This column first appeared in November of 2009. The story contains graphic descriptions of child abuse. Reader discretion is advised.
During the high-profile trial, Baniszewski denied responsibility for Sylvia’s death, pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. She blamed the crime on her wild children and cried that she was too ill and depressed to control them. Not surprisingly, attorneys for Paula and John Baniszewski, Richard Hobbs, and Coy Hubbard claimed that the kids had been pressured by Gertrude.
It was the testimony of Marie Baniszewski, Gertrude’s 11-year-old daughter, which helped settle the issue when she broke down and admitted that she had been forced to heat the needle with which Hobbs carved Sylvia Likens’ skin, and that she had seen her mother beating and forcing Sylvia into the basement. Baniszewski’s lawyer said: “I condemn her for being a murderess … but I say she’s not responsible because she’s not all here!” and tapped his head.
On May 19, 1966, Gertrude Baniszewski was convicted of first-degree murder, but spared the death penalty and sentenced to life in prison. Her daughter Paula, who had given birth to a daughter named Gertrude during the trial, was convicted of second-degree murder and also given a life term. Charges against Stephanie were dropped. Hobbs, Hubbard, and John Baniszewski were convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 2-to-21-year terms. The boys would spend two years in prison. Hobbs died of cancer at the age of 21, four years after being released from the reformatory. Hubbard has had several brushes with the law. Paula was released in 1973.
Gertrude gave many interviews to the media from behind bars, but she never expressed any remorse. And she never offered any explanations for her bizarre and cruel acts, except to say: “I had to teach her a lesson.” Gertrude Baniszewski came up for parole in 1985, and despite a public outcry and petitions against her release, the parole board took her good behavior in prison into account, and she was set free. Gertrude changed her name to Nadine van Fossan and moved to Iowa, where she died of lung cancer on June 16, 1990.
When Jenny Likens, married and living in Beech Grove, saw her tormentor’s obituary in the newspaper. She clipped it out and mailed it to her mother with a note reading: “Some good news. Damn old Gertrude died. Ha ha ha! I am happy about that.” Jenny Likens Wade died of a heart attack on June 23, 2004 at the age of 54. Lester and Betty Likens divorced. Betty remarried and died in 1998 at age 71.
John Baniszewski (12 years old at the time of the crimes) also participated in the beatings and torture. Later in life he became a born-again Christian and now publicly speaks out against violence. He became a lay minister in Texas and counsels children of divorced parents. Anna Siscoe, Randy Lepper, and Mike Monroe were all brought up on lesser charges which were ultimately dropped. The other participants and witnesses in Indianapolis’s most dastardly crime simply faded away from public view.
Sylvia was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Lebanon, Indiana. In 2001, a memorial was placed in Willard Park in Indianapolis to honor her memory.
The home where Sylvia Likens died was demolished in late April of this year. For a short time, it served as a shelter for abused women, but was abandoned and left to decay until its demolition. For years, the house was rumored to be haunted, and I have gone out to and been inside the house for paranormal investigations in the past.
Several books (and at least one movie) have been written about the tragedy. You can find dozens of Web pages devoted to the crime and even a YouTube video or two.
How could Hoosiers allow this to happen? How could people in the family and the neighborhood stand by and allowed this to happen? How could some children have participated in the crime? All these questions and more have popped up regularly in the four decades since the crime occurred.
The answer in a word is: Fear. Fear of prosecution, persecution, and something as simple as getting involved. Sadly, this is not an isolated case. People can be capable of horrific deeds when provided a permissive environment, or even finding themselves rewarded by an authority figure, like the head of a household. Others can be afraid to step forward when they witness horrible abuse for reasons ranging from reluctance to get involved, to feeling that everyone else seems okay with it.
If you are witness to abuse or are the victim of abuse, you need to get the authorities involved. There are organizations and agencies that can help. If not for yourself, do it for Sylvia.
Al Hunter is the author of the “Haunted Indianapolis” and co-author of the “Haunted Irvington” and “Indiana National Road” book series. His newest books are “Bumps in the Night. Stories from the Weekly View,” “Irvington Haunts. The Tour Guide,” and “The Mystery of the H.H. Holmes Collection.” Contact Al directly at Huntvault@aol.com or become a friend on Facebook.