In 1965, Sylvia Likens and her sister Jenny were left in the care of family friend Gertrude Baniszewski — who tortured Likens to death and got her own children to help.
Sylvia Marie Likens ( - ) was an American murder victim from Indiana. She was tortured to death by Gertrude Baniszewski (née Van Fossan), Gertrude's children, and other young people from their neighborhood. Her parents, carnival workers, had left Likens and her sister Jenny in the care of the Baniszewski family three months before her death in exchange for ...
Betty Likens, together with daughters Sylvia and Jenny, had recently moved into one of the many rundown, boxlike little houses in the neighborhood. Betty and Lester Likens were recently separated. The family moved often as their father searched for jobs to keep the family’s financial head above water. They had previously resided in this very ...
Sylvia Likens, 16, died in October 1965 after months of torture at the hands of her caregiver and multiple others.
Sylvia Likens was a teen who was tortured and murdered in Indianapolis in the 1960s. Her murderer, Gertrude Baniszewski, was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The Sylvia Likens case shocked 1960s America. Learn how the trial unfolded, what happened to those convicted, and why the case still shapes child protection law today.
In October 1965, 16-year-old Sylvia Likens died after being held captive for nearly three months. Her death sparked action across police departments, prosecution, and the halls of the Indiana General Assembly, plus movies and books. Before leaving for a lengthy work-related trip and undergoing immense financial stress, Sylvia’s parents departed Lebanon and left her with a caregiver, Gertrude ...