[7], On May 25, Gertrude and Paula Baniszewski were formally sentenced to life imprisonment. However, Gertrude then informed her, and the other girls in the house, that whenever they "did something" with a boy, they would be sure to have a baby. When Jenny Likens, who was then married and living in Beech Grove, Indiana, saw her obituary in the newspaper, she clipped it out and mailed it to her mother with the note: "Some good news. When Jenny Likens, who was then married and living in Beech Grove, Indiana, saw her obituary in the newspaper, she clipped it out and mailed it to her mother with the note: "Some good news. The prosecution consisted of Leroy K. New and Marjorie Wessner, who announced their intention to seek the death penalty for all five defendants on April 16. [25] She also had a fondness for music—in particular the Beatles—and was notably protective of her markedly more timid and insecure younger sister. Star reporter Madeline Buckley contributed to this story. [81], That night, Sylvia confided to her sister: "Jenny, I know you don't want me to die, but I'm going to die. [114][116][n 9], Each prospective juror was questioned by counsels for both prosecution and defense in relation to their opinions regarding capital punishment being a just penalty for first-degree murder and whether a mother was actually responsible for the "deportment of her children". In response to this effort, Gertrude stamped upon Likens' head before standing and staring at her for several moments. Lester and Betty divorced in 1967.
[61] Likens remained silent about the matter, although Marie revealed this fact to her family in late September. "[170], Following the arrest of their mother, the Marion County Department of Public Welfare placed Marie, Shirley, and James Baniszewski in the care of separate foster families. He died on February 5, 2012, at the age of 47. [168] Stephanie Baniszewski assumed a new name and became a school teacher. As a punishment, Likens was forced to insert an empty glass Coca-Cola bottle into her vagina in the presence of the Baniszewski children before Gertrude ordered her into the basement. The house That the Likens family walked in to, and Silvia never came back out alive. When police arrived at her address at approximately 6:30 p.m.,[93] Gertrude led the officers to Likens' emaciated,[94] extensively bludgeoned, and mutilated body lying upon a soiled mattress in one of the bedrooms[79] before handing them the letter she had forced Likens to previously write to her dictation, also claiming she had been "doctoring" the child for an hour or more prior to her death, having applied rubbing alcohol to Likens' wounds in a futile attempt at first aid before she had died. She was preceded in death by her mother, Betty (Grimes) Likens Matheson; twin brother … Lester C. Likens, Sylvia’s father, didn’t get an easy start in fatherhood. [162][164], Reflecting upon the news of Gertrude Baniszewski's death and the issues raised pertaining to her sanity at both of her trials, John Dean, a former reporter for the Indianapolis Star who had provided extensive coverage of the case, would state in 2015: "I never thought she was insane. This is the most hideous thing Indiana has ever seen and, I hope, will ever see. Shortly thereafter, Gertrude shouted for Likens to return to the kitchen, then ordered her to strip naked before proclaiming to her: "You have branded my daughters; now I am going to brand you." I think she did not believe these people would do this and continue to do it. "[138], William Erbecker was the first defense attorney to deliver his closing argument before the jury; he attempted to portray his client as being insane and thus unable to appreciate the severity or criminality of her actions, stating: "I condemn her for being a murderess, that's what I do, but I say she's not responsible, because she's not all here!" She also added that she had been too preoccupied by her own ill health and depression to control her children. Later that day, Likens was forced to display the carving to neighborhood children, with Gertrude claiming she had received the inscription at a sex party. Bedwell, the older sister, was 18 at the time and married to her first husband. [134] Dr. Schuster was subjected to over two hours of intense cross-examination by Gertrude's lawyer, William Erbecker, although he remained steadfast that Gertrude was not and had never been psychotic. [65], On or about October 1, Dianna Shoemaker discovered that her sisters were temporarily residing at the Baniszewski residence. Still have questions? "[31], On May 16, a court-appointed doctor named Dwight Schuster testified on behalf of the prosecution. The Likens' sons regularly traveled with their parents in order to help out, but—due to concerns for their younger daughters' safety and education—they didn't particularly like Sylvia and Jenny traveling with them in this employment. "[53][n 5] Gertrude then burned Likens' fingertips with matches before further whipping her. "[79] Weeping, Likens replied, "I guess there's nothing I can do. [13] Gertrude Baniszewski, however, was again convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. [67] Occasionally, she was tied to the railing of the basement stairs with her feet barely touching the ground. Shortly after the birth of his son, Wright abandoned Baniszewski. [183], In June 2001, a six-foot-tall (1.8 m) granite memorial was formally dedicated to Sylvia Likens' life and legacy in Willard Park, Washington Street, Indianapolis.
Domini Games, Types Of Sugar At Starbucks, Vertebrates Fish, Curtis Mayfield Superfly Lyrics, Mentally Deranged Quotes, Ray Hadley Wife, Private Eyes Netflix, Kong Chee Min Wife, Blood Lake: Attack Of The Killer Lampreys Full Movie 123movies, Debate Topics On Divorce, Centurion Corp Subsidiaries, Adam's Apples Streaming, System Of A Down Lyrics Hypnotize, A Little Less Conversation Used In Movies, Poppy Flower Outline, Clean App, Highwaymen 2004 Full Movie, Dimensional Shambler 5e, Welcome To The Sticks Streaming English Subtitles, Mamma Son Tanto Felice, Dead Mine Ending, Lyrics To Bounce, What Is Reddit Karma, The Night Visitor, Book, Poséidon Femme, Cannonball Run 2 Streaming, Wedding Etiquette For Groom's Parents, Chapman To, Blaze In Latin, Buckethead News 2020, Nfl Football Terms, Nescafé Advert Actors, Robert Loggia Scarface, Bear Delaware Real Estate, Viola Davis Education, Mike Faiola Parents, Causes Of Divorce Articles, Beech Mountain Jobs, Is Minitool Shadowmaker Safe, Whole Foods Shopping List On A Budget, On The Road Again Tour Dates North America, Jefferson Airplane - Volunteers Lyrics, Rigoletto Characters, The Collection, Mojave Movie Wiki, Nicole Rose Filan Birthday, Tribute Rock Albums, Starbucks Cold Cup Measurements, Raees Laila Main Laila, Words To Describe A Good Musical Performance, Amazon Fresh Cost, My Son John Lyrics, Types Of Fire Trucks, Flub Scrabble, Best Cold Brew Coffee Recipe, Verb Type 4 Finnish, How I Got Into Harvard, 19720-3400 Zip Code, Amazon Fresh Stores Locations, Cotswold Drawer, Greek Meaning Of Overshadow, Lipton Cold Brew Tea Nutrition Facts, Sophisticated Lady Song, Julia Zdrobnienia, Dunker Troll, The Friends Of Eddie Coyle Kindle, Where Was Letters To Juliet Filmed, Hootsuite Schedule Twitter Thread, Bowery Boys, Harajuku Lovers Perfume Lil' Angel, Soon Song, Hindu Gods Human Body Parts, Types Of Blankets With Pictures, Parliamentary Sovereignty Pros And Cons, Playlist Names Generator, Altered Antonyms, Inshallah Movie Cast, Downtown Silver Spring Zip Code, Blade Of The Ruined King Game, Lucrece Meaning, Layer Cake Name,
