True Crime Obsessed · True Crime Obsessed

Andrea Yates: The Cult Behind the Killer Part 2

March 17, 2026·1 hr 8 min·5 clips

The cult pamphlet 'Perilous Times' explicitly told Andrea Yates to kill her children before age 12 to save them from hell.

This episode continues hosts Patrick Hinds and Gillian Pensavalle's coverage of the documentary series on Andrea Yates, focusing on the religious cult's influence. They analyze the second half of episode two and all of episode three, featuring interviews with Andrea's husband Rusty Yates and former cult members David and Moses. The hosts detail how Andrea Yates, suffering severe postpartum depression, was told by doctors not to have more children but had a fifth. They explain she was receiving letters from cult leader Michael's wife, Rachel, signed "Michael's servant," urging Andrea to save her children from hell before they turned twelve. Former member David spiraled after quitting his job, isolating himself in a cabin and becoming suicidal while obsessing over Michael's teachings. The episode describes Michael sending David a video of himself dressed as Satan to berate him. David and his friend Richard met Michael at a McDonald's, where Michael declared Richard eternally damned, leaving him suicidal. Andrea experienced hallucinations of the devil inside her and believed drowning her children was necessary to save them. Author Susie Spencer, who wrote "Breaking Point," received anonymous letters showing the cult's correspondence with Andrea, revealing their manipulative and fear-based rhetoric. After the murders, Michael engaged in damage control, contacting family members to protect his image. David recognized his own spiritual abuse in Andrea's story after seeing Michael on television. Defense attorney Wendell Odom Jr. described Andrea at trial as shockingly mentally ill, with dilated pupils and jerking movements, building an insanity defense. The hosts note the prosecution's narrative painted Andrea as an evil woman, while neighbors described her as a loving mother. Rusty Yates publicly maintained the murders were not her fault, attributing them solely to mental illness. The tone is conversational and empathetic, blending analysis of documentary footage with the hosts' emotional reactions. Listeners interested in the psychological and societal factors behind infamous crimes will find this deep dive compelling. Those seeking only straightforward crime narration without commentary might prefer to skip it.

As heard by us

A direct, uneasy look at culpability, coercion, and failed support in the story around Andrea Yates.

Andrea Yates: The Cult Behind the Killer Part 2 sits with the uneasy question of responsibility, tracing how the episode frames her actions through claims about saving her children, outside influence, an unheard warning at home, and support that fell away when insurance cut…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want Andrea Yates framed through cult influence, responsibility, and the uneasy language people use when a case resists a clean label.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from True Crime Obsessed