The Story Behind the New Andrea Yates Documentary The Cult Behind the Killer

Twenty years after the tragic deaths of her five children, the case of Andrea Yates – who drowned them in their bathtub – is being re-examined in the three-part documentary, The Cult Behind the Killer: The Andrea Yates Story. Premiering January 6th on HBO Max, the Investigation Discovery series looks at court and medical records, with a focus on the religious beliefs held by the Yates family before the devastating event.

The documentary features interviews with Rusty Yates, Andrea’s ex-husband, and people who used to follow preacher Michael Woroniecki. These individuals describe teachings based on strict rules, fear, and social isolation, and suggest these factors may have worsened Andrea’s mental health before the tragic events. The filmmakers tried to get a response from Michael Woroniecki, who previously denied responsibility for Yates’ actions, and his wife Rachel, but they did not participate in the film.

The crime that shocked the world

On June 20, 2001, in Clear Lake, a suburb of Houston, Andrea Yates tragically drowned her five children – Noah, John, Paul, Luke, and Mary – in their bathtub. Their ages ranged from six months to seven years old. Following the deaths, Andrea called 911 and admitted what she had done. When police arrived at the house, she calmly told them, “I killed my kids.”

Inside the house, one child was found in the bathtub, and the others were covered with a sheet in the main bedroom. Investigators didn’t find any evidence of a fight and determined that Andrea acted by herself in the short time between her husband leaving for work and her mother-in-law’s expected arrival. Andrea Yates was arrested immediately after the children were discovered.

A life defined by discipline and achievement

Andrea Yates, born Andrea Kennedy on July 2, 1964, grew up in a stable family in Houston, Texas, as the youngest of five children. She excelled in school, graduating as valedictorian and later becoming a registered nurse in 1986. For several years, she worked at a cancer center, where she developed a strong work ethic and sense of responsibility.

Andrea and Russell Yates, known as Rusty, first met in 1989 and married in 1993. After the wedding, Andrea stopped working to focus on raising their family and deepening her religious faith, something that had become increasingly important to her since meeting Rusty. They went on to have five children between 1994 and 2000.

The preacher and the doctrine

Rusty Yates was influenced by a man named Woroniecki, who often visited universities and big gatherings to share his beliefs, deeply impacting the Yates family’s way of thinking. People who used to follow Woroniecki and now call themselves “survivors” claim he controlled others through his sermons, letters, and audio tapes, positioning himself as a spiritual leader.

Moses Storm, a former follower interviewed in the docuseries, points out that media reports often leave out a key figure. He feels that coverage of the Andrea Yates case is incomplete because it doesn’t give enough attention to Michael Woroniecki.

This docuseries really dives into the influence of a man named Woroniecki, who was essentially a spiritual guide for my family – and, surprisingly, the Yates family too. What struck me most was the intensity of his beliefs. He preached this incredibly urgent message about the end of the world, genuinely believing that judgment day was imminent – like, within the next 46 minutes! It wasn’t just a philosophical idea; he believed it with a frightening conviction.

Storm recalls a constant sense of fear growing up. He remembers his father predicting severe thunderstorms that would cause his mother to desperately pray for their family’s safety, a scenario that haunted his dreams. His older sister also suffered, experiencing disturbing visions that led her to harm herself in an attempt to make them stop.

I’ve been reading about the Yates case, and it’s just chilling. Rusty confirmed he and Andrea were getting cassette tapes mailed to them from this guy, Michael Woroniecki. It’s more than just a strange detail, though. As Storm, one of the Yates children, put it, they were born into this situation, and unless you lived it, you can’t possibly grasp how much control Woroniecki had over their entire family. It really hits home how deeply this went.

Recruitment and isolation

David De La Isla, featured in the docuseries, recalls first encountering Woroniecki on his college campus. Woroniecki was holding a sign that bluntly warned, “You’re going to hell.” Intrigued by the message, David approached him, a decision he now deeply regrets, calling it “the biggest mistake of my life.”

Woroniecki replied with letters and cassette tapes, presenting himself as a “Messenger for Christ.” David remembered how those teachings affected him: “I carefully examined what Michael was saying. He claimed that all institutions – like universities and hospitals – were evil distractions, keeping people from truly connecting with God. It made me believe the entire world was under the devil’s control.”

Storm says Woroniecki believed formal schooling was harmful and insisted his children be homeschooled to protect them from what he considered evil influences. Storm remembers being taught these beliefs from a very young age, recalling that he was sent out to preach to strangers as early as age three, warning them about hell even though he didn’t understand the message himself.

Mental illness and missed warnings

Andrea’s mental health declined significantly after she had children. In 1999, after the birth of her son Luke, Rusty remembered a frightening moment. He found Andrea staring at herself in the bathroom mirror with a knife pressed to her throat, completely unresponsive. Although she didn’t hurt herself, she was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with postpartum depression.

Andrea first responded well to treatment, but she stopped taking her medication by the end of 1999. Even though doctors were worried, she and her partner had another child, Mary, in November 2000.

Over the following months, Andrea’s health declined, and she began experiencing hallucinations, becoming convinced that she was possessed by the devil. Adding to her distress, she received a letter from Michael’s wife, Rachel Woroniecki, which seemed to confirm her fears, as shown in the documentary Cult Behind the Killer.

Rachel is praying for Andrea, Rusty, and their family, acknowledging they’re going through a difficult time. She’s concerned about Andrea putting off her faith and wants her to know that Jesus understands her struggles and vulnerabilities. Rachel encourages Andrea to focus on her responsibility to her children and to seek change, reminding her that opportunities don’t last forever. She urges Andrea to turn to Jesus, not Rusty, for support and warns that allowing negative influences to continue will lead to painful outcomes. She sends her love and blessings in Jesus’ name.

The teachings Andrea internalized

I remember reading that Andrea wrote to Rachel back in 1999 to let her know Luke had been born. The documentary explained that Rachel’s reply was really disturbing – it sounded a lot like ideas that would later appear in a publication by someone named Michael Woroniecki. Basically, he believed that children born to women he deemed ‘unrighteous’ were also destined for hell, unless they tragically died. It was a really unsettling connection to make.

In the documentary, De La Isla explains that Rusty discovered a website dedicated to Michael Woroniecki while it was still online. Rusty then shared cassette tapes with De La Isla – tapes that Woroniecki had originally sent to Andrea Yates. De La Isla states that Andrea listened to these recordings many times, even on the morning of the tragic event. A portion of the recording, featured in the documentary, says: “To follow His Kingdom, you must obey. You must accept His plan, surrender completely. If you act independently, there will be consequences.”

Yates’ trials

In 2002, Andrea Yates was put on trial, facing charges for the murders of her five children. While her mental health issues were known, the prosecution argued she knew what she did was wrong. They pointed to the fact that she waited until she was alone with the children before the killings and then called the authorities, suggesting she was aware of her actions and acted with purpose.

Andrea’s defense argued she wasn’t responsible for her actions due to a severe mental illness – postpartum psychosis. They presented medical records and expert testimony showing she was experiencing intense delusions, believing she had to kill her children to protect them from eternal suffering.

Throughout the trial, Rusty Yates consistently argued that Andrea’s actions stemmed from a lack of mental health treatment, not criminal intent. However, the jury didn’t accept this argument and found her guilty. Andrea Yates received a life sentence, meaning she could be eligible for parole after serving 40 years.

In 2005, a Texas court overturned Yates’ conviction. This decision was based on false testimony from a prosecution expert, Dr. Park Dietz. He had stated during the trial that an episode of the TV show Law & Order featured a similar case where a mother who drowned her children was found legally insane. The prosecution implied that Andrea Yates might have created her insanity defense after seeing this episode.

It turned out there was no such incident, and Dietz admitted he simply misremembered. However, the appeals court determined that this false statement was significant enough to potentially affect the jury’s verdict, and therefore violated Andrea Yates’ right to a fair trial.

Michael Woroniecki’s connection to Yates and current work

During Andrea Yates’ trial, materials from Michael Woroniecki were presented as evidence. Prosecutors argued his religious beliefs might have affected Yates’ mental health, but he wasn’t held legally responsible for the deaths of her five children, and his religious group was never officially labeled a cult. Although documentaries and news reports have described his teachings as “cult-like,” this is an opinion, not a legal determination.

Woroniecki maintains he had no role in Andrea Yates’ actions. In a 2002 interview with ABC News, he explained that he spoke to the Yates family about religion and repeatedly cautioned Rusty Yates about the children’s spiritual well-being. He emphasized that his warnings about Satan and hell were meant as religious advice, not as encouragement for violence, and that he believed “Everybody is going to hell.” He dismissed suggestions that his sermons contributed to the tragedy as absurd. Woroniecki continues to travel and preach throughout the United States.

Where is Andrea Yates now?

Andrea Yates was tried again in 2006. Although the legal arguments were similar to the first trial, the second jury came to a different decision. On July 26, 2006, she was found not guilty due to insanity. As a result, according to Texas law, she was sent to a state psychiatric hospital for treatment instead of being freed.

She was first held in a secure mental health facility and then moved to Kerrville State Hospital, a highly secure psychiatric center, where she is still receiving care. Although she is eligible to have her case reviewed for possible release, Andrea has repeatedly chosen to stay under psychiatric care and hasn’t pursued freedom.

2026-01-07 02:07