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House of Evil: The Indiana Torture Slaying
by
John Dean
In the heart of Indianapolis in the mid 1960’s, through a twist of fate and fortune, a pretty young girl came to live with a thirty-seven-year-old mother and her seven children. What began as a temporary childcare arrangement between Sylvia Likens’s parents and Gertrude Baniszewski turned into a crime that would haunt cops, prosecutors, and a community for decades to
...moreMass Market Paperback, 231 pages
Published
July 29th 2008
by St. Martin's True Crime
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I picked this one up on a whim and could't put it down once I started it. The author's writing is very straight forward and simple. He pretty much just stated the facts on this horrible story. Hard to believe this ever happened but then again when I look at the era it happened in, the 60's, well that explains it. I would hope and pray that this could never happen in this day and age but then again we know it does. Sylvia is an enigma,I will never know or understand why she didn't think she was i...more
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Very thorough examination of the case but I have a couple things I want to say.
Point 1) I can't bring myself to believe that Sylvia started the prostitution rumors. Stephanie's testimony seemed to be full of rubbish. I have a feeling they falsely accused her of a lot of things just to find excuses to punish her.
Point 2) I think Sylvia (and Jenny) didn't seek help when the violence was escalating because, like the children who abused her, they truly believed the punishment...more
Point 1) I can't bring myself to believe that Sylvia started the prostitution rumors. Stephanie's testimony seemed to be full of rubbish. I have a feeling they falsely accused her of a lot of things just to find excuses to punish her.
Point 2) I think Sylvia (and Jenny) didn't seek help when the violence was escalating because, like the children who abused her, they truly believed the punishment...more
A true story of torturing a young girl by soaking her in in hot water giving her third degree burns and piercing her body with needles is just the beginning of the horrid sickness that Gertrude did to Sylvia Lickens.
Sylvia Lickens parents were carnival workers and decided to let there young, beautiful daughter live with neighbors they had just met. With her parents far from home Gertrude, her care taker began jealous of her looks. Tortured mentally and physically left Sylvia dead.
The Indiana Torture Slaying: Sylvia Likens' Ordeal and Death
by John Dean
189pp
Borf Books
0960489479
After hearing of the story, and watching the movies, The Indiana Torture Slaying was a hard book to pick up and start. This book is the interpretation of the torture, and eventual murder of a young girl named Sylvia Likens.This book is written in a journalistic and very literal manner.
Sylvia and her sister Jenny were part of a big and very unordinary, y...more
by John Dean
189pp
Borf Books
0960489479
After hearing of the story, and watching the movies, The Indiana Torture Slaying was a hard book to pick up and start. This book is the interpretation of the torture, and eventual murder of a young girl named Sylvia Likens.This book is written in a journalistic and very literal manner.
Sylvia and her sister Jenny were part of a big and very unordinary, y...more
Sylvia Likens and her sister Jennie are left in the home of Gertrude Baniszewski by their parents, and the months of torture resulted one of the worse cases of child abuse in the United States. This book is rough to read. The author admits borrowing his format and storytelling approach from Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, and it does fall short of that novel but not because of the content. The first part of this true crime follows the torture and death of Sylvia, and the second half is the tri...more
John Dean, House of Evil: The Indiana Torture Slaying (St. Martin's, 2008)
I've spent a few years trying to track down the original Beeline Press release of John Dean's The Indiana Torture Slaying, so I was thrilled when I heard St. Martin's was going to re-release the book in 2008 thanks to the interested generated by the films An American Crime and The Girl Next Door. The Indiana Torture Slaying, now retitled House of Evil, has long been touted as the definitive book on the Likens c...more
I've spent a few years trying to track down the original Beeline Press release of John Dean's The Indiana Torture Slaying, so I was thrilled when I heard St. Martin's was going to re-release the book in 2008 thanks to the interested generated by the films An American Crime and The Girl Next Door. The Indiana Torture Slaying, now retitled House of Evil, has long been touted as the definitive book on the Likens c...more
When I first heard of the movie, An American Crime I thought to myself that is something so horrific I could not possibly watch this. But since I had not heard about this case, was intrigued I have to admit. Thought it would be better to read than watch so I did. Again I have to say never knew such evil could exist. You have to ask yourself how or why(as in so many other cases too) no one ever spoke up. A tragedy, for sure..
I enjoyed this book, but it did seem a little dry. A lot of the book seemed like a list of facts rather than a smooth-flowing book. The author didn't give any of his opinions or even really the opinions of others on the case. Especially the second half of the book was similar to reading a court transcript or something similar. It was an interesting case and while he put a lot of facts in the book, I also felt as if there were other areas that he could have expounded on and included more detail. ...more
Great book to read after Jack Ketchum's "the Girl Next Door". Details the actual girl who was tortured to death. You get the sense that lawyers were as annoying 40 some odd years ago as they are now. It would seem 500 at the bottom of the ocean is no where near good enough a start.
This was more factual than The Basement by Kate Millet (also based on the same case). John Dean was a reporter during the time of the murder and trial and reveals many snippets that usually aren't present during the re-telling of the Sylvia Likens murder trial.
Sylvia Likens, tortured and killed by teens led by Gertrude Baniszewski.
Also read _By Sanction of the Victim_.
Inspiration for Jack Ketchum’s _The Girl Next Door_ (book and movie) and Kate Millett’s _The Basement Meditations on a Human Sacrifice_.
Also read _By Sanction of the Victim_.
Inspiration for Jack Ketchum’s _The Girl Next Door_ (book and movie) and Kate Millett’s _The Basement Meditations on a Human Sacrifice_.
This is a terrible story of torture, abuse, neglect, apathy, and eventually a slow painful death. It shows the kind of brutality that human beings are capable of committing on other people. A very painful read, but fascinating nonetheless.
This is a very dry and straight-forward account of the torture and murder of Sylvia Likens, an infamous case in the 60's in Indiana. Disturbing to read, and a short read but, like I said, very dry.
This book was very disturbing especially since there were so many people involved. Very sad. There was also a movie.
Really graphic and heartbreaking, but a must read for anyone that is an advocate of children rights.
I read this book after watching the movie "American Crime" Based on a true story. Not bad.
This book was so disturbing, mostly due to the horrific nature of the case it recounts.
That Gertrude Baniszewski deserved to be boiled in oil - what a creepy cow
More Indianapolis horrors.
Very sad true story.
While I can't understand why these two sisters didn't try to escape this horrible woman's house, I found this to be a fascinating book! As always, I wish the author would have gone into a bit more detail as to the psyche of those involved, but I imagine that would be difficult as so many of the principles of this story are deceased.
If your like me and have happened upon Sylvia Liken's terrible case, this book is a very good source of information. It details things that are not found on crimelibrary, wiki, or any of those other users. While it's obviously a hard read they let you into more of Sylvia's life, not to mention what was said during the court transcripts. When it comes to Sylvia, this is a very reliable source.
Gut-wrenching story of the torture and death of young Sylvia Likens by her caretaker, the caretaker's children and children's friends. Although the story is captivating, the book itself is not very noteworthy. The writing is dull, but provides the basic events that occurred during the short life and death of the young Sylvia.
Joann
is currently reading it
interesting but very chilling
I just could not get into this book. I don't like the style it is written in. The story is very heartbreaking. I do have the movie and have read enough on the internet about Sylvia to know she died in the worse way imaginable.
The content was morbidly fascinating. Seemingly well-researched for the time the event occurred. I find myself unable to 'rate' this book as it would imply enjoying anothers' torture.
heartbreaking. it's called total depravity.
Quirkyreader
added it
Steven Shroyer
marked it as to-read
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