House of Evil: The Indiana Torture Slaying (St. Martin's True Crime Library) Mass Market Paperback – July 29, 2008

First saw this story on YouTube. It's tragic and insanely sad. I opted for a used book that has seen better days but the story is the same. I'll buy used books again.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It is undoubtedly interesting and well researched and explores, sometimes in horrifying detail, the lengthy torture and eventual death of 16 year old Sylvia Likens in 1965. However, as other reviews of this manuscript have commented, there is little psychological exploration of the motives of 37 year old Gertrude Banisweski to orchestrate and encourage the kind physical pain both she and her children inflicted upon Sylvia in the short months that Sylvia was a boarder at the Baniszewski home. Then again, I am not certain there could be or that certain forms of sociopathic behavior really need explaining.During the time that Sylvia Likens and her sister, Jenny, lived with Gertrude Baniszewski, both were subjected to repeated verbal, emotional, and physical abuse. Soon, however, Gertrude focussed her rage upon Sylvia. What is most horrifying is that this wicked woman encouraged and incited additional violence using her own children and other children from the neighborhood as pawns in her vicious game. I must say, it is REALLY unclear as to why Gertrude did focus so much hatred and rage upon a child she hardly knew. The theory cited by the prosecuting attorneys is that Gertrude was jealous of Sylvia's beauty and the promise her life held. Perhaps this is true, but if one is hoping for a clear motive that meets the criteria for basic understanding (i.e. money, love, or revenge), there simply is not one.While the court did find it necessary to evaluate Gertrude and her 17 year old daughter for legal sanity, Gertrude was never fully psychologically evaluated. Her 17 year old daughter, Paula, was. The psychologist noted that Paula's mental functioning, emotional immaturity, and violent behavior were consistent with that of children reared in homes where "emotional neglect" is the norm. It is known that Gertrude, as a single mother, could not afford to feed her 7 children. The children regularly fought over food and Sylvia was once severely beaten for eating a sandwich given to her by her oldest sister during a visit. It is also known that Gertrude was heavily addicted to prescription pain medication and regularly spent her days in bed. The children had little superivision and Paula was expected to perform many of the duties that Gertrude avoided.When Gertrude turned her deadly rage upon Sylvia, I do not find it difficult to believe that several of her children also found Sylvia a convenient target for their own unexpressed rage born of a childhood rife with abuse and neglect. The most basic needs of the Baniszewski children were never met with any consistency and they, in turn, were angry and hurt. These feelings were unleashed upon the only person available to them to hurt in return. Still, it is shocking that children as young as 10 could gleefully watch and participate in the kind of extended torture to which young Sylvia was subjected.There is some powerful evidence that Gertrude was also having a sexual relationship with a neighborhood boy, 14 year old Richard Hobbs. Though neither admitted they were sexually involved, Richard did state that he was a "good friend" of Gertrude's and regularly visited her home after school. He also told police investigators that Gertrude had once "danced" for him in the living room of her home. (To see photographs of Gertrude, who appeared at least 10 years older than her chronological age of 37, this image is both laughable and repulsive.) If Gertrude manipulated or exercised any psychological power over Richard, it was manifisted in his unflinching willingness to carve into the flesh of Sylvia's stomach, at Gertrude's direction, the words "I am a prostitute and proud of it." (There is horrifying photograph of Sylvia Likens battered body in which these words are clearly visible.)In short, Gertrude and 3 of her children, along with Richard Hobbs and another neighborhood boy, were all conivicted of murder. Eventually paroled, Getrude changed her name and lived in solitude until her death in 1990 from lung cancer, the result of years of habitual chain-smoking. The parole of Gertrude leaves one cold and feeling as though justice was not served. Richard Hobbs, however, was not so fortunate. At trail, Richard admitted to the jury during questioning that he had "no feeling" at the time he carved words into Sylvia's flesh with a hot wire. While Richard attempted to later soften the blow of this admission by stating that he now felt remorse for his actions, I find this difficult to believe. He died at the age of 21 in prison from cancer. (I suppose Richard got what was coming to him from a higher court. Sometimes justice is swift and harsh.)There was considerable discussion among the public about why Sylvia and her sister never ran away from the Baniszewski home. Effectively abandoned by their own parents who were, by all accounts, poverty stricken and shiftless, where exactly were the girls supposed to run? While their parents worked for a travelng carnival, the girls were left in the care of a woman their father hardly knew and never felt it necessary to know better. There was nowhere to go and no one to run to.In short, I do recomend HOUSE OF EVIL to those who appreciate True Crime. But there are many questions that will never be answered.

I will never understand the mind of a person who takes such delight in torture. What Sylvia Likens endured is beyond believable for one human being. The fact that children also engaged in her torture is even worse. This book is well-written and factual without being boring with facts. I had a hard time putting it down.

This is a true crime novel, not a horror novel. I'm saying that for those that don't know about this story because I don't want people to think I'm a horror novel reader, although the torturous way this girl was murdered can be compared to horror. In 1965, a young teenage girl was tortured to death over the course of 3 months. The first I ever heard about this case was when I saw a movie called "Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door." That movie is based on a novel written by Ketchum himself. There are 2 movies with that title and it's not the one you may be thinking of. The version I saw was about the torture of a young girl. However, that movie changed things up a little and didn't use the actual names of all the people. I don't normally watch the CHILLER tv channel, but the description of this movie caught my attention. The description said "A young teenage girl gets raped and murdered by a family member." I figured that I could handle it because I've watched plenty of suspense movies. Boy was I wrong. It was the hardest thing to watch and I felt horrible for sitting through it. (I didn't actually watch the horrible parts. I just skipped those parts because I honestly couldn't watch them.)Anyways, I was shocked to learn that The Girl Next Door was loosely based on true events so I found out everything I could about the Real girl that was tortured. I found out everything that I could about this case and I've been studying it for years. The reason this case is on my mind and in my heart all the time is because I was so shocked about the torture that was inflicted on Sylvia Likens, who is the girl that was murdered. She wasn't just murdered in a day. She endured months of torture. She was burned with cigarettes, she got beat up, got thrown down basement stairs, was put into scalding hot baths, she had words burned into her stomach, and so much more.Sylvia will always be in my heart. I was born 20 years after her death, but if I was around in her day and age and I knew what was going on, I'd rally up a large group of people who could outnumber the ones who were torturing her and I'd help her and her sister get out of the situation they were in.What happened was, Sylvia's mother was taking care of her and her younger sister Jenny. Their mother was caught shoplifting one day and had to spend a few days in jail so her daughters, Sylvia and Jenny, had no one to take care of them. Then one day they got invited over to Gertrude Baniszewski's house and they stayed the night. Their father went to the Baniszewski's house and was looking for them. Lester Likens was the name of their father. He made arrangements for Sylvia and Jenny to board with Gertrude and her 7 children until the Likens parents come back from their carnival job. Apparently by the time the girls got boarded with the Baniszewski's, their mother got out of jail. The Baniszewski house is where the horrors began. Gertrude started abusing the boarders, but she focused most of the abuse on Sylvia. Her sister Jenny had polio, so she was spared most of the abuse. For whatever reason, Gertrude hated Sylvia and began abusing her. She would also encourage her own children to abuse Sylvia.I gave this review 3 stars because Sylvia's story thoroughly touched my heart, but I wish the writer would've tried to find out more information about why Gertrude did what she did. We know how it happened, we just haven't found out why and I honestly don't think we'll ever find out.There's another movie about this case and they use the real names of most of the people that were involved. As I can recall, there are only 2 people whose names weren't their real names. That movie is called "An American Crime." If you want to find out more about this case, I think both movies might be worth seeing.

Such a good book I have not even finished it but as far as I have gotten it's an amazing book so good especially if your someone who loves details in true crime!!!

My heart breaks for Sylvia and her family. This case has always sparked my interest and I was on the edge of my seat reading into the wee hours of the night. She deserved so much love and happiness, but instead receivers pain and cruelty. And shame on everyone who allowed Gertrude and Paula out on parole. Im glad Gertrude is dead, I hope she’s rotting in hell. But the fact that Paula gets to live her life, something she took away from Sylvia makes my blood boil. I will never understand.