Prosecutors turn focus to Yates' husband

HOUSTON - Less than a week after Andrea Yates began a life sentence for drowning her children, the district attorney said Monday that his office is looking into whether her husband had any culpability in the drownings.<br> <br> To call it an &#34;investigation&#34; would be too strong, Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal said.<br> <br> Rosenthal said his office began looking into Russell Yates at the urging of e-mails sent to his office since Andrea Yates drowned the couple&#39;s five children in the family bathtub last June 20.<br> <br> &#34;We&#39;re looking into it, because we&#39;ve been asked to look into it,&#34; Rosenthal said.<br> <br> Andrea Yates, 37, was convicted of March 12 on two counts of capital murder. Although prosecutors acknowledged Yates was mentally ill, the jury decided she knew her actions were wrong.<br> <br> Prosecutors have questioned why Russell Yates left his wife alone with the children. The father has said he thought his wife would be fine with the children for the hour between when he left for work and his mother arrived to help out.<br> <br> Russell Yates&#39; attorney, Edward Mallett, said Monday he was confident any probe of his client would show he is innocent of any wrongdoing.<br> <br> &#34;It&#39;s a tragedy that Rusty now has to defend himself after standing by his wife,&#34; Mallett said.<br> <br> Yates has said he blames doctors and hospitals for not properly treating his wife. He said a doctor changed his wife&#39;s prescription two days before police arrived at the family&#39;s home after Andrea Yates called 911.

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