Their parents, Lester and Betty, often worked with carnivals and they moved often. Diane and Danny were two years older and Jenny and Benny were a year younger. Sylvia was the third child of five, born in between two sets of twins. Most reports do agree that the Baniszewski marriage was a volatile one and that John avoided Gertrude at all costs after, never entering the home, seeing the condition. Some reports say that he was still close to at least some of his children and paid child support, but avoiding Gertrude as much as possible, while other reports say he had little to do with them and did not support them financially. There was much speculation as to what role John Baniszewski played in the lives of his children after the divorce. Her youngest child's father, Dennis Wright was much younger that Gertrude and by all appearances disappeared after Dennis Jr's birth. Her ex-husband, John Baniszewski was a police officer and the father of her 6 oldest children. From the outside what they saw was a very poor, single mother, with 7 children of her own. The neighbors in the area would hear screams and cries coming from the home. It does not matter if you believe in it or not. We could sit and argue the issue of the spanking of our children all we want. I always try to remember these people that a) it was a very different world in 1965 than what we live in now, things like this did not happen and b) neighbors minded their own business. There are people who blame the neighbors of the Baniszewski's for not reporting things they heard to the police, believing that Sylvia could have been saved. The show "Deadly Women featured the story once and former Indianapolis Star reporter, John Dean wrote the book "House of Evil" during the trial and in later years expanded it and was re-released. Over the years there have been a few books and movies loosely based on this story aside from one "An American Crime" with Catherine Keener as Gertrude Baniszewski and Ellen Page as Sylvia. ![]() Her parole hearing caused an uproar in the community and brought the story back to the forefront and I was told about the story. My dad had lived most of his childhood in Indianapolis and was in high school when Sylvia died. I first remember hearing about this case in 1985 when Gertrude Baniszewski became eligible for parole. I grew up in Indianapolis, moving there in 1976 when I was 4. After being beaten and tortured over a period of about three months by Gertrude Baniszewski (pronounced Ban-E-chess-ski), her children and even neighborhood children Sylvia died Octoin the Baniszewski home at the age of 16 in Indianapolis, Indiana. ![]() ![]() Sylvia Marie Likens was born January 3, 1949. Most importantly, for me, maybe because it happened in my hometown, or maybe because it was such a horrible and uncalled for crime, I want this to be about remembering Sylvia and what happened to her, as well about the time period, and less about the abusers in her case. Secondly, if I were to do it like I normally do I am not sure too much would be under disputed facts. For one, it is an older case (1965 to be exact). I plan to do this case a little different than the others.
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