Nurse: 'Houston Mother Improving'

A nurse who has treated Andrea Yates since the Houston mother was jailed for the drowning deaths of her five children testified Thursday the woman is showing improvement. However, he remains worried about her mental health.

"When she came to the unit, she was what I would call catatonic," said John Bayliss, a nurse who has treated Yates since she was placed in the Harris County Jail following her June arrest. "She was in a fog."

Bayliss, testifying Thursday as prosecutors began their efforts to convince a jury Yates is competent to stand trial, said Yates now smiles and he's seen her read and play dominoes.

Bayliss, however, described her as having "a lack of luster in her eyes."

"When I speak to her, she always tends to give me the same answer," he added, saying the woman always responds that she is fine.

Dr. Steven Rubenzer, a psychologist who did a court-ordered competency evaluation of Yates, said when he tested Yates in July, she passed two parts of a three-part test but did poorly. However, it came to "her ability to appraise her situation within the court system. Her score on that scale was very low."

Yates has told a psychologist she believes she should die in order to destroy herself and Satan, according to testimony Wednesday as the competency hearing began with defense witnesses.

Her attorney, George Parnham, was among those taking the stand and said Yates was not competent to go on "trial for her life."

"I'm somewhat concerned about questions I'm continually asked by Andrea," Parnham said. "She has a greater understanding of the proceeding against her than she does (an) ability to assist me in preparing for her defense."

Yates, 37, is charged with two counts of capital murder for the June 20 deaths of three of her five young children. She told police she drowned them in the bathtub of her southeast Houston home. Relatives have said she suffered from postpartum depression.

A jury will decide whether the former nurse is fit to stand trial on the capital murder charges. If Yates is found competent, a separate jury will determine her guilt or innocence. She has said she is innocent by reason of insanity.

A defendant is presumed competent until questions of incompetency arise. To be competent, Yates must have a rational and factual understanding of the case against her and be able to consult with her attorneys.

If jurors find Yates competent, the Harris County district attorney has said he will seek the death penalty.

"I question her ability to make reasoned, appropriate decisions about her defense when she still believes it had something to do with this complicated scheme with Satan and the state," said Dr. Gerald Harris, who has evaluated Yates at the request of her attorneys.

"You're not going to defend yourself if somehow you believe your dying is getting rid of Satan," Harris said.

Harris said Yates has a rational understanding of the legal process and may become competent within a month or two, but presently lacks the ability to consult with her attorneys.

"She's just recovering right now and I think that level of stress may well break her again," he said.

Yates, who was her high school's valedictorian, scored 113 on an IQ test Harris gave her on Aug. 31. Yates' score shows that at the time she was intellectually functioning at or above that of 81 percent of the population, Harris said.

The psychologist said Yates' intellectual functioning might be well above average, but her memory is very poor and she still shows signs of residual delusional thinking.

Previous Stories:

• September 19, 2001: Houston Mother Says She's Possessed By Satan
• September 18, 2001: Jury Selection To Begin In Yates' Case
• August 24, 2001: NOW Sets Up Fund For Houston Mom
• August 10, 2001: Defense Fund Set Up For Houston Mother
• August 9, 2001: Houston Mother Could Face Death Penalty
• July 31, 2001: Texas Mother Indicted In 5 Kids' Deaths
• June 28, 2001: Kin: Houston Mom Had Troubled Past
• June 28, 2001: Houston Father Buries His 5 Children
• June 27, 2001: Source: Jailed Houston Mom Not Pregnant
• June 25, 2001: Attorney For Houston Mom Will Likely Use Insanity Plea
• June 24, 2001: Friends, Family Support Alleged Child Killer
• June 23, 2001: Reporter: Houston Mom Planned Murders
• June 22, 2001: Houston Father Reacts To Child Killings
• June 22, 2001: Andrea Yates Under Suicide Watch