George Parnham, the attorney hired to defend the Houston mother accused of drowning her five children, said Monday that he is considering employing claims of insanity in her defense. Parnham said that Andrea Yates' catatonic state is an outward sign of a deep-seated psychosis. "She is delusional and not living in this world," Parnham said. "It is very clear in my mind." In a police statement, Yates said that she was consumed with the belief that she was a bad mother and that her children were hopelessly damaged. Parnham said that in 1999, Yates had been hospitalized and was put on anti-psychotic drugs and that she was exhibiting warning signs. "There is a responsibility by the medical profession to look, evaluate and properly interpret indicators, and I don't think that was done," Parnham said. Parnham has experience defending clients using the insanity plea. He defended Calvin Bell in 1993, after he went on a shooting rampage at Piney Point Elementary, injuring two officers. Bell was acquitted by reason of insanity. Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal was the prosecutor in Bell's case and he said that there was no evidence that indicated that Yates was unaware of what she was doing. "We had one of her former medical health professionals in the grand jury today and he didn't give us any reason to believe that there is an insanity defense available in this case," Rosenthal said. Harris County Medical Examiner Joye Carter said that the drownings have shaken up seasoned investigators. "Police officers and investigators are used to dealing with criminals," Carter said. "When you come up to an innocent child it's different. You want to go home and hug your children, nieces and nephews." Carter confirmed that the five children did drown and that the oldest son struggled before he died. "According to the investigation, there was water in the home," Carter said. "He was the last child. His body was found in the tub and already in a state of rigor, which is a stiffening of the body and often increased with activity just prior to death." Previous Stories:

• June 23, 2001: Reporter: Houston Mom Planned Murders
• June 22, 2001: Houston Father Reacts To Child Killings
• June 21, 2001: Police: Houston Mother Kills 5 Children

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