
Odom said he has maintained limited contact with Yates since the retrial and said he continues to receive Christmas cards from her.
