The Cult Behind the Killer: The Andrea Yates Story: Story, Cast and Series Facts

Story and premise

When Andrea Yates drowned her five children in the family bathtub one June morning in 2001, the world was left shocked – what could make a young mother do something like that to her own children? In the wake of her confession, it was established Yates was suffering from postpartum depression and psychosis. But while understanding of her mental illness helped illuminate Andrea's struggle prior to the incident, now 25 years later, ID unravels the deeply tangled layers in which a cult can influence vulnerable individuals through manipulation and control by offering unprecedented insight into Michael Woroniecki, a rogue street preacher turned cult leader, and his connection to Andrea Yates.

Series details

• Title: The Cult Behind the Killer: The Andrea Yates Story
• Format: Documentary
• Language: English
• Genres: Crime
• Premiere date: 2026-01-06
• Final broadcast date listed: 2026-01-06
• Status in TVmaze: Ended
• Network listed by TVmaze: Investigation Discovery
• Network country: United States
• TVMaze ID: 89244
• IMDb ID: tt39151060
• TVDB ID: 471507

Seasons in the TVmaze catalogue

• Season 1: premiered 2026-01-06; final listed air date 2026-01-06; episode order: 3.

Source and licence

Adapted from The Cult Behind the Killer: The Andrea Yates Story on TVmaze. The synopsis is reproduced as plain text; catalogue facts, cast and season records are selected and reformatted. This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, following the TVmaze API licence. Network and web-channel credits identify the service listed in this source; they do not establish current streaming availability.