After Andrea Yates was arrested for drowning her five children to death, it was revealed that she was a member of an alleged cult led by extreme religious leader Michal Woroniecki.
While Woroniecki has denied claims that his group was a cult, he has been open about sharing his Christian values with his followers, which included Andrea and her then-husband, Russell “Rusty” Yates.
Following the release of Investigative Discovery’s The Cult Behind the Killer: The Andrea Yates Story, viewers have been left wondering what religion Andrea was at the time of the murders. Wonder no more.
What Religion Was Andrea Yates?
After Andrea and Rusty got married in 1993, she left her job as a nurse to be a full time mother and focus on the religious practice that had become important to her family’s lives, according to Time.
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Prior to their marriage, Rusty followed the teachings of non-denominational Christian leader Woroniecki. At the time, Woroniecki traveled to college campuses and large events to spread his teachings and gain new followers.
In The Cult Behind the Killer, Woroniecki’s former followers referred to themselves as “survivors” and claimed he exerted control through sermons, handwritten letters and cassette tapes in order to present himself as a spiritual authority.
Rusty confirmed in the docuseries that he and Andrea were in regular contact with Woroniecki. However, he did not share specific examples of Woroniecki’s religious teachings.
Who Is Moses Storm?
Moses Storm is Woroniecki’s nephew and one of his former followers who appeared in The Cult Behind the Killer. In the docuseries, Storm called out media coverage for not placing more emphasis on Woroniecki’s alleged involvement in Andrea’s killings.
“When I watch news coverage and documentaries about Andrea Yates, it doesn’t do it for me,” he said. “They are missing a huge part of the story: Michael Woroniecki.”
Storm said that Woroniecki acted as a spiritual teacher for both his family and the Yates’. “A huge part of his teachings was the impending doom of judgment day. God was going to end the world in a matter of 46 minutes right now. It was that intense,” he said.
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“He said there would be a thunderstorm that would prompt my mom to get on her knees and pray, ‘God please save us, save our kids.’ It gave me nightmares,” Storm recalled of Woroniecki. “My older sister would have these visions and she would start hitting her body just to stop.”
Michael Woroniecki Denied Involvement in Andrea Yates’ Killings
After Andrea was arrested for killing her five young children in 2001, many people speculated that Woroniecki was somehow involved in the decision.
Woroniecki publicly denied having any involvement in the murders during a 2002 appearance on Good Morning America.
However, he did say that he was Andrea and Rusty’s spiritual leader and added that he “shared Jesus with them.”
“I hold him responsible [for the drownings] but I also hold Andrea responsible. God knows what we shared with those people,” Woroniecki added.
Andrea Yates Found Guilty of Killing Her Kids
Andrea was initially convicted of capital murder in 2002. She was then sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years.
However, a major development in the case took place when the verdict was overturned on appeal after it was revealed that forensic psychiatrist Park Dietz gave false testimony during the trial.
The case was retired in 2006 and a Texas jury found that Yates was not guilty by reason of insanity.
