The Tragic Death of Sylvia Likens Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Sylvia Likens was 16 years old when she came to live with Gertrude Baniszewski. Described by many who knew her as 'vivacious,' 'outspoken' and 'likeable,' what was her nickname?

Answer: Cookie

Sylvia was known as 'Cookie' and reportedly had a 'lively sense of humor.'

2. Sylvia's parents were carnival workers who traveled often, and were on the road much of the time. Because of this, they would frequently board Sylvia and her 15-year old sister Jenny so the girls could live a more stable lifestyle. In July 1965, Lester Likens made arrangements with Gertrude Baniszewski to board Sylvia and Jenny. How much per week did the Likens' agree to pay Gertrude?

Answer: $20

Shockingly, Lester had only known Gertrude for a few days before they made this arrangement. (Betty Likens was in prison.)

3. Lester Likens examined the house where his daughters were to be living and felt it was safe to leave Sylvia and Jenny there, despite only knowing Gertrude for a few days.

Answer: False

At trial, Lester Likens maintained that he did not examine the house where his daughters were to live because he 'didn't want to pry.' If he had investigated, he would have found that the Baniszewski's were living in squalor. Family meals were prepared on a hot plate - there was no stove - and the family of eight had only three spoons in the household.

4. How long were Sylvia and Jenny living with Gertrude before the abuse began?

Answer: One week

The first week Sylvia and Jenny lived with the Baniszewski's passed uneventfully - until Lester and Betty's payment did not arrive on the previously agreed-upon date. Enraged, Gertrude beat the girls with a paddle, screaming that she had been taking care of them 'for nothing.' The $20 arrived the next day.

5. Eventually, the abuse focused almost entirely on Sylvia, who was far more outspoken than her much quieter, frail younger sister (Jenny was required to wear a leg brace as a result of polio). As the abuse escalated, Gertrude enlisted not only the help of her own children, but other children in the neighborhood in her crusade to 'punish' Sylvia.

Answer: True

At first, Gertrude and her children (chiefly 17-year-old Paula, 15-year-old Stephanie and 13-year-old John) were the only people abusing Sylvia. Eventually, the circle expanded to Stephanie's boyfriend (15-year-old Coy Hubbard), a 'friend' of Gertrude's (14-year-old Richard Hobbs) and other children in the neighborhood - some as young as ten years old. Gertrude also attempted to force Jenny to abuse Sylvia, beating her when she would not comply.

6. Eventually, Sylvia was forced by Gertrude to drop out of school and was confined to the Baniszewski home. Where was Sylvia kept?

Answer: The basement

Sylvia was eventually confined to the basement and denied food, clothing and bathroom access. The Baniszewski's and the other neighborhood children would come to the basement on a whim, beating Sylvia, forcing her to climb the stairs only to throw her back down, and burning her skin with cigarettes.

7. On October 26, 1965 police were called to the Baniszewski, where they found Sylvia's corpse in an upstairs bedroom, malnourished and mutilated. The number '3' was burned into her chest and the words 'I'm a prostitute and proud of it' had been burned into her stomach. Gertrude and her children (who had been coached by Gertrude) told the police that:

Answer: A group of unidentified boys had attacked Sylvia after she left the house with them

A few days beforehand, Gertrude, knowing Sylvia was near death, forced her to write a letter to her parents. The letter - addressed to 'Mr. and Mrs. Likens - detailed a rambling tale: Sylvia had 'gone off' with some boys who, after having sex with Sylvia, had beat, mutilated and branded her. Gertrude's initial plan was to dump Sylvia in a waste lot and leave her for dead, but Sylvia died before Gertrude could do this.

8. After Sylvia's death, it was revealed that visitors to the Baniszewski home had witnessed them abusing Sylvia, but no one called the authorites.

Answer: True

There were several occasions where visitors had witnessed abuse, but no one called the authorites. Additionally, Sylvia and Jenny's married older sister visited the home after being told (by Sylvia and Jenny) that the girls were being abused; she was denied entry by Gertrude, but she never called the police.

In another instance, a social worker had visited the home, but dismissed by Gertrude - she never made a follow-up visit.

9. At trial, all of Sylvia's abusers were convicted of murder.

Answer: False

The charges against the younger children and Stephanie Baniszewski were dropped. Gertrude Baniszewski was convicted of first-degree murder. She was paroled in 1985; she changed her name to Nadine Van Fossan and moved to Iowa, where she died of lung cancer in 1990. Paula Baniszewski eventually pleaded guilty to second degree murder and was released after 7 years.

She married and is now living in Iowa. John Baniszewski, Coy Hubbard, and Richard Hobbs were all convicted of manslaughter. They each served eighteen months in a juvenile detention facility. John Baniszewski has changed his name to John Blake; he is married and the father of three children. Coy Hubbard has been in and out of prison since his release. Richard Hobbs died of cancer at age 21.

10. Gertrude eventually expressed remorse for what happened to Sylvia while she was under her care.

Answer: False

Gertrude never expressed any remorse for the death of Sylvia Likens. However at the time of her parole hearing she stated, "I'm not sure what role I had in it... because I was on drugs. I never really knew her... I take full responsibility for whatever happened to Sylvia." Many years prior when asked why Sylvia was so greviously abused, Gertrude would steadfastly maintain that Sylvia 'needed to be taught a lesson.'

Source: Author eliara

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Exit10 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

A quiz about one of the most notorious cases of child abuse and the gross miscarriage of justice which followed. Most of the information about this quiz was obtained from crimelibrary.com.

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