Tyler Yates                                            Savannah Yates

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tyler and Savannah’s mother Susan knew that their father David had an alcohol problem and that he was under the care of a psychiatrist and taking medication to control mental disorders. In addition to this information, Susan knew that David had been charged with beating her while she was pregnant with the twin, those charges were dropped. David was also suspected of trying to have Susan killed while she was pregnant. David had been reported to have been violent in other relationships. Still on April 13, 2008, Susan decided to leave her five week old twins Tyler and Savannah Yates with David while she went to work.

 

When Susan returned to get the twins, there was no answer at the door, so she left, thinking David had taken the twins and gone somewhere. She returned once again, but this time she noticed that the television and a gas fireplace were both on, she got a little scared since she knew he was an alcoholic. Susan called the police and they were able to get a response from David Yates, he told them that he had dropped the twins off at a friend’s house. This statement was made right before Tyler and Savannah were found dead beneath the bed.

 

An autopsy performed on Tyler and Savannah showed that both of the twins died of intentional, massive injuries. Pathologist Robert Corliss said the cause of death was blunt force trauma to their little heads. The head and chest injuries they suffered could only have been ruled an accident if they had been in a car accident where the car had rolled several times. Robert Corliss also said that the injuries to the babies were consistent with someone holding them by their chests and striking them against something hard.

 

Yates was found guilty on two counts of first degree intentional homicide and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.