Naman Shrestha
In Investigation Discovery’s ‘The Cult Behind the Killer: The Andrea Yates Story,’ the primary focus is on the tragic drownings of five young Yates children at the hands of their mother, Andrea Yates, in June 2001. The three-part documentary series also explores how a street preacher named Michael Woroniecki allegedly influenced and manipulated the mother of five into killing her children. One of the people most affected by the entire ordeal was Andrea’s husband at the time, Russell “Rusty” Yates, who features in the docuseries and discusses the events, his relationship with his wife, and his interactions with the preacher.
Rusty Yates Was at Work When Andrea Yates Drowned Their Children
Russell “Rusty” Edison Yates was born on September 6, 1964, in Tennessee to Dora Yates. A student at Auburn University, he crossed paths with a preacher named Michael Peter Woroniecki on the campus of the university in the mid-1980s. Intrigued by the preacher’s teachings, Rusty became a devout evangelical Christian and maintained contact with him through regular letter exchanges. After completing his education with flying colors, he met with Andrea Yates, a nurse at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, around the summer of 1989. Rusty also introduced Michael and his spiritual teachings to her. On April 17, 1993, Rusty and Andrea tied the knot after several years of togetherness. Soon, the couple moved into a four-bedroom house in Friendswood, Texas.
After the birth of their first son, Noah, in February 1994, Rusty landed a job in Florida, leading to them relocating to a small trailer house in the city of Seminole. A few years down the line, when Michael put his GMC motorhome up for sale, Rusty bought it for traveling with his family and moved back to Houston, Texas. By November 2000, he had become a father to four more children — John, Paul, Luke, and Mary. While Andrea battled depression and suicidal tendencies with pills and hospitalizations, Rusty took care of her and their children. Meanwhile, his relationship with Michael began deteriorating for certain reasons. On the morning of June 20, 2001, Rusty left for work, leaving Andrea and their children at home.
However, he soon had to return home, where he found out that his wife had drowned all five of their children in the bathtub. In 2002, Andrea was found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. A couple of years later, in 2004, Rusty filed for divorce, which was finalized on March 17, 2005. After Andrea’s conviction was overturned due to false testimony from a prosecution witness, her new trial took place in July 2006. According to Andrea’s doctor’s testimony, Rusty was advised not to leave his wife alone, but he allegedly ignored these instructions and left her alone with the children. Rusty allegedly announced the same at a family gathering a few days before the tragedy, claiming that he didn’t want her to become totally dependent on him. By the end of the trial, Andrea was found not guilty by reason of insanity, but was moved to a mental health facility.
Rusty Yates is an Experienced Engineer at NASA
After Rusty Yates’ divorce was finalized, he began dating Laura Arnold, a woman he met at the Clear Lake Church of Christ in Houston, Texas. On March 18, 2006, the couple made their relationship official in the eyes of the law as they tied the knot at the same church, in the presence of dozens of family and friends. Two years later, on March 20, 2008, the couple welcomed a son named Mark into the world. However, as per reports, Laura filed for divorce in 2015. During his appearance on ‘Oprah: Where Are They Now,’ he praised his ex-wife, Andrea, stating, “This (was a) mentally ill woman — who otherwise loves her children, was a great mother, was a great person — and they’re going to sit her in trial? Try to kill her?”
Rusty reportedly maintained contact with Andrea after she was placed in a mental health institute for a significant amount of time. On the professional front, he has been employed at NASA since January 2001. He started as a Project Manager and is now a Senior Systems Engineer. Between 2009 and 2013, he also earned his Doctor of Law degree in Health Law from the University of Law Center. Still residing in Houston, Texas, Rusty prefers to lead a private life and reveals little to nothing about his family life.
