'ARE YOU THERE ALONE?' the Unspeakable Crime of Andrea Yates

Hardback. The author exposes the human mystery of the most horrifying crime in recent history and the legal drama surrounding it. As a journalist, the author began covering the murders of Noah, John, Paul, Luke, and Mary Yates hours after their mother, Andrea Yates, drowned them in their suburban Houston home in June 2001. Over 24-months, the author interviewed or witnessed the sworn testimony of more than a hundred participants in this drama, including Yates herself; her husband, Rusty Yates; their families; attorneys; the personnel of the Harris County district attorney's and sheriff's offices; medical staff; friends; acquaintances; and expert witnesses. The author argues persuasively that under less extraordinary circumstances, a mentally ill woman would have been quietly offered a plea bargain and sent to an institution under court supervision. But on March 12, 2002, Andrea Yates was found guilty of the murders of 3 of her 5 children. She is currently serving a life sentence and will not be eligible for parole until 2042. The author's personal communications with Andrea Yates and her interviews with Rusty Yates allow her to offer fully realised portrayals of people at the centre of this horrifying case. A book which makes a critical contribution to our understanding of mental health issues within the criminal justice system. With Interview List, Testimony List and Index. 281pp. 8vo. h/back. From the library of true crime writer, Wilfred Gregg, with his personal b/plate. A review copy with loosely inserted slip. V. lightly browned pp. o/w Nr. F. in F. dw.