Paragraph 3 reads: "In the recordings, a distraught Winbun says 45-year-old David Yates of Baraboo, who has since been charged with killing her twin babies, has panic disorder and had recently blacked out after overdosing on serotonin."

Paragraph 7 reads: "Yates since has been given drugs similar to his prescribed medication and his condition has improved, Wisconsin Dells Attorney Paul Polacek said in a previous interview."

Paragraph 11 reads: "If someone takes too much of drugs that boost serotonin, they can develop something called serotonin syndrome, he said."

"'Typically what happens is their mental status changes, so a person becomes confused,' Hayes said. 'There can be physical problems usually like an increase in temperature. A lot of times there's a loss of coordination and a lot of times (people) will have difficulty making sense'."

http://www.wiscnews.com/bnr/news/288055

Twins' dad had mental disorder, mom says on 911 call tape

By Tim Damos / News Republic

The mother of infant twins found dead in a Baraboo condominium last month told police the man charged with killing her children had a mental disorder and had recently blacked out after an overdose.

Conversations between Susan Winbun, 28, Baraboo, and Sauk County Sheriff's Department Dispatch Center personnel were made public Friday following an open records request by the Baraboo News Republic.

In the recordings, a distraught Winbun says 45-year-old David Yates of Baraboo, who has since been charged with killing her twin babies, has panic disorder and had recently blacked out after overdosing on serotonin. (Click here to listen to the 911 call tape call 1; call 2.)

After finding Yates passed out on a bed in his Lake Street condominium, police found 5-week-old twins Tyler and Savannah Yates dead beneath the bed, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors have said the twins who both suffered fractured skulls and multiple other injuries were hit with something or against something.

Officials have not released information about any medical conditions Yates might have, though his attorney said he was not initially given necessary medication when detained and held at a Baraboo hospital and later the jail.

Yates since has been given drugs similar to his prescribed medication and his condition has improved, Wisconsin Dells Attorney Paul Polacek said in a previous interview.

Panic disorder is "characterized by unexpected and repeated episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms that may include chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, or abdominal distress," according to The National Institute of Mental Health.

Drugs such as Prozac that increase levels of serotonin a naturally occurring substance in the brain sometimes are used to alleviate symptoms of the disorder, said Dr. Tom Hayes of Pauquette Center for Psychological Services in Baraboo.

If someone takes too much of drugs that boost serotonin, they can develop something called serotonin syndrome, he said.

"Typically what happens is their mental status changes, so a person becomes confused," Hayes said. "There can be physical problems usually like an increase in temperature. A lot of times there's a loss of coordination and a lot of times (people) will have difficulty making sense."

Hayes said serotonin syndrome also can develop if a person is drinking alcohol while medicated, then abruptly stops consuming alcohol.

Winbun told authorities she was concerned about the welfare of her babies because she knew their father was an alcoholic, according to the criminal complaint filed against Yates.

In Winbun's first contact with a dispatcher on April 13, she asks to speak with an officer and gives the dispatcher her and Yates' addresses.

She accidentally tells the dispatcher Yates' address is 1300 Lange Court, the address of the Sauk County Law Enforcement Center, but later corrects herself.

A dispatcher connects Winbun with a Baraboo Police officer, but the recording ends as soon as Winbun begins to speak.

Sauk County Sheriff's Department Capt. Kevin Fults said calls only are recorded until the dispatcher hangs up the phone, so Winbun's conversation with the officer was not recorded by the sheriff's department.

Winbun spoke with an officer at about 4:30 p.m. the day of the children were found dead, according to dialogue in the recordings.

Later, Winbun calls back, telling the dispatcher she wants to talk with the officer again. The dispatcher says all Baraboo Police officers are busy and asks Winbun if she has an emergency.

"No, not an emergency, but it is rather important," Winbun said. "My ex-boyfriend has my 5-week-old twins and I've been calling him all day and I'm afraid that something happened. I was supposed to get them back this afternoon. He does have panic disorder, and last month he had a serotonin overdose and he blacked out and he's not returning my calls or answering his door and I'm very ... ." The dispatcher then asks where Yates is.

Winbun told the dispatcher she has a key to Yates' garage. But when she went in the garage, the doorknob was broken off from the inside and she couldn't get in the condominium.

"I've tried calling him probably 30 times, too," Winbun said.

Winbun said the detective she spoke with earlier offered to go with her to Yates' condo and retrieve the children, but she decided against involving police at that time.

Police eventually entered Yates' home at around 8:15 p.m. to find him passed out on a bed, prosecutors say.

After Yates gave conflicting accounts of where the twins were, a police officer located their battered bodies under the bed, according to prosecutors.

Additional recordings of communications between dispatchers and rescue workers were not released by the sheriff's department.

Fults said he could not comment on what was contained in the unreleased recordings or how long they are.

"(The recordings) are part of the prosecutorial files," he said.

Fults said he recognizes the importance of citizens having access to public documents. But he said he could not release additional recordings because of the nature of the case and because making them public might prevent Yates from receiving a fair trial.

Yates is scheduled to appear in court June 9 for a preliminary hearing.