I remember hearing that after Gertrude was released, the press was interviewing her. A couple of men drove by in a truck and yelled "Someone shoot that bitch!" Apparently she had a look of terror on her face as they passed. I'd like to think that she lived out the rest of her life looking over her shoulder thinking that someone would give her the justice she deserved
Yeah I hope the bitch did live out the rest of her life, fearing what someone would do to her sorry ass after what she did alone to poor Sylvia she deserved the death penalty but I'll settle with her being in fear and looking over her shoulder thinking that someone would give her the justice she deserved.
Lester and Betty went back to see their daughters as Sylvia was looking "noticeably malnourished." Both complained about being hungry, but instead of feeding them they took them "out for sodas" before handing them right back to Gertrude and paid her more money. - Nice f***ing parenting.
This monster and her brood and neighbor monsters should had been locked in jail for the rest of their lives , no parole , no deviation. They were all monsters. All these people even kids actually enjoyed it, they laughed and had a great time torturing and killing an innocent girl for pleasure for the "permission" of doing it, humans are disgusting when they are like this and they enjoyed.
Totally infuriating, she should have been in jail forever. She tortured this girl to death and with the criminal sophistication of a 5 year old she tried to cover her tracks with the "confession" . Gertrude is pure moronic evil.
Most of them didn’t even see signs and that’s it they saw it go down those boys who saw the bottle torture and the boy that saw her shove vomit into her mouth are horrible they did nothing the I agree with when you say that the whole community were monsters they saw, they participated , they did nothing to help.
Yes. And there were random friends and school/neighborhood dudes participating in the torture (e.g. the branding, the making her eat the hot dog with tons of spices, etc.).
These actions of abuse and sexual assault is normal for white Christian people who go to church, especially in the midwest U.S. They particularly love torturing children.
I’m glad that nowadays, this type of behavior is condemned and punished. If this ever happened to me, my friends, or anyone I cared about, I’d rather be in heaven than live through the torture. The description of the abuse is horrific.
@@Bleeeh_ Gertrude at some point stopped allowing Sylvia to go to school because her injuries were very visible. But many in that neighborhood knew and either participated or said nothing. The school should have had an investigator look into why Sylvia was not in school.
Absolutely heart-breaking case. Poor Sylvia. It's sickening to think that all involved were ever permitted to walk free again and go on to live normal lives.
I don't know which horrifies me most - the violent rape with a glass bottle, or a group of males standing around, cheering and humiliating and destroying her emotionally. It makes me teary to think of it. And yet the same sorts of things happen all around the world, every day. She just got caught.
Children who foster with multiple families ends in a life of tormoil, ptsd, and suffer many ways in a misunderstood lifestyle. Passed down from generation to future generation, there is need to be in therapy. WE need the law to be handled in a case by case investigation.if there is no possible chance the criminal is innicent.we know right from wrong, and if history is ever repeated, it should be death no possible chance they can get out of it
@@DaniDiva182 There is Group r*pes in Germany almost daily since 2015 and the best part of it? Most of those assholes go free/ Probation bc they all just "traumatized" Great times to live in
Sylvia Likens and Junko Furuta. Two innocent girls and two absolutely unforgettable cases. Out of every gruesome crime I’ve ever heard, those 2 are just on an entirely different level of cruelty and depravity. It’s cliche to say that your heart is broken for these poor girls, but even after I’ve heard the stories multiple times over I am still just absolutely speechless in horror every single time. RIP Sylvia and Rip Junko.
Ikr. It's also kinda sick that there's movies based on these stories. I have seen the two movies about poor Sylvia Likens but not about Junko Furuta. And I don't know if I can. I think it will be to graphic as Neighbor next door was for me.
Junko Furuta is one of the cases I’ll NEVER forget. The only thing that could have possibly made it worse is if one of the many torturers was related to her or if she was even younger.. anyone saying there’s many worse cases, I just cannot explain it. I can’t forget about junko if I tried. Of course there are many unspeakably horrific crimes, I don’t know if it was the details regarding her torture, how many people saw and knew of her being held captive and chose to either join in or do nothing, WHERE she was being held, the fact it lasted over 40 days, the unclear motive (besides r@ping and robbing local women just because they can), the fact one boy tricked her and gained her trust just to lure her to a real life hellllll or the horrible injustice and disrespect she continued to experience after her death because of the unacceptably short/minor punishment the guilty parties received. The assailants being underage themselves all pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 17 (and then added 3 additional years so) 20 years to the main culprit who’s parents were eventually aware of a disheveled girl being held in their home but were too scared to do or say anything. The rest got 5-7, 5-9 and then 8 years in juvenile detention. AND YET- as a true crime junkie I had not even heard of her case until the last couple years… most likely because of how horrific it was and possibly an assumption everyone would know about it already as it has been described as the “worst case of juvenile delinquency in post war Japan”..
You are correct but even if she had, the tournament was beyond extreme for punishment. This monster used any excuse to justify her actions in her sick head
What kind of person even thinks of doing that? How does that come into someone's mind and then they think " yea that's a good idea" This world is a terrifying place
The coke bottle incident is not correct at all. She did make Sylvia strip and told her to insert the bottle. Sylvia couldn't and dropped the bottle where it smashed. Sylvia's Hyman was still in tact at the time of death. Her vagina was actually swollen shut because of all the massive kicks to her privates. She became incontinent and soiled herself which got her more abuse. 1 of the movies also shows her getting raped but that never happened either. I don't know why they added that scene.
I'm sure the Empty Bottle when inserted created a vacuum seal. It probably created internal injuries. I know this because of a woman brought into the hospital with a bottle inserted and they had to drill a hole in the bottom of the bottle to stop the vacuum seal. In order to safely remove it.
I had once heard that Sylvia had called out for her father moments before she passed and that completely broke me. Sweet Sylvia, you deserved none of this. May you rest easy in the next world. 💖
No I believe she called out to our Heavenly Father and those evil doers have a portion of the lake of fire. Repent repent repent in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
I was once in her shoes and found a god who nulled the demon's thirst for my blood said demon was my abusers). My life was a full of chants,prayers and meditation...that really did AlOT for me cz soon after that,the abusers only verbally attacked me,but not physically I was lucky. (69 is my lucky number and I'm a Pisces) Now I'm 22 years old,safe and free. Thank you Spirit🙏🏿
Father of 3 young ladies. This story literally makes me sick to my stomach. Not sure how anyone could do this, but a mother? How? Why? Everyone involved deserves the same treatment 10 fold. Eye for an eye…..
She's a Demon. A devil incarnate She was created to abuse Sylvia just like how Judas was created to crucify Jesus Becareful that you aren't born to be a curse in someone's life, watch how u treat others,cz that's an indication of whether you're from God or manipulated by the devil
This story reminds me of the book, "A boy called IT" by Dave Peltzer. He suffered horrific abuse like this by his own mother when he was a child but lived to tell about it. One of the top 3 worst child abuse cases ever reported! Sick that anyone let alone a mother could torture a child at all!!
I read his first book when i was a teenager. Im in my mid 30s and tried to re-read it and I just cant. Dont know how i managed to get through it the first time. It was absolutely horrific. Heartbreaking.
What's really sick is what started it. If you research her, you see that Gertrude consistently married men who abused her, and potentially she learned to be self-hating, given how she treated Sylvia.
Unfun fact: The house where Sylvia Likens was tortured to death became dilapidated over time and was demolished in April 23, 2009. It is now a church parking lot.
Again why are people surprised. These kinds of people enslaved an entire race and tortured and brutalized them for centuries. And did nothing to change it. I'm not surprised.
There’s a movie based on this, which is called “the girl next door” and I remember being forced to watch that at the age of 12 after my parents found out I was talking to people (guys) online. I don’t know the rationale of that, but the movie haunted me for years. The movie, of course isn’t completely accurate, but it really puts in perspective how disgusting people can be. There were many people that could have prevented this from happening.
@@gjh9299 the movie came out in the earlier 2000’s, and I guess the intention was to show how cruel and untrusting people can be. either way, it scared me & I’m glad this poor girl has her story told to this day. I wish it never happened. Hopefully sharing her story at least can inspire someone to speak out when they suspect something, because there was many opportunities someone could have helped her.
@@MasonJarSnow yes, the Turnpin family is more recent, happened in my county in CA one of the daughters finally escaped the house and found a phone, didn't know how to use it, her parents are super weird. Theyre doing ok and all testified against the parents. You should look them up. Dad has really weird hair cut. Interesting story.
I understand that times were different then, in regards to child welfare, etc. And Gertrude was the primary psychopathic torturer/murderer. But it's still such a disgrace that the teachers and neighbors - not to mention Sylvia's own parents - didn't immediately recognize the abuse and rescue her. No excuses.
Went through some of this abuse too, and no one mentioned anything. In some ways, i even think social services were complicit in covering it up too, and leaving me there. This stuff happens regularly.
Times were different? This actually happens more frequently now. Social workers in this country are notoriously lazy from overwork, jaded, and callous. They still are, so this still happens.
@@crazyredfoxes It's horrible what can happen to children. You know first hand unfortunately. If you are up for it you might try to right the wrongs you know about.
I don’t understand why her parents didn’t take them away when they said they were hungry?!? They didn’t notice Sylvia’s changes? It’s their fault too!! 🙋🏼♀️🇺🇸🙏🏻
I couldn't understand why Them two couldn't stay with the older sister and her husband The Father should had sent Dianna that same 20 Or why them two couldn't stay With the Grandparents
@@eileenthombs2075 It’s just something I always put under my comments! It symbolizes I live in America and proud of it! I’ve done it for years! 🙋🏼♀️🇺🇸🙏🏼
I think I’ve heard/read almost every version of this story out there. You’re the first that really delved into Gertrude’s background and what contributed to her being the way she was. That always interests me as a mental health clinician. Great work!
This!!! I came looking for this comment because, despite the many times I have heard this case, this was THE FIRST to included Gertrude’s background. Many thanks for this eye opening insight. Your research is truly appreciated!
I've heard this story many times, and it's just as haunting every time it's told. I can't believe people could be this cruel. It's beyond comprehension.
@@wildechild5 It affects us as we empathize with the victim who we know was a real human being. I am affected by any cruelty to humans or animals. I had once started to watch the movie about this case but it upset me so much I had to stop and I have never seen the ending.
@@juanitarichards1074 Juanita honey you probably shouldn't watch the flick this then it affects you that much. I understand what you're saying and I am not completely heartless about the victims and the things happened to them. Often times I find myself crying but you can't let it get to you if you're going to watch stuff like this. But perhaps it's because I've been watching this kind of stuff since I was young so I got about 40 years in on it so it doesn't bothers me as much as it should probably. I often take breaks to watch stuff that's purely just funny that makes me laugh to get my mind off of stuff like this. I can't let it bog me down I have too many real life problems myself.
I've heard countless people cover this case. However, you always seem to add pieces to these stories I've never heard before. Your content always elicits a visceral reaction from me. It's so obvious how much of yourself you put into your work, Jiles. I'm so glad you covered this case.
There are two books about Sylvia Likens that should be read if you want to go deeper into understanding this crime. The first is "House of Evil: The Indiana Torture Slaying" and the second is "The Girl Next Door". The incredibly well done movie "An American Crime" was based on the first book. I have read others, but only recommend these two. RIP to Sylvia.
Thank you for sharing that, if you had to recommend only one of the books which would you recommend? On another comment, somebody mentioned millets, the basement as a book she read that made her cry like crazy. Not sure I want to cry like crazy but a story like this probably would anyway.
I started to read ‘The Girl Next Door’ because I love horror novels and movies and Jack Ketchum is a master. But as soon as I realized it was about Sylvia Likins I had to put it down. I knew I wouldn’t be able to bear it.
I never thought I'd be happy to hear somebody died of lung cancer...I hope it was a gruelling illness for her. Fantastic documentary as usual...I hope Sylvia rests in peace.
It was interesting hearing about Richard Hobbs as well, because he was friends with Gertrude not the kids. Richard Hobbs also died from lung cancer at the age of 21.
@@ritawashere5787 it's speculated that Gertrude seduced 15 yr old Hobbs and he was her boy toy. It's plausible. Hobbs mother was dying of cancer during this time so he probably needed a Mother figure. Gertrude had her youngest child by a much younger man. It's believable.
@@lisascorp wow, that does seem believable. We just don't like to think about women being sexually deviant. It's probably more common than we realize. My ex-husband's mother had a friend that had sex with him. He was 14. I think in some ways these boys don't think it's molestation because he always said he lost his virginity. I was molested, but I don't call that losing my virginity. It was rape.
I truly hope it was slow and agonizing. If their is a hell then I have no doubt the devil himself would come to claim her soul. I can usually handle hearing some of these stories but this one...its literally making me cry.
Imagine being SO insecure as a woman, that you take it all out on some innocent girl and instruct your own children and their friends to carry out your torture. This case is one of the few that can bring me to tears. I wish SOMEONE would've done something. I wish they would've told their parents about the abuse, or run away, or just honestly anything would've been better...
What’s even more shocking and heartbreaking is that no one who noticed the abuse of Sylvia did anything to intervene! Even back in the 60’s, a neighbor who had 4 kids and babysat in her home tried to explain away the bruises on her own kids and the kids she watched, to no avail. My grandmother and another woman went to the police, who directed them to the CPS, who DID investigate. Her natural children were removed, the parents who had kids under her care sued. Her 4 children grew up in a good foster home that was very loving. They all turned out miraculously ok. All because a couple of neighbors “butted in”!
It's beyond depraved. We've had neighbours that I have called the authorities on and I'd do it again. I don't understand seeing a child who is suffering and not doing anything about it. It takes a village to raise a child, or whatever that saying is.
How can so many people be involved and not one of them felt sympathy and went to the police even if I see a child in the street crying I go over and make sure the child is okay. They all deserve life every one of them.
@@sw6118 Corporal Punishment is spanking, slaps, not beating. Not butting out cigarettes on a kid's arm or forcing them to endure SA for a group of their peers 😫 "Beatings " weren't common & accepted practice (I'll concede def more common than today).
My mother was abused very bad by her stepfather, until the school stepped in and sent to a foster home. She stayed there & work at a cafeteria. Took a trip at 18, took a bus all of Military men and my Dad moved in and fell in love and had us 3 kids. She was a woman with a heart of gold and she was very much Loved by my Dad. She passed at 69 she shrunk down to 66 lbs. R.I.P. Mom.
I grew up in and out of foster homes and living with tons of relatives across the country and this kind of behavior happens a lot more than people think. Even now. I was always hiding bruises and scars and not eating for weeks at a time. What enabled all of it was the fear. Fear of abuse. Fear of rejection. Fear of starving. It takes over you and you could end it at almost anytime if you say something. If you see that shit, don't pretend it isn't any of your business. You might be saving someone's life.
Sorry to hear that too but I know exactly what you mean. I went from being sexually and physically abused by my parents, to having my father kill himself because I slipped up and told a teacher. I am only now getting over the issues. I still abuse drugs as I am unable to stop. I pray that I can find the strength to get better, I like to think we are finally at the point where this sort of thing is less tolerated than anything else.
A few additional fun (not) facts: A) Gertrude had an expensive bedroom set for herself. B) During the trial Gertrude testified that she was supposed to get $55 a week in child support. But John only paid $110 every two weeks. (She was definitely math challenged.) C) At one time the Likens family rented a house just 2 or three doors west of where Sylvia died. That house is still there. D) With the exception of the murder house, most of the locations involved in this story are still standing. The nearest grocery (a Safeway according to a former neighbor) is now a Family Dollar. That store was less than a five minute walk. The gas station access the street is also still standing. If you know what to look for, you can see where the phone booth was. E) The rent on the apartment Gertrude rented was $55 a month. This most likely included utilities. (Based on personal experience living in similar buildings.) F) The rear of the Indiana Women's Prison where Gertrude and Paula served time is on New York Street. It's also almost directly north of Sylvia's Memorial. (Put up 50 years too late in my opinion.) G) The Middle School Jenny attended was converted into Senior Apartments somewhere around 2017-2019. I could see this School from my bathroom window as it was on the next street. H) I actually partially blame her Doctor for over-presciping a med 14:43 ication that would make her "sleepy". Okay not a "serious" side effect. But seriously you don't give her enough of a drug to keep someone "sleepy" 24/7/365. Ironically that Doctor's office is now a Day Care. EDIT I) The famous picture of Sylvia was with a group of friends when the family was living in California.
I have been a fan of yours for a while now. I’ve listened to you talking about stories I haven’t heard before and some of the ones I have. In both cases, you never fail to tell it in such an interesting way that I always feel like I’m listening to a story for the first time. Props to you for all your hard work and a fantastic way to be able to tell horrific stories in a way people can FEEL them with you, Giles. This story of Sylvia is probably one of the most horrible cases I have ever heard about. The poor girl died for some devil-woman’s amusement. Unthinkable 😢
This case and the Junko Furuta case both give me such awful rage. I never understand the bystander effect but it's even more confusing when people actually get involved in the crimes. I could never.
@@s0lastsummer7 I have given in to my curiosity and looked this case up. I regret doing it. However, I thank you for brining it to my attention. What I am struggling to understand is how can people do these monstrous things to one another?? It is beyond me!!
@@mariolag6894 I'm so sorry I caused you to do it, seriously. 😕 it's such an awful one, and I have a very thick skin when it comes to crime stuff. I don't understand it either, like how do they even think of the things they do to other people.... my brain couldn't invent that kind of monstrosity.
I remember hearing about this case years ago. That "mother" was absolutely sick & depraved and caused her children to be the same way. She terrorized those poor girls, especially the oldest...who she basically killed. What a freaking monster for sure.💔
definitely, interesting to hear how she was treated. I wonder how her surviving kids went on in their lives. They definitely were traumatized too, even by partaking in the abuse.
Yep, top worst cases. For me it’s Junko Furuta, The Toolbox Killers, & Dean Corrl. I fucking hate all the killers involved & I wish I could do to them what they did to their victims tbh
The depravity on display in that house, with Gertrude in particular but also the vast majority of teens visiting PLUS the siblings... it's completely unreal. You can't believe this story would be real with the length of time involved and the levels of torture and abuse ... but there it is. Astoundingly horrific.
My grandpa lived 2 blocks down from this. He was a 6 and a half foot firefighter. I wish he had known what was going on in that house. I was a little kid when this happened, but we drove by this house often. As a grown up, I so often wish I could have gone in there and saved Sylvia. This story has haunted me for decades.
I remember the house at Denny and New York Streets. It was pretty big and run-down and they couldn't keep tenants in there. There was a Baptist church across the street. The house was torn down in about 2010 and it's a parking lot today.
I'm sorry but that neighborhood sounds like it was rotten to the core, so many people took part in the abuse or at least knew of her situation and did nothing to try and help Silvia.
@@kimberlycampbell8355 After a while she stopped going to school because the evil monster didn’t want the teachers or the principal to notice the obvious abuse that Sylvia was receiving. I wish I could have been there to comfort her and get her out of there.
@@perryegolson833 Yup, you're right. Back then teachers never even questioned why the child is absent from school or how a child received injuries. If a child was beat, they would automatically assume that the child deserved it. The house where this took place wasn't even torn down until the early 2000s! One thing that this series did get wrong was about Sylvia spreading rumors and lies about Paula and her sister. Paula was sleeping with a married man and she told Sylvia that she was pregnant. Paula and the man that she was sleeping with got into an altercation and he began hitting her. That's when Sylvia yelled at him to stop because she was pregnant. After that is when it really became bad for Sylvia.
@@kimberlycampbell8355 did your mom ever see the film 'the girl next door'? i'd imagine not,but i am curious if she ended up watching the film. i can't imagine your mother would want to see the torture of her friend it's a very sad and depressing event i can't even believe actually happened after watching that movie.
This one is still something I struggle to comprehend. It sounds like genuine hell on earth and might be the most awful case I've heard of apart from war crimes, and even then... It's really just such stark and severe evil.
@Thou Swell I was gonna say this, but you beat me to it. Junko's case is the most horrific I have ever heard, I dont think there is another case out there that is worse, When I first heard it, I became sick to my stomach and had to stop for a bit. The worst part of that case, the people who did it are free.
I expected "x is worse" comments and I don't want to have some sorrow+horror pissing contest, but Sylvia living this for longer than 40 days and having essentially been shoved off there with her sister is what makes it too awful for me
@terrenceswiff I think Junko's mightve been worse, because her own murders treated her so horribly they were scared she would come back as an _onryō_ or vengeful spirit after her death. The murders themselves were scared for their well-being, which speaks to the depravity they inflicted on her.
I am from Indianapolis and remember when they let 'dirty Gertie' out of jail my senior year of high school. My friends and I had never heard of this story since it happened before we were born but we soon learned all about it because of her release. My best friend and I drove by the house, which was still standing at that time but I believe has since been torn down. A few years later I worked with a woman who was friends with Stephanie Baniszewski at this time and told me how she was never allowed in their house but Stephanie could come to her house. She obviously learned why that October. I have always felt for this girl who was tortured and killed in my city 3 years before I was born. This case is what started my interest in reading true crime novels and later...watching stories like this online. Thank you for sharing this case and all the others I didn't know about until I watched here. Love your channel!
How could her parents not see the abuse!!?? With the confessions of how she was being neglected and harmed so often prior to the last time the parents saw her there's no freaking way they did not notice something! The parents should have been charged along side this monster!
Unfortunately, not back in the 1960s. Today, the parents might be charged with neglect (at the very least), or *better,* aiding and abetting, *especially after seeing their daughters' emaciated condition.*
I didn’t realize how hard I had been biting down, clinching my teeth while listening to this, and now my jaw is killing me. I felt bad for Gertrude and her life up to when the sisters arrived. Obviously, that pity soon flew out the window, but this whole story is nothing but truly tragic and unbelievably sad. The anger I feel is overwhelming. I wonder if Sylvia’s parents even cared.
They thought they were protecting their daughters because they were concerned about men at the carnivals harming them. They also thought it was best for them to continue at the same school. Her parents were uneducated and probably did suffer after they found out that Sylvia was abused and murdered.
👋 to the man behind Monsters. I want to say a big, big thank you for all the work you must do to bring these episodes to us every week. ❤️ it's always so well done, and the little added bits of 'added' commentary (ie: 'yes, of course you would, I can't imagine why that didn't work out), well, they're just little notes of pure comedic genius! Absolutely love your work, and I wish you the success you definitely deserve.
Poor Sylvia. This is the most detailed account of what she went through I've ever heard in my God is surprising she lasted as long as she did. There's a special place in hell for Gertrude and her spawns.
I really feel horrible for Jenny as I cannot imagine watching a sibling go through that and being unable to stop it. Everyone bow can say "well why didn't she do x y z to stop Gertrude" and fail to realize this was a very different era which found punishments we would deem as abuse today to be appropriate; there also wasn't as much awareness of child abuse prior to this case, and it was unheard of for children to stick up for themselves. I hope Sylvia found peace in passing and whatever happens after that. This case fucks me up every time I hear it and while Gertrude was abused as a child and clearly continued the cycle, I wish we had a better understanding of her mental state as she upped the ante in ways that were creative in the most vicious and foul of ways.
I actually lived on that same corner. NY and Denny. Nearly every teen girl in Indy is obsessed with this story I hope it never falls into obscurity. I've learned so very much about Sylvia's death and every bit of it is haunting Well done Giles, as a native Hoosier I applaud your rendition
Oh my days, this is so disgusting, poor Sylvia 😢 Her life was a living nightmare. I would so love to get my hands on that abusive witch and others like her 😡 🤬
this story has always had an everlasting impact on me since the first time i heard it. i think it may be because it is SO hard for me to comprehend the fact that NO ONE cared about Sylvia. There were so many witnesses and neighbors and no one cared. There were so many evil people who partook in her torture and no one cared. No one in her school cared. No students or teachers noticed and cared. Her parents saw Sylvia and her sister on multiple occasions, with Sylvia being incredibly malnourished, and somehow they didn't notice? There is no way people were just indifferent because it was the 60s right???
I've heard all about what happened to poor Sylvia from numerous other sources, but you're the first that provided any insight into Gertrude's life prior to when Sylvia came under her control. There's absolutely no excuse for what she did/had done to Sylvia, but the background information helps "explain" what went wrong with Gertrude.
In all these old stories it amazes me just how common it was to beat members of your family. I have never understood how anyone can think it’s ok to beat someone into loving you.
My God! I have seen shows on this but WOW. You gave so much more details. Also, I never heard the tape. This... just is so unimaginable. The neglect and torture by Gertrude but also the whole freaking community!
NOTHING can _excuse_ what this monster did. Period. This video is the first I've seen about this case that describes anything preceding the Likens sisters entering the picture. Knowing something about the life experiences that probably _contributed_ to her behaviour does add a great deal of context. Thank you for telling these stories so thoroughly, without adding dramatic cues or horror elements that aren't needed. You're doing it very well indeed. ✌️🍍
I just watched the video on Sylvia and that was the hardest I've ever had to sit through. Genuinely sad stuff. And the fact that the whole neighborhood was in on it was even worse. An awful story with little to no silver lining
I actually couldn't wait for this one to finish. That kind of abuse is beyond monstrous. Where were the neighbours where were the parents, where were the authorities? I feel physically ill, so so so sad.
The neighbors saw and heard lots of things but just ignored it. One child actually told his parents part of it and they didn't even consider doing anything. Everyone let this girl die. Stephanie, who seemed to like her. The kids brought into the basement to watch, or join, the torture. The school who didn't check up on a crazy story. The parents who didn't check on their child. The sister who heard and saw these daily activities. Many people defend Jenny because she was scared, and I might have been too, but when the basement became her torture chamber I would have ran away and told everything to everyone I met. If nothing else I would have been scared I was next. It was a different time, but I would rather live on the street than go back.
Finding a babysitter must’ve really been foreign back then because why were people still knocking at her door knowing she already had 3500 kids that she was abusing in her home and no one even reported it.. disturbing and mind boggling
I can't believe she was paroled. I believe in reform and all that good stuff, but she deserved to spend the rest of her life in prison as much as anyone I can think of. Hell, she should have had to serve her time in general population with the most serious criminals who should know about what she did. What happens after that, oh well.
I'd very much like to know how and why this sadistic murderer was ever released. What infuriates me is that her equally sadistic sociopath of a daughter was released after just 1 year in prison!
Man, this is why we should never leave our children in the care of someone outside of the family. Especially if we don’t know them or have a bad upbringing
The story of Sylvia Has never left me since first hearing of her tragically short life. I blame her terrible, irresponsible, neglectful parents for putting their children with someone they barely knew. Gertrude did to Sylvia what her own mother did to her. Add to the awful parents neglect of their kids, that they didn’t send the agreed upon money after a couple payments.
And when they visited the second time, how did they not notice how thin Sylvia was? And she had to have been acting differently from what she did before. Who leaves their kids with a virtual stranger? The proper answer to that request was, “Sorry girls, but we don’t know these people well enough. You can visit when we’re back this fall, but you’re staying with Grandma until then.”
I'd never heard of this case before. When he started by describing Gertrude's life, I felt so sad for her, she seemed like she could've been a nice person under other circumstances. But when it got into what she did to Sylvia, all sympathy left my mind. There is never an excuse for such evil. My heart hurts for that poor little girl.
What karma are you talking about? One kid had a heart attack in his 20s. When the movie about this with Elliot Page came out, another of the boys had a heart attack. His kids said he became very depressed around that time. Gertrude's living daughters are still having employment issues. Gertrude was put into prison and didnt do too well after prison. If you're talking about revenge in what Sylvia endured...no. But our civilization doesn't allow for that anyway. So what kind of karma are you talking about?
oh wow this happened 15 minutes from my house.. never heard of this case. hope you're doing alright Giles, i know all of this shit is really heavy.. don't hesitate to take a break, your mental health is far more important than any video you could ever make for us. thank you bro.
this is the most disturbing story i have ever heard in my life. with circumstances like this, our justice system just does not do justice. this women, and other people who do things like this, should experience the same torture. period.
This is the worst story I've ever heard. There's a special place in hell for everyone who hurt her. That poor little girl. Hell is too good for those evil people..
I've never heard about this case before. Absolutely heartbreaking what this poor child went thru. Reading some comments about needing a mental break after listening, I'm sure Sylvia wished she could take a break from the cruelty she received from these devils. What KIND of people would do the things they did to that child? Even the children of Gertrude was able to beat and abuse her and the oldest daughter was happy about it! OMG! Thank you so much for shining a light on these Monsters!!!
Apparently the youngest child, James, was the only child, not counting the baby, who did not have a hand in the torture. I have often wondered how it affected him and if he was shielded from actually witnessing the abuse?
@@crapple009 even 8 yr old James had a part in this. They didn't shield him. He witnessed much of it and even partook in some hitting. When he was older he was quoted as saying Sylvia died on purpose just to piss off my Mom. It's said the baby cried a lot while she was being abused. Babies are sensitive and intuitive. He lead a very troubled life and was sickened about what his family did (even though he was fostered he was made aware somehow of his background) I believe he committed suicide. There was pure evil in that house.
Long time fan here. This is possibly the most horrid case I’ve heard. It’s definitely in the top ten. That poor baby. I can’t believe no one in that house said a word to anyone until it was too late.
I've watched countless crime shows on many channels and the Gertrude B. story is still the most disturbing to me out of all of them. Torturing someone so horribly and making her sister helplessly watch and participate sickens me to my core. It also shows how evil humans in general are, as NO ONE helped her and instead joined in the mayhem. I imagine putting this story together and narrating it was difficult, so thank you for getting this tragic story out.
Thanks so much for how amazing you covered that case! This case and the Junko Furuta ones are among the most horrible cases I have ever seen regarding teens being tortured and could not get justice served.
god i want to give sylvia a hug so badly. i don’t even believe in the death penalty but gertrude should have received it. my whole heart goes out to sylvia and i hope she is in a much better/safer place now.
When I was a teen or a pre teen I know 100% nobody could convince me to do that. The Fact so many joined in is baffling to me. Some of the kids did tell their parents but their parents not realizing the extent of it would reply " well she's being punished for being bad" which was normal in those days. So the kids thought it was ok and it just went way out of hand but even though it was 1965 I still can't comprehend how so many joined in.
@@juliebarnett9812 how did all 50 kids from the same area manage to just be born evil? That makes zero sense. Idk why people like you won't admit parents are responsible for teaching their kids to be harsh to others.
OMFG. THIS case is incredibly disturbing and I'm saying this as a person who's an avid true crime consumer. This story is almost unbearable to listen to, especially in Jiles' matter-of-fact, emotionless representation. Holy shit 😮 from the fact thatt the guy literally beating the baby out of that Gertrude monster to the series of horrific torture Sylvia had to endure.... I may need mental health counselling after having listened to this case. 🧐☹️
I’ve been obsessed with this case for over twenty-five years, ever since I stumbled upon Millett’s The Basement. It took me longer to read than any other book I’ve ever read because partway in I couldn’t stop crying and had to take breaks to calm down. Everyone involved should have been put to death. There is no excuse for a single one of them to have been allowed to live in the free world ever again. I think of Sylvia - Cookie - a lot, even today. She deflected attention away from Jenny, and in my opinion died as a modern day martyr. It’s so wrong that Gertrude and Paula ever lived free after what they did.
20 years after this happened I actually worked with one of the male teenagers who was convicted. I was reading the original book Indiana Torture Slaying ( I think that was the name of it) atvthe time. I figured out the dates and ages and although he went by a different 1st name, it fit. My female co worker, also a friend, was actually dating him. I didnt know what to do. I was very young. Would he come after me if I told her? No one at work had any idea except me.
The first book I ever read about it, the first time I ever heard about the case, was The Basement, by Kate Millett. I just happened to come across it at the library, and it caught my eye. I read the back and inner flaps and knew I had to read it. I was so horrified partway through that I was starting to question whether or not Millett was taking extreme liberties, and went back to the library to look up the newspaper stories on microfiche (okay, I’m old 😂), and when I found some stories and realised that Millett wasn’t embellishing much of anything. I just sat there alone in the back of the microfiche room behind the huge machine and cried because there was nothing else that I, or anyone else, could do to help Sylvia.
@@sharksport01 I wonder how all the kids turned out? Some people growing up with abuse, repeat the cycle. Sounds like the kids were involved in tormenting as well. That's probably because maybe mob mentality. Or maybe just self-preservation, steer the abuse on the somebody other than yourself. It makes me think about kids in school that bully other kids.
This case has permanently affected me. I can't even watch the movies because they're SO painful. These are some vile evil people. The fact that they all got released to restart their lives disgusts me. What they did to Sylvia took a special kind of evil. God bless her soul always.
This story really made me question concepts I used to believe in like karma/ final justice in THIS life! (Who knows if/what the Next life even is, I want people like Gertrude to face justice in THIS life!!
I never knew that Gertrude's torture of Sylvia mirrored the exact character of the abuse Gertrude suffered at the hands of her mother, peers, and lovers. Chilling. And sad. This whole case was just heartbreaking on every level, in every facet.
As in the cases of many serial killers, being the victim of abuse by her own mother, et al., *it is no excuse for what Gertrude did to children not even her own.*
@@thedesertwarrior7447 I don't recall saying the abuse that Gertrude suffered in any way EXCUSES what she did to Sylvia. I'm just saying it's a sad example of how cruelty begets often greater cruelty; how evil begets often greater evil.
I've watched a lot of crime documentaries. I've listened to just about every single one of yours as well. This story and Gertrude in general disturbed me on a level not many have. This was unnerving to the soul.
Honey I had to stop at 15 minutes in because my rage is getting way out of control. I'm sure you did an excellent job on the rest of it but I'm going to have to clock out. I look forward to seeing your other stuff you always do a really good job. I might fast forward it to the end just to see if these people were even punished for doing this to these children.
Sylvia's story is always difficult to read/watch I nearly did not click on this but glad I did as you covered it so well. I never knew the background story of Gertrude, you showed that even Monsters were once humans. Thank you and take great care ✨
Same. Once I realized which story this was, I almost didn't want to watch it. The first time I hear Sylvia's story, I was so saddened and enraged it was almost traumatizing.
Cruelty turns people into cruel people. Sadly, had she not been treated the way she had been she probably wouldn't have crumbled. In today's society, she would at least have more resources. I'm glad we take mental health seriously, as well as child safety.
I remember hearing that after Gertrude was released, the press was interviewing her. A couple of men drove by in a truck and yelled "Someone shoot that bitch!" Apparently she had a look of terror on her face as they passed. I'd like to think that she lived out the rest of her life looking over her shoulder thinking that someone would give her the justice she deserved
Interviewed her? I shudder to think what she had to say....
@@indiatastic Perhaps interview wasn't the right word. While she was being released, the press was surrounding her asking questions.
That and the agony of lung cancer, I wouldn’t wish that pain on my worst enemy but I’d wish it on someone as evil as her
May that disgusting POS never know a moment's peace. I'd like to think the same thing.
Yeah I hope the bitch did live out the rest of her life, fearing what someone would do to her sorry ass after what she did alone to poor Sylvia she deserved the death penalty but I'll settle with her being in fear and looking over her shoulder thinking that someone would give her the justice she deserved.
“Take me home” I’m sobbing. This poor child. She deserved so much better.
0
Indiana sucks, always has. Depravity's hothouse. No Sylvia's Law?!
I can't believe their father just handed them over to that crazy ass woman, just because he wanted them out of the way but kept their brother.
That broke me too. 😢
Absolutely disgusting! ! I find some solace in the knowledge that she died a long slow death from lung cancer. Sylvia Lichens is at home now😔
No one deserved lung cancer more than this woman!
I know this is a horrible thing to say, but I hope she went through her illness un- medicated.
I know right…. Wtf
With all due respect, no one ‘deserves’ cancer…
@@john-brady she did
@@nikkired5584 Have it your way, I don’t agree. I’ve had cancer and so have many people that I know. Did we ‘deserve it’? Done
Lester and Betty went back to see their daughters as Sylvia was looking "noticeably malnourished." Both complained about being hungry, but instead of feeding them they took them "out for sodas" before handing them right back to Gertrude and paid her more money. - Nice f***ing parenting.
They should have been arrested for abandonment.
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Disgusting people all around in this one. Poor Sylvia.
Every adult in their lives let BOTH these girls down!
Yeah, I always wondered WTH they were thinking sending their kids to live with a total stranger. Weird.
If this was the case, leaving their kids with this chick, was really abandoning them.
How this woman ever got paroled is beyond me. Unforgivable.
Yes I agree.
@@douglashall2141 🎉
She had lung cancer, it was cheaper to release her. Take comfort in the fact that dying of lung cancer, can be a long excruciating experience.
This monster and her brood and neighbor monsters should had been locked in jail for the rest of their lives , no parole , no deviation. They were all monsters. All these people even kids actually enjoyed it, they laughed and had a great time torturing and killing an innocent girl for pleasure for the "permission" of doing it, humans are disgusting when they are like this and they enjoyed.
I agree
The fact that that sorry excuse of a human being died a free woman makes my blood BOIL!
Totally infuriating, she should have been in jail forever. She tortured this girl to death and with the criminal sophistication of a 5 year old she tried to cover her tracks with the "confession" . Gertrude is pure moronic evil.
The whole community were monsters. There had to have been many, many people who saw the signs of abuse on Sylvia and did nothing.
Most of them didn’t even see signs and that’s it they saw it go down those boys who saw the bottle torture and the boy that saw her shove vomit into her mouth are horrible they did nothing the I agree with when you say that the whole community were monsters they saw, they participated , they did nothing to help.
Yes. And there were random friends and school/neighborhood dudes participating in the torture (e.g. the branding, the making her eat the hot dog with tons of spices, etc.).
These actions of abuse and sexual assault is normal for white Christian people who go to church, especially in the midwest U.S. They particularly love torturing children.
I’m glad that nowadays, this type of behavior is condemned and punished. If this ever happened to me, my friends, or anyone I cared about, I’d rather be in heaven than live through the torture. The description of the abuse is horrific.
@@Bleeeh_ Gertrude at some point stopped allowing Sylvia to go to school because her injuries were very visible. But many in that neighborhood knew and either participated or said nothing. The school should have had an investigator look into why Sylvia was not in school.
Absolutely heart-breaking case. Poor Sylvia. It's sickening to think that all involved were ever permitted to walk free again and go on to live normal lives.
I know! Imagine all those kids involved going on to have normal lives? It’s really hard to believe they did
Welcome to the US justice system.
@@WobblesandBean they wouldn't get away with it now
@@Frenchblue8 🤣🤣🤣🤣
God will ultimately judge these vile creatures
The part with the bottle always gets me. I can’t imagine the pain. Everyone failed this child 😔
I found out about that part when I was really young. I never got over how horrifying it is. Rip sweet Sylvia.
Mainly her parents
I don't know which horrifies me most - the violent rape with a glass bottle, or a group of males standing around, cheering and humiliating and destroying her emotionally. It makes me teary to think of it. And yet the same sorts of things happen all around the world, every day.
She just got caught.
Children who foster with multiple families ends in a life of tormoil, ptsd, and suffer many ways in a misunderstood lifestyle. Passed down from generation to future generation, there is need to be in therapy. WE need the law to be handled in a case by case investigation.if there is no possible chance the criminal is innicent.we know right from wrong, and if history is ever repeated, it should be death no possible chance they can get out of it
@@DaniDiva182 There is Group r*pes in Germany almost daily since 2015 and the best part of it? Most of those assholes go free/ Probation bc they all just "traumatized" Great times to live in
This case has stayed with me for numerous decades. What they did to Sylvia was horrendous.
Ditto! I can still remember the first time I heard of Sylvia and the horrible horror she had to endure.
Gertrude got off light. Twenty years?
Extremely horrible case.
@@warrennelson2089 ‘justice’ system 🤡🤡
One that makes it more disturbing is how low her punishment is.
Sylvia Likens and Junko Furuta. Two innocent girls and two absolutely unforgettable cases. Out of every gruesome crime I’ve ever heard, those 2 are just on an entirely different level of cruelty and depravity. It’s cliche to say that your heart is broken for these poor girls, but even after I’ve heard the stories multiple times over I am still just absolutely speechless in horror every single time. RIP Sylvia and Rip Junko.
Agree also add in Kelly Anne bates and channon Christian to that list. Absolutely horrifying.
Ikr. It's also kinda sick that there's movies based on these stories. I have seen the two movies about poor Sylvia Likens but not about Junko Furuta. And I don't know if I can. I think it will be to graphic as Neighbor next door was for me.
Albert Fish and David Pparker Ray cases are worse
@Jackson Boyer SAME! ive read and watched many crimes but these two you mentioned have stuck with me throughout he years
Junko Furuta is one of the cases I’ll NEVER forget. The only thing that could have possibly made it worse is if one of the many torturers was related to her or if she was even younger.. anyone saying there’s many worse cases, I just cannot explain it. I can’t forget about junko if I tried. Of course there are many unspeakably horrific crimes, I don’t know if it was the details regarding her torture, how many people saw and knew of her being held captive and chose to either join in or do nothing, WHERE she was being held, the fact it lasted over 40 days, the unclear motive (besides r@ping and robbing local women just because they can), the fact one boy tricked her and gained her trust just to lure her to a real life hellllll or the horrible injustice and disrespect she continued to experience after her death because of the unacceptably short/minor punishment the guilty parties received. The assailants being underage themselves all pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 17 (and then added 3 additional years so) 20 years to the main culprit who’s parents were eventually aware of a disheveled girl being held in their home but were too scared to do or say anything. The rest got 5-7, 5-9 and then 8 years in juvenile detention. AND YET- as a true crime junkie I had not even heard of her case until the last couple years… most likely because of how horrific it was and possibly an assumption everyone would know about it already as it has been described as the “worst case of juvenile delinquency in post war Japan”..
Sylvia didn’t have a lapse in judgement and start a rumor. PAULA MADE IT ALL UP. I just don’t want Sylvia to be portrayed to be something she wasn’t.
Exactly!! I was just about to make this comment.
You are correct but even if she had, the tournament was beyond extreme for punishment. This monster used any excuse to justify her actions in her sick head
@@ms.kaykay2098 Sylvia said nothing bad about Paula.
Not true SHE DID
The glass bottle torture had me jaw dropped. I just can't imagine the pain and humiliation the poor child experienced.
Yeah parts of this case were genuinely hard to listen to, I mean its hard to fathom anyone could do this to another person let alone a child
Yeah, i watch WAY too much true crime and that still scared me.
What kind of person even thinks of doing that?
How does that come into someone's mind and then they think " yea that's a good idea"
This world is a terrifying place
The coke bottle incident is not correct at all. She did make Sylvia strip and told her to insert the bottle. Sylvia couldn't and dropped the bottle where it smashed. Sylvia's Hyman was still in tact at the time of death. Her vagina was actually swollen shut because of all the massive kicks to her privates. She became incontinent and soiled herself which got her more abuse. 1 of the movies also shows her getting raped but that never happened either. I don't know why they added that scene.
I'm sure the Empty Bottle when inserted created a vacuum seal. It probably created internal injuries. I know this because of a woman brought into the hospital with a bottle inserted and they had to drill a hole in the bottom of the bottle to stop the vacuum seal. In order to safely remove it.
I had once heard that Sylvia had called out for her father moments before she passed and that completely broke me. Sweet Sylvia, you deserved none of this. May you rest easy in the next world. 💖
No I believe she called out to our Heavenly Father and those evil doers have a portion of the lake of fire. Repent repent repent in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
@@LizEsc shut up
I was once in her shoes and found a god who nulled the demon's thirst for my blood said demon was my abusers). My life was a full of chants,prayers and meditation...that really did AlOT for me cz soon after that,the abusers only verbally attacked me,but not physically
I was lucky.
(69 is my lucky number and I'm a Pisces)
Now I'm 22 years old,safe and free. Thank you Spirit🙏🏿
Supposedly she did say "I wish my daddy was here" while lying wet on the floor. I don't know where I read that.
Poor Sylvia never had a chance she was too beautiful and they couldn't come close to her may her spirit rest in peace finally.
Father of 3 young ladies. This story literally makes me sick to my stomach. Not sure how anyone could do this, but a mother? How? Why? Everyone involved deserves the same treatment 10 fold. Eye for an eye…..
What will that solve? The kid is dead, and the parents left her there.
@@AnimatedBlast really? so just let them go unpunished? You make 0 sense
The fact that she didn't get tourtue in jail like i wanted her to is devasting
@@Oheada Some of them were released within 2 years time making their punishment absurd.
I'm surprised it took you this long to cover this case! Calling Gertrude a "monster" is an understatement.
She's a Demon. A devil incarnate
She was created to abuse Sylvia just like how Judas was created to crucify Jesus
Becareful that you aren't born to be a curse in someone's life, watch how u treat others,cz that's an indication of whether you're from God or manipulated by the devil
Gertrude and her children and her kids friends were trash
there’s a movie based on this story called the girl next door and it was the most disturbing and upsetting movie I’ve ever seen
She's not a monster, she's an evil entity that would even make the Devil have nightmares.
She's one of the worst MONSTERS you've introduced us to, imo. She was beyond cruel.
🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢
Monster is too kind to be calling her that, how about an evil entity that would even make the Devil have nightmares.
This story reminds me of the book, "A boy called IT" by Dave Peltzer. He suffered horrific abuse like this by his own mother when he was a child but lived to tell about it. One of the top 3 worst child abuse cases ever reported! Sick that anyone let alone a mother could torture a child at all!!
Yup I live near that school he went to... really sad too 😥
I read his first book when i was a teenager. Im in my mid 30s and tried to re-read it and I just cant. Dont know how i managed to get through it the first time. It was absolutely horrific. Heartbreaking.
What's really sick is what started it.
If you research her, you see that Gertrude consistently married men who abused her, and potentially she learned to be self-hating, given how she treated Sylvia.
Omg I remember that book. So hard to read. Ur so ryt x
Yes! Me too. Both mothers sound similiar
This story is absolutely infuriating. How anyone could do this is beyond me.
Indeed. Anyone that could do this is evil.
Anyone that allowed it is worse.
Pure evils
Poor Sylvia was failed by EVERYONE, my heart hurts for her.
I grew up in Indianapolis. I was 11 years old when this happened. It has always haunted me. My heart breaks for what happened to this poor girl.
And you were five years younger than her too. Wow
I just can’t believe no one would help her. So sad.
Unfun fact: The house where Sylvia Likens was tortured to death became dilapidated over time and was demolished in April 23, 2009. It is now a church parking lot.
Again why are people surprised. These kinds of people enslaved an entire race and tortured and brutalized them for centuries. And did nothing to change it. I'm not surprised.
There’s a movie based on this, which is called “the girl next door” and I remember being forced to watch that at the age of 12 after my parents found out I was talking to people (guys) online. I don’t know the rationale of that, but the movie haunted me for years. The movie, of course isn’t completely accurate, but it really puts in perspective how disgusting people can be. There were many people that could have prevented this from happening.
they made another too. dont know your parents reasoning since there was no Internet, I never watched any after Googling it.
@@gjh9299 the movie came out in the earlier 2000’s, and I guess the intention was to show how cruel and untrusting people can be. either way, it scared me & I’m glad this poor girl has her story told to this day. I wish it never happened. Hopefully sharing her story at least can inspire someone to speak out when they suspect something, because there was many opportunities someone could have helped her.
@@MasonJarSnow one is called an American Crime, the other is The Girl Next Door
@@MasonJarSnow yes, the Turnpin family is more recent, happened in my county in CA one of the daughters finally escaped the house and found a phone, didn't know how to use it, her parents are super weird. Theyre doing ok and all testified against the parents. You should look them up. Dad has really weird hair cut. Interesting story.
@@gjh9299 wtf do you mean there was no internet lmao. OP never said when her parents made her watch it, only that she was 12
I understand that times were different then, in regards to child welfare, etc. And Gertrude was the primary psychopathic torturer/murderer. But it's still such a disgrace that the teachers and neighbors - not to mention Sylvia's own parents - didn't immediately recognize the abuse and rescue her. No excuses.
Went through some of this abuse too, and no one mentioned anything. In some ways, i even think social services were complicit in covering it up too, and leaving me there. This stuff happens regularly.
Times were different? This actually happens more frequently now. Social workers in this country are notoriously lazy from overwork, jaded, and callous. They still are, so this still happens.
@@crazyredfoxes It's horrible what can happen to children. You know first hand unfortunately. If you are up for it you might try to right the wrongs you know about.
people didnt care about child abuse at all then, they barely do now
I don’t understand why her parents didn’t take them away when they said they were hungry?!?
They didn’t notice Sylvia’s changes? It’s their fault too!! 🙋🏼♀️🇺🇸🙏🏻
They gave Gertrude an extra $20.00 thinking she would take better care of their children. They were not educated and knew nothing about child abuse.
I couldn't understand why
Them two couldn't stay with the older sister and her husband
The Father should had sent Dianna that same 20
Or why them two couldn't stay
With the Grandparents
Why the flag? What does the American flag have to do with anything??
@@eileenthombs2075
It’s just something I always put under my comments! It symbolizes I live in America and proud of it! I’ve done it for years!
🙋🏼♀️🇺🇸🙏🏼
@@craftyjoy9 Not something to be proud of, but k.
I think I’ve heard/read almost every version of this story out there. You’re the first that really delved into Gertrude’s background and what contributed to her being the way she was. That always interests me as a mental health clinician. Great work!
This!!! I came looking for this comment because, despite the many times I have heard this case, this was THE FIRST to included Gertrude’s background.
Many thanks for this eye opening insight. Your research is truly appreciated!
Do you remember the name of the movie they made about this?
@@JWitt30 2 An American Crime and The Girl Next Door
@@gjh9299 I saw "An American Crime". I had just got a Netflix account and this was one of the first three DVDs I ordered. The movie was traumatizing.
@@angelatarrance1896 the movie didn’t do Sylvia justice.
The neglect from the parents.... seriously
I wish the parents neglected them instead of abusing them.
This is such a depressing case, hope you’re mentally okay after researching this case, keep up the great work.
I agree, and I'm only 10 mins in. He does such a great job researching, I always hope he takes just enough time for him. Glad you said something.
I've heard this story many times, and it's just as haunting every time it's told. I can't believe people could be this cruel. It's beyond comprehension.
I find that unless it effects me or someone I love I am able to disconnect from the crime. Maybe the narrator is that way as well.
@@wildechild5 It affects us as we empathize with the victim who we know was a real human being. I am affected by any cruelty to humans or animals. I had once started to watch the movie about this case but it upset me so much I had to stop and I have never seen the ending.
@@juanitarichards1074 Juanita honey you probably shouldn't watch the flick this then it affects you that much. I understand what you're saying and I am not completely heartless about the victims and the things happened to them. Often times I find myself crying but you can't let it get to you if you're going to watch stuff like this. But perhaps it's because I've been watching this kind of stuff since I was young so I got about 40 years in on it so it doesn't bothers me as much as it should probably. I often take breaks to watch stuff that's purely just funny that makes me laugh to get my mind off of stuff like this. I can't let it bog me down I have too many real life problems myself.
I've heard countless people cover this case. However, you always seem to add pieces to these stories I've never heard before. Your content always elicits a visceral reaction from me. It's so obvious how much of yourself you put into your work, Jiles. I'm so glad you covered this case.
Agreed! There were parts in this story that I wasn’t aware of either.
@@apexgaming5890 Same! I'm so glad I click on every upload, no matter how many times I've heard the case covered.
There are two books about Sylvia Likens that should be read if you want to go deeper into understanding this crime. The first is "House of Evil: The Indiana Torture Slaying" and the second is "The Girl Next Door". The incredibly well done movie "An American Crime" was based on the first book. I have read others, but only recommend these two.
RIP to Sylvia.
Thank you for sharing that, if you had to recommend only one of the books which would you recommend?
On another comment, somebody mentioned millets, the basement as a book she read that made her cry like crazy. Not sure I want to cry like crazy but a story like this probably would anyway.
There's also a movie about her
I saw American Crime I was sIckened how the neighborhood kids came in and tortured her I still can’t get this out my head
Rip sylvia
I started to read ‘The Girl Next Door’ because I love horror novels and movies and Jack Ketchum is a master. But as soon as I realized it was about Sylvia Likins I had to put it down. I knew I wouldn’t be able to bear it.
I never thought I'd be happy to hear somebody died of lung cancer...I hope it was a gruelling illness for her. Fantastic documentary as usual...I hope Sylvia rests in peace.
Lung cancer hurts a lot. I seen it firsthand to good woman. She deserves every bit of PAIN she recieved, and i hope an afterlife of pain does exist.
It was interesting hearing about Richard Hobbs as well, because he was friends with Gertrude not the kids.
Richard Hobbs also died from lung cancer at the age of 21.
@@ritawashere5787 it's speculated that Gertrude seduced 15 yr old Hobbs and he was her boy toy. It's plausible. Hobbs mother was dying of cancer during this time so he probably needed a Mother figure. Gertrude had her youngest child by a much younger man. It's believable.
@@lisascorp wow, that does seem believable. We just don't like to think about women being sexually deviant. It's probably more common than we realize. My ex-husband's mother had a friend that had sex with him. He was 14. I think in some ways these boys don't think it's molestation because he always said he lost his virginity. I was molested, but I don't call that losing my virginity. It was rape.
I truly hope it was slow and agonizing. If their is a hell then I have no doubt the devil himself would come to claim her soul. I can usually handle hearing some of these stories but this one...its literally making me cry.
Imagine being SO insecure as a woman, that you take it all out on some innocent girl and instruct your own children and their friends to carry out your torture.
This case is one of the few that can bring me to tears. I wish SOMEONE would've done something. I wish they would've told their parents about the abuse, or run away, or just honestly anything would've been better...
sounds a lot like the story of Vera Jo
It's awful what she went through in her own life, but I can't muster up a shred of sympathy for her after what she did to that poor girl.
What’s even more shocking and heartbreaking is that no one who noticed the abuse of Sylvia did anything to intervene! Even back in the 60’s, a neighbor who had 4 kids and babysat in her home tried to explain away the bruises on her own kids and the kids she watched, to no avail. My grandmother and another woman went to the police, who directed them to the CPS, who DID investigate. Her natural children were removed, the parents who had kids under her care sued. Her 4 children grew up in a good foster home that was very loving. They all turned out miraculously ok. All because a couple of neighbors “butted in”!
It's beyond depraved. We've had neighbours that I have called the authorities on and I'd do it again. I don't understand seeing a child who is suffering and not doing anything about it. It takes a village to raise a child, or whatever that saying is.
Your grandma and her friend were abnormally good people
@@beebob2877 They were just good people. It's those who sit idly and do nothing about reporting suspected or obvious abuse who are abnormal.
@@yelenaangeleski3354 Most people are just apathetic
@@beebob2877 I don't think it's apathy. People don't want to get mixed up in any hot mess, particularly if the legal system is going to be involved.
How can so many people be involved and not one of them felt sympathy and went to the police even if I see a child in the street crying I go over and make sure the child is okay. They all deserve life every one of them.
At that time beatings were a common and accepted parenting tactic and trouble in the home was ignored by the police.
@@sw6118 Corporal Punishment is spanking, slaps, not beating. Not butting out cigarettes on a kid's arm or forcing them to endure SA for a group of their peers 😫 "Beatings " weren't common & accepted practice (I'll concede def more common than today).
A whole family of monsters. It's sad how they got away with it too.
@@sw6118 I've been spanked, not once did it leave bruises. And punching your kid in the face was still seen as abusive back then.
Poor sweet girl. Sylvia- you will never be forgotten. If only someone had taken notice and intervened. You poor, poor baby. Rest in Peace.
My mother was abused very bad by her stepfather, until the school stepped in and sent to a foster home. She stayed there & work at a cafeteria. Took a trip at 18, took a bus all of Military men and my Dad moved in and fell in love and had us 3 kids. She was a woman with a heart of gold and she was very much Loved by my Dad. She passed at 69 she shrunk down to 66 lbs. R.I.P. Mom.
I am sorry to hear that. May your mom RIP
@@jessikahigbie9727 🙏
@@sharpiegirl599 Sad case. Nobody should go though abuse and torture like this child did. She would be around my parents age if she was still alive.
My condolences about your loss. May God bless her soul.
Pure spirit,your mum,God bless her soul❤❤❤
I grew up in and out of foster homes and living with tons of relatives across the country and this kind of behavior happens a lot more than people think. Even now. I was always hiding bruises and scars and not eating for weeks at a time. What enabled all of it was the fear. Fear of abuse. Fear of rejection. Fear of starving. It takes over you and you could end it at almost anytime if you say something. If you see that shit, don't pretend it isn't any of your business. You might be saving someone's life.
Wow 😮 sad 😢
Sorry to hear that too but I know exactly what you mean. I went from being sexually and physically abused by my parents, to having my father kill himself because I slipped up and told a teacher. I am only now getting over the issues. I still abuse drugs as I am unable to stop. I pray that I can find the strength to get better,
I like to think we are finally at the point where this sort of thing is less tolerated than anything else.
how do you survive not eating for weeks?
@@killbill5486 the body can survive weeks without food. It's a lack of water that kills quickly.
💔
A few additional fun (not) facts:
A) Gertrude had an expensive bedroom set for herself.
B) During the trial Gertrude testified that she was supposed to get $55 a week in child support. But John only paid $110 every two weeks. (She was definitely math challenged.)
C) At one time the Likens family rented a house just 2 or three doors west of where Sylvia died. That house is still there.
D) With the exception of the murder house, most of the locations involved in this story are still standing. The nearest grocery (a Safeway according to a former neighbor) is now a Family Dollar. That store was less than a five minute walk. The gas station access the street is also still standing. If you know what to look for, you can see where the phone booth was.
E) The rent on the apartment Gertrude rented was $55 a month. This most likely included utilities. (Based on personal experience living in similar buildings.)
F) The rear of the Indiana Women's Prison where Gertrude and Paula served time is on New York Street. It's also almost directly north of Sylvia's Memorial. (Put up 50 years too late in my opinion.)
G) The Middle School Jenny attended was converted into Senior Apartments somewhere around 2017-2019. I could see this School from my bathroom window as it was on the next street.
H) I actually partially blame her Doctor for over-presciping a med 14:43 ication that would make her "sleepy". Okay not a "serious" side effect. But seriously you don't give her enough of a drug to keep someone "sleepy" 24/7/365.
Ironically that Doctor's office is now a Day Care.
EDIT I) The famous picture of Sylvia was with a group of friends when the family was living in California.
I have been a fan of yours for a while now. I’ve listened to you talking about stories I haven’t heard before and some of the ones I have. In both cases, you never fail to tell it in such an interesting way that I always feel like I’m listening to a story for the first time. Props to you for all your hard work and a fantastic way to be able to tell horrific stories in a way people can FEEL them with you, Giles. This story of Sylvia is probably one of the most horrible cases I have ever heard about. The poor girl died for some devil-woman’s amusement. Unthinkable 😢
This case and the Junko Furuta case both give me such awful rage. I never understand the bystander effect but it's even more confusing when people actually get involved in the crimes. I could never.
@@s0lastsummer7 I have given in to my curiosity and looked this case up. I regret doing it. However, I thank you for brining it to my attention. What I am struggling to understand is how can people do these monstrous things to one another?? It is beyond me!!
@@mariolag6894 I'm so sorry I caused you to do it, seriously. 😕 it's such an awful one, and I have a very thick skin when it comes to crime stuff. I don't understand it either, like how do they even think of the things they do to other people.... my brain couldn't invent that kind of monstrosity.
I remember hearing about this case years ago. That "mother" was absolutely sick & depraved and caused her children to be the same way. She terrorized those poor girls, especially the oldest...who she basically killed. What a freaking monster for sure.💔
definitely, interesting to hear how she was treated. I wonder how her surviving kids went on in their lives. They definitely were traumatized too, even by partaking in the abuse.
shows the cycle of abuse, interesting to hear about her childhood. Tragic Gertrude was able to have kids at all.
@@gjh9299 I agree, Gert's kids were definitely abused in about every way one can be abused. I cannot imagine how this affected their lives...
@@gjh9299 Most of the abusers lived fairly short lives, some didn't live long enough to see 60, some not even 50.
The way that Rick would nonchalantly explained him causing her that extreme pain , CHILLING 😰
This case and the case of Junko Furuta are two that will never leave me. I'll never stop being sad and feeling pain for these girls.
Two of the absolute worst !
Two of the worst cases of being tortured to death.
@Thou Swell very true!
Yep, top worst cases. For me it’s Junko Furuta, The Toolbox Killers, & Dean Corrl. I fucking hate all the killers involved & I wish I could do to them what they did to their victims tbh
Same here but also Channon and Chris case. The house they were tortured in has since been knocked down xx
The depravity on display in that house, with Gertrude in particular but also the vast majority of teens visiting PLUS the siblings... it's completely unreal. You can't believe this story would be real with the length of time involved and the levels of torture and abuse ... but there it is. Astoundingly horrific.
The whole neighborhood is toxic
Obviously word got out but no one cared
Unfortunately, these things are probably more common than we realize.
I'd have found a way to unlike that crazy bitch
How long was Sylvia tortured?
@@fleshmaiden69 3 months. From mid July 65 until her death late October 65
All these people who tortured Sylvia got to live out their lives and free. Sylvia died being held captive. The punishment did not meet the crime
My grandpa lived 2 blocks down from this. He was a 6 and a half foot firefighter. I wish he had known what was going on in that house. I was a little kid when this happened, but we drove by this house often. As a grown up, I so often wish I could have gone in there and saved Sylvia. This story has haunted me for decades.
I remember the house at Denny and New York Streets. It was pretty big and run-down and they couldn't keep tenants in there. There was a Baptist church across the street. The house was torn down in about 2010 and it's a parking lot today.
I'm sorry but that neighborhood sounds like it was rotten to the core, so many people took part in the abuse or at least knew of her situation and did nothing to try and help Silvia.
I thought so too. The whole neighborhood sounded terrible.
@@gino4047It was & still is.
I cried throughout this. This ripped my heart out. Rest in peace sweet angel Sylvia🙏🏻
My mom went to school with Sylvia! She told me about her and how she was tortured! After all these years they finally tore down the house of torture!
What was Sylvia like to hang out with? Did your mom ever say? I'm so curious to know.
@@perryegolson833 My mom said that she was a very sweet girl, but shy.
@@kimberlycampbell8355 After a while she stopped going to school because the evil monster didn’t want the teachers or the principal to notice the obvious abuse that Sylvia was receiving. I wish I could have been there to comfort her and get her out of there.
@@perryegolson833 Yup, you're right. Back then teachers never even questioned why the child is absent from school or how a child received injuries. If a child was beat, they would automatically assume that the child deserved it. The house where this took place wasn't even torn down until the early 2000s! One thing that this series did get wrong was about Sylvia spreading rumors and lies about Paula and her sister. Paula was sleeping with a married man and she told Sylvia that she was pregnant. Paula and the man that she was sleeping with got into an altercation and he began hitting her. That's when Sylvia yelled at him to stop because she was pregnant. After that is when it really became bad for Sylvia.
@@kimberlycampbell8355 did your mom ever see the film 'the girl next door'? i'd imagine not,but i am curious if she ended up watching the film. i can't imagine your mother would want to see the torture of her friend it's a very sad and depressing event i can't even believe actually happened after watching that movie.
This one is still something I struggle to comprehend. It sounds like genuine hell on earth and might be the most awful case I've heard of apart from war crimes, and even then... It's really just such stark and severe evil.
@Thou Swell and Kelly Anne Bates and Suzanne Capper
@Thou Swell I was gonna say this, but you beat me to it. Junko's case is the most horrific I have ever heard, I dont think there is another case out there that is worse, When I first heard it, I became sick to my stomach and had to stop for a bit. The worst part of that case, the people who did it are free.
I expected "x is worse" comments and I don't want to have some sorrow+horror pissing contest, but Sylvia living this for longer than 40 days and having essentially been shoved off there with her sister is what makes it too awful for me
@@ChloesColdEars111 The latter part of your comment gave me the chills. I think Japan’s justice system has way too many loopholes
@terrenceswiff I think Junko's mightve been worse, because her own murders treated her so horribly they were scared she would come back as an _onryō_ or vengeful spirit after her death. The murders themselves were scared for their well-being, which speaks to the depravity they inflicted on her.
I want to vomit. Then scream. Then sob.
I am from Indianapolis and remember when they let 'dirty Gertie' out of jail my senior year of high school. My friends and I had never heard of this story since it happened before we were born but we soon learned all about it because of her release. My best friend and I drove by the house, which was still standing at that time but I believe has since been torn down. A few years later I worked with a woman who was friends with Stephanie Baniszewski at this time and told me how she was never allowed in their house but Stephanie could come to her house. She obviously learned why that October. I have always felt for this girl who was tortured and killed in my city 3 years before I was born. This case is what started my interest in reading true crime novels and later...watching stories like this online. Thank you for sharing this case and all the others I didn't know about until I watched here. Love your channel!
This abuse story is one of the worst. She should get the same “punishment” she doled out.
This and the Junko Furudo case always go hand and hand when discussing the worst in humanity
Well she died of lung cancer so we can only hope she endured a fraction of the suffering she caused.
Torture is all she should of gotten same way she dished on the innocent
This case really shows how far human depravity and cycles of violence can go. RIP Sylvia
How could her parents not see the abuse!!?? With the confessions of how she was being neglected and harmed so often prior to the last time the parents saw her there's no freaking way they did not notice something! The parents should have been charged along side this monster!
Unfortunately, not back in the 1960s. Today, the parents might be charged with neglect (at the very least), or *better,* aiding and abetting, *especially after seeing their daughters' emaciated condition.*
I know this story. But it’s too hard to watch again. May Sylvia rest in peace 🙏🏿💔
Please be taking mental health breaks after such cases.
I didn’t realize how hard I had been biting down, clinching my teeth while listening to this, and now my jaw is killing me. I felt bad for Gertrude and her life up to when the sisters arrived. Obviously, that pity soon flew out the window, but this whole story is nothing but truly tragic and unbelievably sad. The anger I feel is overwhelming. I wonder if Sylvia’s parents even cared.
They thought they were protecting their daughters because they were concerned about men at the carnivals harming them. They also thought it was best for them to continue at the same school. Her parents were uneducated and probably did suffer after they found out that Sylvia was abused and murdered.
👋 to the man behind Monsters. I want to say a big, big thank you for all the work you must do to bring these episodes to us every week. ❤️ it's always so well done, and the little added bits of 'added' commentary (ie: 'yes, of course you would, I can't imagine why that didn't work out), well, they're just little notes of pure comedic genius! Absolutely love your work, and I wish you the success you definitely deserve.
Poor Sylvia. This is the most detailed account of what she went through I've ever heard in my God is surprising she lasted as long as she did. There's a special place in hell for Gertrude and her spawns.
I really feel horrible for Jenny as I cannot imagine watching a sibling go through that and being unable to stop it. Everyone bow can say "well why didn't she do x y z to stop Gertrude" and fail to realize this was a very different era which found punishments we would deem as abuse today to be appropriate; there also wasn't as much awareness of child abuse prior to this case, and it was unheard of for children to stick up for themselves. I hope Sylvia found peace in passing and whatever happens after that.
This case fucks me up every time I hear it and while Gertrude was abused as a child and clearly continued the cycle, I wish we had a better understanding of her mental state as she upped the ante in ways that were creative in the most vicious and foul of ways.
I actually lived on that same corner. NY and Denny. Nearly every teen girl in Indy is obsessed with this story
I hope it never falls into obscurity. I've learned so very much about Sylvia's death and every bit of it is haunting
Well done Giles, as a native Hoosier I applaud your rendition
Cant believe it took so long to tear that house down.
I was there too, at the time, but on the west side. It still haunts me 😭
Oh my days, this is so disgusting, poor Sylvia 😢 Her life was a living nightmare. I would so love to get my hands on that abusive witch and others like her 😡 🤬
this story has always had an everlasting impact on me since the first time i heard it. i think it may be because it is SO hard for me to comprehend the fact that NO ONE cared about Sylvia. There were so many witnesses and neighbors and no one cared. There were so many evil people who partook in her torture and no one cared. No one in her school cared. No students or teachers noticed and cared. Her parents saw Sylvia and her sister on multiple occasions, with Sylvia being incredibly malnourished, and somehow they didn't notice? There is no way people were just indifferent because it was the 60s right???
I was raised in the sixties, my own mum reported child abuse to social welfare. Delia Morris
I've heard all about what happened to poor Sylvia from numerous other sources, but you're the first that provided any insight into Gertrude's life prior to when Sylvia came under her control. There's absolutely no excuse for what she did/had done to Sylvia, but the background information helps "explain" what went wrong with Gertrude.
one fu#@ed up thing leads to another
Gertrude was just born dogshit.
In all these old stories it amazes me just how common it was to beat members of your family. I have never understood how anyone can think it’s ok to beat someone into loving you.
This child was failed by everyone...and how that monster got paroled is beyond ludicrous...
My God! I have seen shows on this but WOW. You gave so much more details. Also, I never heard the tape. This... just is so unimaginable. The neglect and torture by Gertrude but also the whole freaking community!
NOTHING can _excuse_ what this monster did. Period.
This video is the first I've seen about this case that describes anything preceding the Likens sisters entering the picture. Knowing something about the life experiences that probably _contributed_ to her behaviour does add a great deal of context.
Thank you for telling these stories so thoroughly, without adding dramatic cues or horror elements that aren't needed. You're doing it very well indeed. ✌️🍍
This is a tragedy of adult failure. All involved should've been charged with negligent homicide if they weren't charged with worse. It's sickening.
I just watched the video on Sylvia and that was the hardest I've ever had to sit through. Genuinely sad stuff. And the fact that the whole neighborhood was in on it was even worse. An awful story with little to no silver lining
Gross! Don’t brag about how hard this shit makes you! Sicko!!
@@Crossindalines Read the comment again.
@@Crossindalines seriously? You went THAT ROUTE???!
@@Crossindalines Can you read English?
Everyone involved should have been lined up and well you know the rest.
I actually couldn't wait for this one to finish. That kind of abuse is beyond monstrous. Where were the neighbours where were the parents, where were the authorities? I feel physically ill, so so so sad.
The neighbors saw and heard lots of things but just ignored it. One child actually told his parents part of it and they didn't even consider doing anything.
Everyone let this girl die. Stephanie, who seemed to like her. The kids brought into the basement to watch, or join, the torture. The school who didn't check up on a crazy story. The parents who didn't check on their child. The sister who heard and saw these daily activities.
Many people defend Jenny because she was scared, and I might have been too, but when the basement became her torture chamber I would have ran away and told everything to everyone I met. If nothing else I would have been scared I was next.
It was a different time, but I would rather live on the street than go back.
There’s a small memorial for Sylvia down the street in a small neighborhood park. Thank God they finally tore the house down!
Finding a babysitter must’ve really been foreign back then because why were people still knocking at her door knowing she already had 3500 kids that she was abusing in her home and no one even reported it.. disturbing and mind boggling
I can't believe she was paroled. I believe in reform and all that good stuff, but she deserved to spend the rest of her life in prison as much as anyone I can think of. Hell, she should have had to serve her time in general population with the most serious criminals who should know about what she did. What happens after that, oh well.
She should have gotten the death penalty.
I'd very much like to know how and why this sadistic murderer was ever released. What infuriates me is that her equally sadistic sociopath of a daughter was released after just 1 year in prison!
@@yelenaangeleski3354 It was more like 7 years.
Man, this is why we should never leave our children in the care of someone outside of the family. Especially if we don’t know them or have a bad upbringing
Sometimes it be your family too
@@MarlonEdwards-f1vthat’s what I was gonna say
This is one of the best tellings of this story I've seen. Great job
The story of Sylvia Has never left me since first hearing of her tragically short life. I blame her terrible, irresponsible, neglectful parents for putting their children with someone they barely knew. Gertrude did to Sylvia what her own mother did to her. Add to the awful parents neglect of their kids, that they didn’t send the agreed upon money after a couple payments.
And when they visited the second time, how did they not notice how thin Sylvia was? And she had to have been acting differently from what she did before. Who leaves their kids with a virtual stranger? The proper answer to that request was, “Sorry girls, but we don’t know these people well enough. You can visit when we’re back this fall, but you’re staying with Grandma until then.”
I'd never heard of this case before. When he started by describing Gertrude's life, I felt so sad for her, she seemed like she could've been a nice person under other circumstances. But when it got into what she did to Sylvia, all sympathy left my mind. There is never an excuse for such evil. My heart hurts for that poor little girl.
Well Thanks to Paula is WHY all of that happened lying on Sylvia
Seems she repeated what happened to her, but worse.
I still can't believe how this devil of a mother and the grown kids who went along with the torture didn't get the karma they deserve.
What karma are you talking about? One kid had a heart attack in his 20s. When the movie about this with Elliot Page came out, another of the boys had a heart attack. His kids said he became very depressed around that time. Gertrude's living daughters are still having employment issues. Gertrude was put into prison and didnt do too well after prison. If you're talking about revenge in what Sylvia endured...no. But our civilization doesn't allow for that anyway. So what kind of karma are you talking about?
For what it's worth I agree with you and wonder the same thing. Not sure what this other commenter is on about.
@@kandykane2160 I'm genuinely curious why this person's comment has you so angry... very odd reply.
@@lindseyyoung9149 angry??? I'm not angry in the least. I'm actually curious what karma she doesn't find fitting. Are you angry?
I think they should have been treated the same way they tortured Sylvia.
oh wow this happened 15 minutes from my house.. never heard of this case. hope you're doing alright Giles, i know all of this shit is really heavy.. don't hesitate to take a break, your mental health is far more important than any video you could ever make for us. thank you bro.
theres 2 movies about this case, pretty main stream, I never sat through. I Googled the case and it was enough for me.
@Thou Swell not everyone knows everything.
Watch American crime
@Thou Swell probably because I was born in the late 80's lol
There are no words. Only tears, mourning, and an intensely long time of silence. She rests with the Living Lord now.
What a horrible life Sylvia had at the hands of the evil Gertrude. It is just heart breaking that Sylvia was tortured to death.
this is the most disturbing story i have ever heard in my life. with circumstances like this, our justice system just does not do justice. this women, and other people who do things like this, should experience the same torture. period.
There is one story about Junko Furuta that is equally disturbing.
This is the worst story I've ever heard. There's a special place in hell for everyone who hurt her. That poor little girl. Hell is too good for those evil people..
I've never heard about this case before. Absolutely heartbreaking what this poor child went thru. Reading some comments about needing a mental break after listening, I'm sure Sylvia wished she could take a break from the cruelty she received from these devils. What KIND of people would do the things they did to that child? Even the children of Gertrude was able to beat and abuse her and the oldest daughter was happy about it! OMG! Thank you so much for shining a light on these Monsters!!!
Apparently the youngest child, James, was the only child, not counting the baby, who did not have a hand in the torture. I have often wondered how it affected him and if he was shielded from actually witnessing the abuse?
@@crapple009 One of them, either the baby or him, became a pastor.
@@crapple009 even 8 yr old James had a part in this. They didn't shield him. He witnessed much of it and even partook in some hitting. When he was older he was quoted as saying Sylvia died on purpose just to piss off my Mom. It's said the baby cried a lot while she was being abused. Babies are sensitive and intuitive. He lead a very troubled life and was sickened about what his family did (even though he was fostered he was made aware somehow of his background) I believe he committed suicide. There was pure evil in that house.
Long time fan here. This is possibly the most horrid case I’ve heard. It’s definitely in the top ten. That poor baby. I can’t believe no one in that house said a word to anyone until it was too late.
I've watched countless crime shows on many channels and the Gertrude B. story is still the most disturbing to me out of all of them. Torturing someone so horribly and making her sister helplessly watch and participate sickens me to my core. It also shows how evil humans in general are, as NO ONE helped her and instead joined in the mayhem. I imagine putting this story together and narrating it was difficult, so thank you for getting this tragic story out.
Sylvia’s final moments and how she passed away is just heart aching
Thanks so much for how amazing you covered that case! This case and the Junko Furuta ones are among the most horrible cases I have ever seen regarding teens being tortured and could not get justice served.
god i want to give sylvia a hug so badly. i don’t even believe in the death penalty but gertrude should have received it. my whole heart goes out to sylvia and i hope she is in a much better/safer place now.
When I was a teen or a pre teen I know 100% nobody could convince me to do that. The Fact so many joined in is baffling to me. Some of the kids did tell their parents but their parents not realizing the extent of it would reply " well she's being punished for being bad" which was normal in those days. So the kids thought it was ok and it just went way out of hand but even though it was 1965 I still can't comprehend how so many joined in.
They were being paid by Gertrude’s kids to do that stuff
Gertrude was a narcissist/psychopath who had enablers and flying monkeys, all involved are of sick character period.
well...that's what the problem was, child abuse was socially accepted, murder wasn't, but no one cared until after it was committed
Those kids knew right from wrong. They had no conscience. They are all evil as hell.
@@juliebarnett9812 how did all 50 kids from the same area manage to just be born evil? That makes zero sense. Idk why people like you won't admit parents are responsible for teaching their kids to be harsh to others.
OMFG. THIS case is incredibly disturbing and I'm saying this as a person who's an avid true crime consumer.
This story is almost unbearable to listen to, especially in Jiles' matter-of-fact, emotionless representation.
Holy shit 😮 from the fact thatt the guy literally beating the baby out of that Gertrude monster to the series of horrific torture Sylvia had to endure.... I may need mental health counselling after having listened to this case. 🧐☹️
same! this will sit with me for the rest of my life.
I can’t believe everyone who saw this felt like this was ok enough to keep letting it happen… sadly stuff like this still happens…
I’ve been obsessed with this case for over twenty-five years, ever since I stumbled upon Millett’s The Basement. It took me longer to read than any other book I’ve ever read because partway in I couldn’t stop crying and had to take breaks to calm down. Everyone involved should have been put to death. There is no excuse for a single one of them to have been allowed to live in the free world ever again. I think of Sylvia - Cookie - a lot, even today. She deflected attention away from Jenny, and in my opinion died as a modern day martyr. It’s so wrong that Gertrude and Paula ever lived free after what they did.
20 years after this happened I actually worked with one of the male teenagers who was convicted. I was reading the original book Indiana Torture Slaying ( I think that was the name of it) atvthe time. I figured out the dates and ages and although he went by a different 1st name, it fit. My female co worker, also a friend, was actually dating him. I didnt know what to do. I was very young. Would he come after me if I told her? No one at work had any idea except me.
Fantastic book….It was a painful read though.
The first book I ever read about it, the first time I ever heard about the case, was The Basement, by Kate Millett. I just happened to come across it at the library, and it caught my eye. I read the back and inner flaps and knew I had to read it. I was so horrified partway through that I was starting to question whether or not Millett was taking extreme liberties, and went back to the library to look up the newspaper stories on microfiche (okay, I’m old 😂), and when I found some stories and realised that Millett wasn’t embellishing much of anything. I just sat there alone in the back of the microfiche room behind the huge machine and cried because there was nothing else that I, or anyone else, could do to help Sylvia.
Someone else mentioned
*The Girl Next Door
Has anyone read these? Does anyone have a preference?
@@sharksport01 I wonder how all the kids turned out? Some people growing up with abuse, repeat the cycle.
Sounds like the kids were involved in tormenting as well. That's probably because maybe mob mentality. Or maybe just self-preservation, steer the abuse on the somebody other than yourself. It makes me think about kids in school that bully other kids.
This case has permanently affected me. I can't even watch the movies because they're SO painful. These are some vile evil people. The fact that they all got released to restart their lives disgusts me. What they did to Sylvia took a special kind of evil. God bless her soul always.
This story really made me question concepts I used to believe in like karma/ final justice in THIS life! (Who knows if/what the Next life even is, I want people like Gertrude to face justice in THIS life!!
I never knew that Gertrude's torture of Sylvia mirrored the exact character of the abuse Gertrude suffered at the hands of her mother, peers, and lovers. Chilling. And sad. This whole case was just heartbreaking on every level, in every facet.
The abused becoming the abuser... Makes me wonder how she would have turned out if she wasn't abused
As in the cases of many serial killers, being the victim of abuse by her own mother, et al., *it is no excuse for what Gertrude did to children not even her own.*
@@thedesertwarrior7447 I don't recall saying the abuse that Gertrude suffered in any way EXCUSES what she did to Sylvia. I'm just saying it's a sad example of how cruelty begets often greater cruelty; how evil begets often greater evil.
@@bwctubes I simply saw the similarities of treatment, that's all.
I've watched a lot of crime documentaries. I've listened to just about every single one of yours as well. This story and Gertrude in general disturbed me on a level not many have. This was unnerving to the soul.
Yeah, this one is horrific.
Honey I had to stop at 15 minutes in because my rage is getting way out of control. I'm sure you did an excellent job on the rest of it but I'm going to have to clock out. I look forward to seeing your other stuff you always do a really good job. I might fast forward it to the end just to see if these people were even punished for doing this to these children.
This is one of the worst child abuse I've ever heard 🙏 everyone involved are evil monsters
Sylvia's story is always difficult to read/watch I nearly did not click on this but glad I did as you covered it so well. I never knew the background story of Gertrude, you showed that even Monsters were once humans. Thank you and take great care ✨
Same. Once I realized which story this was, I almost didn't want to watch it. The first time I hear Sylvia's story, I was so saddened and enraged it was almost traumatizing.
Cruelty turns people into cruel people. Sadly, had she not been treated the way she had been she probably wouldn't have crumbled. In today's society, she would at least have more resources. I'm glad we take mental health seriously, as well as child safety.
@@joltyflare Most abused people don't abuse others or turn cruel in turn.
There’s a movie about this and the visual is horrifying
@@yelenaangeleski3354 Not true. Many, many abused people repeat the cycle.