Russell Yates Tells Of Wife's 'Dark Period'

Andrea Yates never told her husband that she heard voices and saw visions that she said led her to eventually drown her five children last June, husband Russell Yates testified Thursday.

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"She kind of described it as a dark period, that she was in a dark place," Russell Yates said, referring to his wife's two suicide attempts two years before she killed her children.

Testifying for the second consecutive day in the capital murder trial of the Houston mother, Russell Yates said he never thought his wife was dangerous.

Andrea Yates' best friend also took the stand Thursday and described how she repeatedly begged Russell Yates to get his wife help.

Debbie Holmes cried as she told a spellbound courtroom how Andrea Yates declined rapidly after the birth of her fifth child, Mary.

Holmes described Andrea Yates as walking in circles, like a scared animal, barely eating and drinking and unable to care for her children.

Holmes testified that she called Russell Yates three times, sobbing and begging him to get help for Andrea Yates.

According to Holmes, Russell Yates told her that his wife had a doctor's appointment the next week. But Holmes told him that she doubted Andrea Yates would last the weekend.

"We're just painting the whole picture. The jury needs to see the whole picture. You can't understand what happened until you see all of it," defense attorney Wendel Odom said.

Andrea Yates has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to killing her five young children. Her attorneys are arguing that she was suffering from severe postpartum depression at the time of the drownings.