Gertrude baniszewski – Murder of Sylvia Marie Likens.

Sylvia Marie Likens was born January 3, 1949 she had five other siblings; she was known as “cookie”. Her parents Lester Cecil Likens and Elizabeth Frances. Were carnival workers and were only just getting by money-wise, their relationship had suffered, but by 1965, Sylvia and Jenny had lived in Indianapolis with them.

Unfortunately, their mother had been jailed for shoplifting, leaving Lester in charge of the children. He was finding it hard to care for the children and make money to get by. This was when he met Gertrude Baniszewski, who offered board for the children.

Gertrude Baniszewski was born in Indianapolis, she was married at 16 to john baniszewski, together they had four children. John had a violent temper and would regularly lash out and abuse Gertrude, they divorced. She would go on to marry Edward Guthrie, which lasted three months, she would then remarry her first husband and have two more children, finally divorcing john baniszewski in 1963. She would go on to date Dennis Lee Wright and have one child, then finally living alone with seven children. She occasionally performed odd jobs for neighbours to earn money.

Her seven children consisted of Paula (17), Stephanie (15), John (12), Marie (11), Shirley (10), James (8), and Dennis Lee Wright Jr. (1).

Lester Cecil Likens was desperate for a place for his children to reside, they had just started studying at Arsenal Technical High School. Gertrude assured Lester she would care for his as if they were her own children. Shortly after the July 4th holiday, the sisters moved into the baniszewski residence, a decision that Lester would regret for the rest of his life.

Lester would request that baniszewski “straighten his daughters out” sending $20 per week. The first two weeks that Sylvia and jenny spent at the house was okay, although Sylvia and Paula seemed to argue slightly. On week three the $20 for the care of the girls came late this caused the spark of the abuse and eventual death of Sylvia, the awful murder inspired the 2007 film, an American Crime.

Although at the start both girls where abused, Sylvia soon became the focus of the abuse. Gertrude Used heavy paddles and leather belts to abuse the children, leaving visible scarring. Once she became too weak to abuse the girls herself, Paula stepped in. Jenny was demanded to join in on the torture of her sister.

..Trigger warning…

(please note the torture of Sylvia was unbelievably cruel)

Mid-august.

All the other children and friends from the street were invited to use Sylvia as a punchbag. Gertrude had accused her of stealing food and candy, as well as making embarrassing remarks towards her. The abuse became increasingly worse, the children of the house and area kicked and whipped Sylvia, using any items that came to hand.

Gertrude would kick Sylvia in her genitals and stomach accusing her of being pregnant, Paula, who was pregnant at the time, would also kick her and knock her of chairs. Due to being upset, Sylvia would spread a rumour, that the two older children of Gertrude, were prostitutes. This information would be found out by one of the girls, in response, she punched Sylvia.

On another occasion, Paula beat Sylvia with such force that she broke her own wrist, her cast was then used to further beat her. Lit cigarettes were used to burn the skin over 100 times, even putting them out on her genitals.

In one of the most awful things to occur to Sylvia, she was forced at one point to strip naked in the family living room and insert an empty Coca-Cola bottle into her own vagina. This was to entertain Gertrude and her teenage accomplices.

In July to august, both Lester and Elizabeth Likens would return to Indianapolis to visit their daughters. Both jenny or Sylvia never reviled the extent of their torture. This would be their final visit to the house, upon them leaving Gertrude said “What are you going to do now, Sylvia? Now they’re gone?”

On one occasion, in September, the girls encountered their older sister, Dianna. Both Jenny and Sylvia informed Dianna as to the abuse they were enduring. However, she believed her sisters were exaggerating. Dianna once gave the sisters a sandwich once she said she was hungry, this act caused Gertrude and Paula to abuse Sylvia, further grabbing her hair and banging her head repeatedly on the bath.

Michael John Monroe phoned Arsenal Technical High School to anonymously report the extent of Sylvia’s injuries, a school nurse dropped by to investigate. However, she was told that Sylvia ran away from the household.

On October 1^st Dianna She visited the property to initiate regular contact. Gertrude, however, refused Dianna entrance to her property. Dianna encountered Jenny by chance. She inquired as to Sylvia’s welfare, jenny said: “I can’t tell you, or I’ll get into trouble.”

It was said that due to the torture and mistreatment she was subjected to, Sylvia gradually became incontinent. She was also found with the words “I’M A PROSTITUTE AND PROUD OF IT” on her abdomen. That night Sylvia told her sister “Jenny, I know you don’t want me to die, but I’m going to die. I can tell it.”.

On October 26, Sylvia’s injuries where strongly noticeable, on this day the whole household frantically attempted to “fix” Sylvia. Gertrude attempt to feed her a doughnut and a glass of milk. Later that day she was delirious and couldn’t lift herself or recite the first four letters of the alphabet. John Baniszewski Jr. sprayed her with a garden hose, to wash her, she attempted to exit but didn’t get very far.

Stephanie then decided to give Sylvia a warm bath; however, she stopped breathing before it could occur. Stephanie realized that Likens was not breathing, she attempted to apply mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, Stephanie held Sylvia crying with her in her arms, she was emaciated and 16 years old.

Arrest and trail.

When the police arrived, Baniszewski gave them the letter she’d made Sylvia dictate (in the midst of the abuse) This was made in an attempt to save her own skin and blame it on the others involved.

amid the commotion, Jenny Likens whispered to one of the police, “Get me out of here, and I’ll tell you everything.” This statement prompted the officers to arrest Baniszewski, Paula, Stephanie, John, Hobbs, and Hubbard for murder. And other neighbourhood children present at the time such as Mike Monroe, Randy Lepper, Duke, and Siscoe.

The Ferocious Murder of Sylvia Likens, the TRUE story

An autopsy occurred on Sylvia turned up over 100 cigarette burns on her body, in addition to various second- and third-degree injuries, severe bruising, and muscle and nerve damage. Her vaginal cavity was nearly swollen shut, although an examination of the canal determined that her hymen was still intact. Meaning that she had been a virgin at the time of her death. The official cause of death was brain swelling, internal haemorrhaging of the brain, and shock.

On May 19, 1966, after deliberating for eight hours, the panel of eight men and four women found Gertrude Baniszewski guilty of first-degree murder. Paula Baniszewski was found guilty of second-degree murder. Hobbs, Hubbard and John Baniszewski Jr. were found guilty of Sylvia’s manslaughter.

Gertrude and her children proceeded to cry, On May 25, Gertrude and Paula Baniszewski were formally sentenced to life imprisonment. The same day, Richard Hobbs, Coy Hubbard, and John Baniszewski Jr. each received sentences of 2-to-21 years.

Over the following 14 years, Gertrude Baniszewski became known as a model prisoner at the Indiana Women’s Prison. While her daughter Paula attempted to escape twice, failing both times.

Time served for each person who was involved, in some way:

Gertrude Baniszewski – 20 YEARS
Paula Baniszewski – 7 YEARS – She changed her name to Paula Pace and wasn’t heard from again until 2012.
Stephanie Baniszewski – NONE – she admitted to participating to some degree in Sylvia’s abuse

**Richard Hobbs (left) and Gertrude Baniszewski (right)**

John Baniszewski – 2 YEARS – He was involved in the crime, but never has attempted to hide his past or change his name.
Marie Baniszewski – NONE – some reports suggested she played a role.
Shirley Baniszewski – NONE – heated a needle that was used to burn the victim
James Baniszewski – NONE – some reports suggested he played a role, but he didn’t testify due to his age.
Coy Hubbard – 2 YEARS – Threw her around and punching her.
Richard Hobbs – 2 YEARS – Helped to carve the wording on Sylvia.

The aftermath of the crime

Visibly devastated, Sylvia’s mother gave only short responses on the witness stand at the trial. She divorced Lester in 1967, remarried, and died on May 29, 1998, at age 71. Lester didn’t speak must about the situation, most likely due to guilt that he faced for his daughter’s death. Jenny died in 2004 at the age of 54.

John Baniszewski changed his name to John Blake and worked as a driver before becoming a real estate agent.

The house that Sylvia was tortured at was torn down in 2009. The empty space is now used as a church parking lot. Gertrude Baniszewski walked out of prison on December 4, 1985, and travelled to Iowa under the name Nadine Van Fossan. She died there of lung cancer in 1990.

She never outright confessed but said “I’m not sure what role I had in it… because I was on drugs. I never really knew her… I take full responsibility for whatever happened to Sylvia.” In her hearing.

Stephanie Baniszewski became a schoolteacher and assumed a new name. And in 2012 it was noted that Paula was caught working as a teacher under the name Paula Pace. Once her history was found out by staff, she was fired.

Although this murder shocked people to the bone, it further implicated the meaning of trust. Individuals surrounding the area of Indianapolis were extremely scared of trusting anyone or even leaving the children on their own.