This Texas case of a mother who killed her five children became the most remembered insanity defense case of the decade. The Forensic Panel was the only practice in the world that was approached by both defense and prosecution to examine Yates. The first trial resulted in a conviction; that conviction was reversed in a high profile controversy involving the false testimony by the state’s forensic psychiatrist.
Prior to the second trial, at the request of the prosecution, The Forensic Panel’s specialists contributed psychiatric assessment, neuropsychological and psychological test interpretation, and case investigation that culminated in the most informed and definitive report on the Yates matter to date. The Forensic Panel’s reports included numerous relevant pieces of uncovered evidence that were not allowed before the jury, in part on procedural grounds. A judge’s court order maintained these and other key pieces of Yates’ criminal responsibility under seal to this date. These included interviews with 23 witnesses, including the only interviews with Yates’ husband; a revealing and incriminating fourteen hour interview of Yates; and, damaging evidence in the defense’s own psychological testing data.
