She originally read this poem at the dedication ceremony of the sylvia likens memorial at willard park in indianapolis back in 2001. The likens trial, presents a thorough, inside, daybyday recollection of a trial that captivated and horrified the state in 1966. May 03, 2018 sylvia likens was born january 3, 1949 the third child of five to carnival workers lester cecil likens and elizabeth, betty, frances. There was a fair amount of information about the perpetrators life before the events but little about the likens sisters. The death of sylvia likens is the most depressing story i have ever heard in my life. Gertrude baniszewski oversaw and facilitated the torture and eventual murder of sylvia likens. On october 26, 1965, police found sylvia likenss emaciated corpsecovered with more than 150 wounds ranging from burns to cutssprawled. When i finally got to the end and realised that all of these criminals basically walked away with a slap on t be wrist, i went off on a preteen jag of crying and depression. On october 25, sylvia managed to make it just outside the front door of the home before baniszewski caught her, punished her with a scalding hot bath and beat her. Teenage children and neighborhood kids were involved in torturing, beating, mutilating, mentally. Teenage children and neighborhood kids were involved in torturing, beating, mutilating, mentally and physically abusing sylvia likens with baniszewskis.
Sylvia likens the complete picture house of evil book here. Sylvia likens was entrusted to a family friend, gertrude baniszewski, while her parents traveled. Likens, aged 16, was held captive and subjected to increasing levels of child abuse and torturecommitted over a period of almost three monthsby her caregiver, gertrude baniszewski, many of baniszewskis children, and several other neighborhood children, before ultimately succumbing to. The story of how gertrude baniszewski and a coterie of neighborhood children tortured 16yearold sylvia likens to death in a lower middle class indianapolis home. Lawyers book retraces indys infamous sylvia likens murder case. A republication of the 1965 beeline books nonfiction thriller that shocked the world. Gertrude nadine baniszewski september 22, 1929 june 16, 1990, also known as gertrude wright and nadine van fossan, was an indiana murderer who, with the aid of most of her own children and neighborhood children, oversaw and facilitated the prolonged torture, mutilation, and eventual murder of sylvia likens, a teenage girl she had taken into her home. Oct 21, 2014 almost 50 years later, forrest bowman jr. In the heart of indianapolis in the mid 1960s, through a twist of fate and fortune, a pretty young girl came to live with a thirtysevenyearold mother and her seven children. Sylvias brothers, danny and bennie, were put into the care of their grandparents. When my mother heard me, she asked why i was doing that and i said it was a spooky game. Sylvia and her sister jenny were subjected to emotional and physical torture and abuse at the hands of gertrude baniszewski banishevski during the summer and fall of 1965. The murder of sylvia likens took place in indianapolis, indiana, united states in october 1965.
The book s opening half covers the particulars of the case. Sylvia likens ordeal and death by john dean 189pp borf books 0960489479 after hearing of the story, and watching the movies, the indiana torture slaying was a hard book to pick up and start. I have pushed sylvia likens, several times down the stairs steps, i knocked her down the stairs once. Sylvia likens project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Lets go play at the adams is one example of facttofiction crime. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Horribly tragic story and i thought ellen page looked remarkably like sylvia likens. Ive read the girl next door by jack ketchum and lets go play at the adams by mendal w. The book justice from within why gertrude baniszewski. Sylvia likens was a happy, beautiful 16yearold when her parents left her and her sister in the care of gertrude baniszewski while they went on the road for work. This book is the interpretation of the torture, and eventual murder of a young girl named sylvia likens. I doubt you will meet anyone here who actually knew sylvia likens or anyone connected with the case, because it happened so many years ago. In researching this case, i find the movie light on the true depth of this crime. After a few months, sylvia died from her injuries and malnutrition.
What made gertrude freely discuss the murder of sylvia likens with one inmate. Sylvia likens was tortured and ultimately killed by her caretaker, gertrude baniszewski, her children, and neighborhood kids. A 16yearold girl named sylvia marie likens had been found dead in a house on the east side of town. Sylvia likens was tortured by her caretaker who convinced more than a dozen local kids to join in 16yearold sylvia likens before.
Gertrude baniszewski, who came to be known as the torture mother, was an indiana divorcee who oversaw and facilitated the prolonged torture, mutilation, rapes and eventual murder of sylvia likens, a teenage girl she had taken into her home. Ive since bought and read this book and im finally ready to relay some thoughts on it. In loving memory of sylvia marie likens home facebook. The sylvia likens story the original paperback book was passed. It all began in july 1965, with sylvia likens and her younger sister jenny left by their carny parents in the care of 37yearold gertrude baniszewski and her seven children. I first found out about sylvia likens while doing research on the life and death of lisa steinberg in 2004, and this story is one of the most depressing and unjust stories ive read in my entire life. Sylvia marie likens 19491965 find a grave memorial. The murder of sylvia likens has been dealt with in at least five, and possibly six, works. The murder as told through indianapolis news archives.
The children who participated in the murder of sylvia likens were not merely sanctioned, but were even directed, by an adultthe divorcee gertrude baniszewski. Silvia was an angel a good person a craitor like banizewski and her followers are enraged by the catholic religeon because. Disturbing books inspired by the 1960s murder of sylvia likens. I find the sylvia likens murder more comparable to the murders committed by the minions of charles manson than. The poor girl was tortured to death and no one would help her. Sylvia likens was the abandoned child, left to a local family, with her sister, in the hopes of the children living a righteous life. It has been the most enduring nightmare in indianapolis true crime history the oct.
The teens body had over 100 cuts and bruises and the words i am a prostitute were carved into her body. Times are tough, and gertrudes financial needs cause her to make this arrangement before realizing how the burden will push her unstable nature to a. Sylvia died blindfolded and tied up in a basement, succumbing to her months of abuse with an official cause of death listed as brain hemorrhage, shock, and malnutrition. The murder of sylvia likens, as told over 50 years ago. Hadnt the likens family seen enough sorrow already. Gertrude baniszewski the murder case of sylvia likens the baniszewskis crime has been enduring nightmare of a true crime in the history of indianapolis. This book offers the only insiders account of what happened i the courtroom. Books available on the torture and murder of sylvia likens.
Jun 04, 2018 sylvia likens was a happy, beautiful 16yearold when her parents left her and her sister in the care of gertrude baniszewski while they went on the road for work. This book is written in a journalistic and very literal manner. A tortured life and death in lets go play at the adams. Gertrude baniszewski project gutenberg selfpublishing. She explained to me at that time that sylvia was a real girl who lived through a horrid time. What began as a temporary childcare arrangement between sylvia likenss parents and gertrude baniszewski turned into a crime that would haunt cops, prosecutors, and a community for decades to. Lawyers book retraces indys infamous sylvia likens. She was the odd child because she was born in between two sets of twins.
A compelling true story about the tortured life and death of sylvia likens. On october 26, 1965, sylvia likens, a 16yearold teenager was found dead on a filthy mattress at 3850 east new york street. Was it drugs, alcohol, or a medical condition that drove gertrude to murder sylvia. The torture didnt end until likens was dead, and along the way. The torture and murder of sylvia likens the indiana torture slaying. Dec 07, 2007 when i first heard the name sylvia likens it was in a childhood chant which was very disrespectful to her lifedeath. Both her older siblings, diana and danny, and her younger siblings, jenny and benny, were fraternal twins. The ferocious murder of sylvia likens, the true story. Sylvia likens was tortured by her caretaker who convinced more than a dozen local kids to join in 16yearold sylvia likens before staying with gertrude bansizewski and after being tortured to death. In october 1965, the body of sylvia likens was found in the basement of the baniszewski home, where she had been imprisoned.
The murder of 16yearold sylvia likens in 1965 is called the most terrible crime ever committed in the state of indiana. I wish we had more membersyou should be a moderator leading this story in all fairness. Poor sylvia likens was the daughter of betty and lester likens. Sylvia overheard a conversation between baniszewski and one of her sons, where the woman was explaining she had plans to blindfold sylvia and dump her body in the forest. However, in my opinion the movie does not portray the abuse of sylvia likens to the extent to fully represent the horror and suffering of her torture. Gertrude baniszewski, who came to be known as the torture mother, was an indiana divorcee. Feb 15, 2019 the murder of 16yearold sylvia likens in 1965 is called the most terrible crime ever committed in the state of indiana. On october 26, 1965, sylvia likens torture finally came to an end, albeit at the cost of her life. The horrific, tragic death of 16yearold sylvia marie likens. Three months later, on october 26, sylvia died following a prolonged regime of torture. Forrest bowman represented coy hubbard and john baniszewski.
The torture and murder of 16yearold sylvia likens at the hands of the woman entrusted to care for her stands as one of the most harrowing and unthinkable atrocities in the annals of american crime. The murder of sylvia likens became an item of daily conversation as people read how she was beaten, burned, starved, scalded, tattooed and branded until death mercifully stepped in. A 16yearold girl was brutally tortured by the family paid to care for her. She encouraged her kids and the neighborhood children to hurt sylvia. Sylvia likens, the teenager murdered by her caretaker and. Oct 24, 20 it has been the most enduring nightmare in indianapolis true crime history the oct. I saw the movie an american crime first and actually found this a few months later at a thrift store and its a really good book. In july 1965, lester likens decided to take up with the carnival again while his wife was jailed for shoplifting that summer. The notion of a killer torturing their victim is an incredibly disturbing one. The children who helped her to torture and kill sylvia likens were given incredibly short sentences.
Now valancourt books has rereleased it as part of their. He was the lawyer defending coy hubbard and john baniszewski. What began as a temporary childcare arrangement between sylvia likens s parents and gertrude baniszewski turned into a crime that would haunt cops, prosecutors, and a community for decades to. I have been reading forrest bowmans 2014 book sylvia. Instead, she was severely abused and killed at the hands of gertrude baniszewski. The torture and murder of sylvia likens the indiana torture. Gertrude baniszewski violently tortured sylvia likens, a neighbors child whom she had been hired to babysit. I would just do the book here serene or start a new topic under the sylvia likens story or the complete picture. Sylvia was more confident and went by the nickname cookie and had been described as pretty though she had a missing front tooth.
The book has been out of print for many years, and used copies fetched a pretty penny. Sylvia likens and her sister jenny were left in the care of a family friend who tortured sylvia mercilessly until the young woman died of her extensive, gruesome, injuries. It is a lawyers book and far more difficult to read than john deans, but i think anyone familiar with the case will find it full of interesting information. The easiest to get hold of is the basement by feminist kate millett. The 16yearold likens was tortured to death by gertrude baniszewski, baniszewskis children, and other young people from their neighborhood. Monster mom gertrude baniszewski and teen cohorts torture. Dec 03, 2019 gertrude baniszewski the murder case of sylvia likens the baniszewskis crime has been enduring nightmare of a true crime in the history of indianapolis. Sep 09, 1979 for four weeks the girl, sylvia likens, who had been left by her parents to board in the home of 37yearold gertrude baniszewski and her seven children, was routinely scalded, kicked, beaten with.
The brutal murder of sylvia likens the scare chamber. Prior to starting this book, millett had put on several sculptural exhibitions inspired by the likens case. Resident gertrude baniszewski told authorities that a group of boys had beaten and killed likens. Although the crime happened decades ago, many people who have lived in indianapolis for any significant time know about the sylvia likens homicide. Sylvia s brothers, danny and bennie, were put into the care of their grandparents. An iowa teachers aide is fired after her school district unravels her link to the torture and death of a girl in 1965.
She was starved, beaten, burned and had the words i am a prostitute and proud of it carved into her stomach. What began as a temporary childcare arrangement between sylvia likenss parents. An account of the sylvia likens murder trial, told from the point of view of one of the defense attorneys on the case. Al hunter is the author of the haunted indianapolis and coauthor of the haunted irvington and indiana national road book series. Sylvia likens the complete picture house of evil book. Sylvia and jennie fae likens, the two daughters of traveling carnival workers are left for an extended stay at the indianapolis home of single mother gertrude baniszewski and her six children. The torture and murder of sylvia likens the indiana. For four weeks the girl, sylvia likens, who had been left by her parents to board in the home of 37yearold gertrude baniszewski and her seven children, was. The murder of sylvia likens was a child murder which occurred in indianapolis, indiana in october 1965.
132 889 1231 223 1257 703 1509 1013 559 271 610 1587 1306 911 282 371 368 1300 631 747 788 709 91 770 181 1223 986 110 1221 1498 498