ID’s The Cult Behind the Killer: The Andrea Yates Story documentary series re-examines the case, focusing on cult leader Michael Woroniecki’s influence. The three-part docuseries premieres on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at 8pm ET/PT.
Directed and produced by Julian P. Hobbs and Elli Hakami, the docuseries dives into the cult and how it “twisted her sense of reality—with deadly consequences.”
“This is one of the most notorious cases of the last 25 years, yet a critical part of the story has gone largely underreported. Andrea Yates wasn’t the only person influenced by this group, and that raises an urgent question: what other families could still be at risk? At ID, we’re committed to uncovering the deeper story behind the headlines, and exploring this element that shaped Andrea’s life and mindset felt essential in telling the full story of the Yates tragedy,” stated Jason Sarlanis, President of ID.
ID offers this description of the true crime docuseries:
“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 that Yates was suffering from postpartum depression and psychosis. But while understanding of her mental illness helped illuminate Andrea’s struggle prior to the incident, in the years following her case, the reality has shown to be far more complex.
Offering unprecedented insight into Michael Woroniecki, a rogue street preacher turned cult leader, and his connection to Andrea Yates, The Cult Behind the Killer: The Andrea Yates Story will unravel the deeply tangled layers in which a cult can influence vulnerable individuals through manipulation and control. Through in-depth interviews with those closely connected to the case—including Andrea’s husband, Rusty Yates, as well as survivors of the cult including David De La Isla and Woroniecki’s own nephew, Moses Storm—the docuseries will illuminate just how Woroniecki’s tactics and teachings influenced and drastically altered the lives of his followers.
Including additional interviews, archival footage, and expert commentary around mind-control cults, The Cult Behind the Killer: The Andrea Yates Story challenges commonly held knowledge around this case—underscoring Yates is not just the perpetrator of an unimaginable act, but she was also a woman grappling with severe postpartum psychosis, which was driven to tragic extremes by the psychological manipulation of a cult.”
