Gertrude Nadine Baniszewski (née Van Fossan) was born on September 19, 1928, in Indianapolis, Indiana. She was one of six children in a working-class family. Her father died of a sudden heart attack when she was 11, a traumatic event that reportedly affected her deeply. At 16, she dropped out of high school and married 18-year-old John Stephan Baniszewski. Their marriage was turbulent, marred by John's physical abuse, and although they had four children together, the couple divorced in 1955. She remarried and divorced twice more, and had a total of seven children.

By the time she met the Likens family, Gertrude was a 36-year-old single mother living in poverty. She was described as underweight, asthmatic, and depressed. Financially struggling and emotionally unstable, Gertrude relied on sporadic child support checks and did odd jobs to provide for her children. In July 1965, Lester and Elizabeth Likens, who worked traveling with carnivals, left their daughters Sylvia and Jenny in Gertrude’s care for $20 a week. That single decision would lead to one of the most horrifying and well-documented cases of child torture in American history.

Gertrude Baniszewski’s abuse of 16-year-old Sylvia Likens began in July 1965 and escalated over the next three months into a pattern of unspeakable cruelty. Initially sparked by late payments from Sylvia’s parents, Gertrude’s anger morphed into sadistic domination, targeting Sylvia with verbal and physical abuse. What started as slaps and paddlings soon evolved into starvation, cigarette burns, branding, and sexual humiliation. Gertrude manipulated her own children and neighborhood kids into participating in the abuse, creating a toxic environment where Sylvia was routinely tortured.

Sylvia was falsely accused of promiscuity, forced to undress in front of others, and degraded repeatedly. The torture became systematic. She was denied access to the bathroom, locked in the basement, scalded with hot water, and branded with a hot needle. Gertrude even forced Sylvia to write a fake runaway note the day before her death to cover up the crime.

On October 26, 1965, Sylvia Likens succumbed to her injuries, which included more than 150 wounds, malnutrition, and a fatal subdural hematoma. When police arrived, Gertrude tried to blame Sylvia’s condition on a group of boys, but Jenny Likens whispered to police: "You get me out of here and I’ll tell you everything."

Gertrude was arrested that same day. Along with her daughter Paula, son John, and local boys Coy Hubbard and Richard Hobbs, she was charged and eventually convicted in 1966. Gertrude received a life sentence for first-degree murder. Paula was convicted of second-degree murder and the boys were convicted of manslaughter. Gertrude was paroled in 1985 after 20 years in prison, sparking public outrage. She changed her name to Nadine Van Fossan and lived quietly in Iowa until her death from lung cancer on June 16, 1990.

The torture and murder of Sylvia Likens remains one of the most infamous child abuse cases in U.S. history and has inspired books, documentaries, and films. It also led to significant reforms in Indiana’s child welfare laws.