Gertrude Baniszewski

On 26th October 1965, 16-year-old Sylvia Likens was found dead on a urine-soaked mattress on the floor of a bedroom. She was half naked and her body was covered with scars, burns and brusies, as well as carved words on her stomach reading "I am a prostitute and proud of it". The owner of that house was Gertrude Baniszewski.

Baniszewski told police that Sylvia had been staying with them for the summer, along wit her sister Jenny. While on her own, she was attacked by a group of boys, and died after returning to the house. However the victim's sister, Jenny, came out with a different story. Jenny told police that Baniszewski had been fedding herself and 7 children in that house. Baniszewski made a living selling soda pops, and had very little money. Baniszewski was being given $20 a week by the victim's parents to look after their children. When the childrens' parents were late making a payment, Baniszewski gave Sylvia and Jenny a beating. While beating the children she shouted, "I took care of you bitches for nothing!" Even though the parents paid the following day, Baniszewski continued the wave of violence. She used paddles, belts and wooden boards on the girls, but apparently singled out Sylvia for a harder punishment.

Baniszewski allegedly also recruited others to help her beat the children. She used her own children plus some neighbourhood kids to help beat up the two sisters. One child practiced their martial arts moves on her, and pushed her down the stairs and beat her up badly. She also have cigarettes put out on her, giving her over 150 burns. One night Sylvia urinated on the mattress, and this seemed to enrage Baniszewski. Baniszewski made Sylvia live in the basement, which became her prison. Sylvia was starved of food and forced to eat her own faeces. During a grotesque strip tease she was forced to perform, Sylvia was made to stick a coke bottle into her vagina. A hot needle was used to etch the words into her stomach.

One day Sylvia was trying to get the attention of the neighbours, she was knocked down onto the concrete floor, and died. Baniszewski was arrested and given a life sentence, but was paroled in 1985.