How did Lycens Sylvia die?

Sylvia Likens, the photo of which is presented below, was born in 1949, on January 3 in Indianapolis. This girl died at the age of 16 after prolonged torture.

Circumstances

Her parents left her in the care of Gertrude Baniszewski, who received 20 dollars a week for this work. Sylvia Likens was subjected to cruelty from the housewife and her children. Three months later, she died from malnutrition, cerebral hemorrhage and shock. The murder of Sylvia Likens has received wide resonance in America. It was called the worst of all crimes against a person in the history of Indiana.

short biography

Sylvia Likens became the third child in the family. Besides her, there were 2 brothers and 2 sisters. Jenny's younger sister suffered polio at 4 months, in connection with which she practically could not move herself. Care for her provided Sylvia. When she grew up a bit, she started to work as a laundress and a nanny. Relations between Lycens' parents were quite strained. Sylvia and other children grew up in an unfavorable atmosphere. Father and mother were constantly on the road, money was not enough all the time. For 16 years the family has changed at least 14 addresses. Children always remained with one or other relatives.

The beginning of life in the house of Baniszewski

The girl's father asked Gertrude to look after her and Jenny's sister after their mother, Betty Likens, was convicted. Sylvia first made friends with Paul - one of Gertrude's daughters. In total, Baniszewski had 7 children. Sylvia's father, leaving her with her sister, did not pay attention to the fact that the family in which they live will be on the verge of poverty. The house lacked the simplest amenities, there was no stove. The number of cutlery was limited to three spoons.

Torture

During the first week, Sylvia was not restrained. She, like the other children of Baniszewski, went to church, attended one school with Paula and Stephanie, watched TV with them in the evenings. Problems began in the second week, when Father Likens did not send the payment. Then Gertrude made a scandal. From that moment, despite the fact that the promised $ 20 came the next day, she began to blame the various misdeeds of the sisters Likens. Sylvia, trying to stop this, told about the pregnancy of Sex. She was afraid to tell her mother about it. However, Paul trusted Sylvia. Gertrude, in turn, did not believe the girl and beat her. After a while, Baniszewski began to encourage neighborly children when they beat Likens. Sylvia was friends with 13-year-old Anna Sisko, until the latter learned that her friend was saying that her mother - Nelly - was a prostitute. This was reported to her by Baniszewski. Then Anna also beat Sylvia. This went on for a long time. In the beating of Sylvia, not only his own children, Baniszewski, but also the neighboring teenagers participated. During the next incident, Gertrude demanded that the girl be beaten by her sister, Jenny.

The murder of Sylvia Likens

Soon Baniszewski began to beat the girl under various fictitious pretexts, pour her hot water, extinguish cigarettes on her body. Then Gertrude forbade Sylvia to attend school and did not allow her to leave the house. The girl's buds were damaged, and she began to walk under her. Then Gertrude closed it in the basement, forbidding the use of the toilet. Sylvia Likens did not receive normal food. Soon she was forced to use her urine and feces. Shortly before her death, Gertrude, with a hot needle, burned the phrase "I'm a prostitute and I'm proud of it" on her belly. She did it together with the neighbor's teenager Hobbs. He subsequently, along with the ten-year-old daughter of Baniszewski, Cheryl, burned a figure of 3 on Sylvia's chest. It was established by examination that a glass bottle of Coca-Cola was inserted at least twice in the vagina of the girl.

Arrival of police

A few days before her death, Sylvia tried to escape when she heard that Baniszewski wanted to leave her in the forest. But the attempt to leave the house failed - she was caught at the door. As punishment for this, she was tied up and thrown into the basement. As a meal, Sylvia received only crackers. On October 26, 1965, she passed away. When Hobbs and the daughter of Baniszewski Stephanie realized that the girl was not breathing, they tried to give her artificial respiration. But it was already late. Then Stephanie sent Hobbs to the phone to call the police. When she arrived, Gertrude handed them a letter from Sylvia addressed to her parents. The message was written by the girl herself under the pressure of Baniszewski. But before the police could read through to the end, Jenny approached them and said that she would tell them everything if they took her from there.

Court

Throughout the process Gertrude Baniszewski denied her guilt at the death of Likens, did not recognize her responsibility due to her own insanity. She said that she was very tired of depression and weak health, so she could not follow the children. But lawyers of teenagers who participated in beatings and tortures insisted that the behavior of their clients was influenced by Gertrude. On May 19, 1966, Baniszewski was found guilty of a premeditated murder of the 1st degree. But the death penalty, which was appointed earlier, was replaced by life imprisonment. The daughter of Gertrude Paul was prosecuted for a serious murder of the 2nd degree. She also received a life sentence. But in 1971, Paul filed an appeal. At a new court hearing, she pleaded guilty to causing reckless death, then was released and received new documents.