Uncovering the Tragedy of Andrea Yates: 'The Cult Behind the Killer' Now Available on HBO Max

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - The tragic case of Andrea Yates, a Houston, Texas, mother who drowned her five children in June 2001, has once again been brought to the public spotlight.

This heartbreaking tragedy is now being explored in a three-part documentary series titled "The Cult Behind the Killer: The Andrea Yates Story."

The series, which premiered on January 6, 2026, and is available on HBO Max, offers a new and rarely revealed perspective on this dark event.

Unlike the common narrative that focuses solely on the crime itself, the series delves deeper into the factors behind Yates' actions.

Through interviews with Andrea's ex-husband, Rusty Yates, and former followers of the preacher Michael Woroniecki, the series seeks to challenge simplistic narratives.

For the first time in decades, Rusty Yates is breaking his silence.What led to the tragedy that shocked the nation? What role did a radical belief system play in the unraveling of his family?“The Cult Behind the Killer: The Andrea Yates Story” premieres January 6 on ID and… pic.twitter.com/QuHV7ur8dw

— Investigation Discovery (@DiscoveryID) January 3, 2026

HBO's documentary series, "The Cult Behind the Killer: The Andrea Yates Story," offers an in-depth and crucial perspective.

Rather than simply rehashing the details of the crime, the documentary focuses on the cult's influence surrounding Andrea Yates in the years leading up to the 2001 tragedy.

The series features Rusty Yates, Andrea's ex-husband, and former followers of preacher Michael Woroniecki.

They paint a picture of a teaching based on rigid doctrine, fear, and isolation, which they claim may have exacerbated Andrea's mental illness long before the crime.

The series' primary goal is to challenge simplistic narratives and present the case as a complex convergence of mental illness, external influences, and unchecked authority.

It highlights how Woroniecki's teachings allegedly brought the vulnerable Texas mother under his control, leading to the drowning of her five children.

Andrea Pia Kennedy, born on July 3, 1964, in Houston, Texas, was known as an outstanding student.

She graduated valedictorian and was captain of her high school swim team.

After completing her nursing education, Yates worked as a registered nurse at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from 1986 to 1994.

In 1993, she married Russell “Rusty” Yates, a NASA engineer.

The couple were devout followers of traveling preacher Michael Peter Woroniecki, whose extreme teachings emphasized the importance of having many children and condemned parental sin as leading to children going to hell.

These religious beliefs are believed to have strongly influenced Yates's decisions in life.

After the birth of her first child, Yates began exhibiting signs of mental illness, reporting seeing Satan and visions of death.

Her condition worsened after the birth of her fourth child, Luke, which led to a relapse of postpartum depression.

She attempted suicide and was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis.

Her psychiatrist had even warned Andrea and Rusty not to have any more children due to the risk of future psychotic depression, yet they had a fifth child anyway.

On June 20, 2001, Andrea Yates drowned her five children—Noah (7), John (5), Paul (4), Luke (2), and Mary (6 months)—in the bathtub of their Clear Lake, Houston, home.

The sequence of events began with Paul, Luke, and John, then Mary, and finally Noah, who had tried to escape.

After the horrific incident, Yates called 911 and calmly confessed to officers that she had killed her children.

In her first trial in 2002, Yates was charged with five counts of premeditated murder.

Although psychiatrists on both sides agreed that she was severely mentally ill, the jury rejected the insanity defense and found her guilty, sentencing her to life in prison.

However, this conviction was overturned in 2005 due to perjury from the prosecution's witness, Dr. Park Dietz, who claimed there was a non-existent episode of 'Law & Order'.

At a second trial in 2006, the jury found Yates not guilty by reason of insanity, as defined by the state of Texas.

She was subsequently placed in a mental health facility, where she remains treated to this day.