The Torture and Murder of Sylvia Likens
The teenager endured months of sickening abuse before she was killed by the people who were supposed to look after her.
Sylvia Likens. John Jr Baniszewski and Gertrude Baniszewski. Via Wikimedia Commons.
The autopsy of the sixteen-year-old girl from Indiana read like that of a horror movie. Her skin had receded, and she had open wounds nearly down to the bone. She had endured massive internal injuries, and perhaps worst of all, her abusers had carved “I’M A PROSTITUTE AND PROUD OF IT” into her stomach.
Sylvia Likens had been brutally abused by the woman who promised her parents she’d look after her, and she wasn’t the only one who took part in the torture — there was an entire community of people behind the cruelty.
Sylvia and her sister Jenny were sent to live with Gertrude Baniszewski in July Their parents, Lester and Betty, were in desperate need of money and had joined the travelling carnival, which was no place for children. Sylvia’s brothers had gone to live with their grandparents and older sister, Dianna, was married and already lived elsewhere.
Betty Likens had met Gertrude at the school all the children
History and Other Things
Sylvia Marie Likens (January 3, – October 26, ) was the third child of carnival workers Lester Cecil Likens (–) and his wife Elizabeth &#;Betty&#; Frances (–). She was born between two sets of twins &#; Diana and Danny who were two years older, and Jenny and Benny who were one year younger, one being disabled by polio.
The parents&#; marriage was pretty unstable. The family moved frequently, and had constant financial difficulties. Sylvia and her sister, Jenny were often boarded out or forced to live with relatives like their grandmother, so that their schoolwork would not suffer while their parents were on the road. To earn money, Sylvia babysat and ironed.
In July , Sylvia and Jenny were living with their mother in Indianapolis. During that time, their mother was arrested and jailed for shoplifting. Lester Likens, who had recently separated from his wife, arranged for his daughters to board with Gertrude Baniszewski, the mother of the girls&#; new friend Paula Baniszewski (17) and Paula&#;s six siblings: Stephanie (15), John (12), Marie (11), Shirley (10), James (8), and few-months-old Dennis Lee Wright Jr.
Although th
Gertrude Baniszewski (–), also known as Gertrude Wright and The Torture Mother, was an Indiana divorcee who oversaw and facilitated the prolonged torture, mutilation, and eventual murder of Sylvia Likens, a teenage girl she had taken into her home.
The case is unique in that, while Baniszewski did play an active role in Likens' death, the majority of the torture that eventually brought about Likens' demise was carried out by Baniszewski's teenage children and other neighborhood children.
Although Baniszewski did instruct the children on several occasions, it was later discovered that they took a large degree of Likens' torture into their own hands, in what would later be called a Lord of the Flies scenario come to life. When she was convicted of first degree murder in , the case was called "the single worst crime perpetuated against an individual in Indiana's history".
Life before Sylvia Likens
Baniszewski was born Gertrude Van Fossan in , the third of 6 children. Little is known about her childhood, except that she shared an extremely close bond with her father but had a frigid relationship with her mother. A further wedge was driven
Sylvia Likens: Tragic Life and Untold Story
Sylvia Likens, a young girl from Indiana, tragically became the victim of one of the most heinous cases of child abuse and neglect in American history. Born on January 3, , Sylvia endured unspeakable suffering at the hands of her caretakers, ultimately leading to her untimely death at the age of Her story serves as a chilling reminder of the horrors that can occur behind closed doors and the importance of protecting those who are most vulnerable. This article will delve into the life and tragic fate of Sylvia Likens, shedding light on the heartbreaking events that have left a lasting impact on society.
Table of Contents
Early Life and Family Background of Sylvia Likens
Sylvia Likens was born on January 3, , in Lebanon, Indiana, to parents Lester and Elizabeth Likens. She was the third of five children, with three sisters and one brother. The Likens family lived a humble life, often moving from place to place in search of better opportunities. Despite their financial struggles, Sylvia was described as a bright and outgoing child with a passion for singing and dancing. However, tragedy struck the Likens fami
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