Prosecutors seek death penalty for woman in child drowning case

Prosecutors are to seek the death penalty against a Texan mother accused of drowning her five children in a bath.

The decision came hours after Andrea Pia Yates pleaded innocent by reason of insanity to two counts of capital murder.

She said nothing in a brief court session and her attorney entered the plea for her.

Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal told the judge he planned to pursue "the full range of punishment in this case, including the death penalty".

Yates' attorney declined comment on the decision.

Yates, 37, of Houston, faces one count of capital murder for the June drowning deaths of her two oldest children, Noah, seven, and John, five.

A grand jury indicted her last week on a second charge of capital murder for the death of six-month-old daughter Mary. Yates also has admitted killing sons Paul, three, and Luke, two, police said.

In Texas, prosecutors typically forgo multiple capital murder charges since only one conviction is generally needed for the maximum penalty.

Prosecutors said a court-ordered evaluation has determined Yates is competent to stand trial; her attorneys have asked to review evidence used by the doctor.

George Parnham, Yates' attorney, said her defence team has been unable to discuss the case with her, and mental health experts have told them she remains in a psychotic state.