2007 An American Crime it contains some of the most horrific abuse ever seen on screen and is made all the more disturbing because it is based on a true story. Directed by Tommy O’Haver and starring Elliot Page and Catherine Keener, An American Crime tells the story of Sylvia Likens (Page), an Indianapolis teenager who finds herself in the care of a family friend, Gertrude Baniszewski (Keener). However, shortly after arriving at the Baniszewski home, Sylvia finds herself subjected to a campaign of brutal torture at the hands of Gertrude, Gertrude’s children, and many children from the local neighborhood.
An American Crime It’s nothing short of disturbing. What’s even more disturbing, though, is the true crime it’s based on. It would be unfair to say that An American Crime pulled no punches in its description of the abuse and murder of the real Sylvia Likens, because in reality it did several. The real story behind An American Crime is even more harrowing than the adaptation, as there were several aspects of the abuse that the real Gertrude Baniszewski inflicted on the young girl in her care that could never be shown on screen.
An American Crime is Based on the Murder of Sylvia Likens
The 1965 murder is one of the most shocking abuse cases in American history
An American Crime is an incredibly difficult film to watch, and unfortunately, the true story is just as harrowing – if not more so. Both Sylvia Likens and Gertrude Baniszewski are real, and the harrowing and utterly disturbing events depicted in An American Crime really happened. It’s a relatively straightforward adaptation, with much of the story from An American Crime was drawn from transcripts and court documents from Baniszewski’s extensive trial.
The 2007 true crime film didn’t embellish or exaggerate any details. If anything, An American Crime greatly mitigated what happened to Sylvia Likens. Much of the torture inflicted on her by Gertrude Baniszewski simply could not be shown on screen if director Tommy O’Haver’s film had any hope of being distributed. As it is, An American Crime did not see a theatrical release (although it is unknown if this was due to the content), and it was only when the Showtime network decided to show the film that it hit screens in 2008.
Like this An American Crime showed, Sylvia Likens came into the care of Gertrude Baniszewski in July 1965. It didn’t take long for the horrific abuse to begin, and just as in An American crime, it was initially due to late payment to Lester Likens (played in the film by Nick Searcy). An American Crime it was also accurate in showing the role Baniszewski’s children played in the abuse. In October of the same year, Sylvia Likens passed away.
How the real Sylvia Likens died
More than 150 injuries were discovered at autopsy
Like a horror film based on real events, An American Crime portrayed the moment of Sylvia Likens’ death with relative accuracy when comparing details from the real case. Much like Elliot Page’s character in An American crime, the real Sylvia Likens died from the cumulative effect of her many injuries and severe malnutrition. However, Some details were changed about the final moments of Sylvia Likens’ life in the 2007 film.
Specifically, the real Paula Baniszewski (played by Ari Graynor) never tried to help Sylvia Likens escape the basement.
Specifically, the real Paula Baniszewski (played by Ari Graynor) never tried to help Sylvia Likens escape the basement. Overall, Paula is considered a much more sympathetic character in An American Crime than its real-life counterpart. Although the real Paula expressed much remorse, there is little evidence that she tried to stop the abuse Sylvia Likens suffered and did not try to help her escape the night she died.
Sylvia Likens died on October 25, 1965. When police found her body after Gertrude Baniszewski called the police, she had posthumously showered and dressed. Baniszewski and his children gave police a variety of pre-rehearsed excuses and alternative explanations for how Likens died, but none of them could explain the incredibly clear signs of abuse and mistreatment.
In the end, Jenny was escorted from the Baniszewski house by the police after whispering to one of the officers that she could tell the whole truth if they helped her escape. It was Jenny’s testimony that led to the criminal trial, where the harrowing truth about the abuse that inspired An American Crime became public knowledge.
The final cause of death of the real Sylvia Likens was revealed to be brain damage caused by a strong blow to the right temple, probably from Gertrude Baniszewski herself.
The autopsy of the real Sylvia Likens revealed that she had more than 150 separate injuries. These included cuts and lacerations, burns, extensive bruising, and damage to muscles and nerves that would have been unlikely to have healed had she survived. Incredibly disturbing, her reproductive organs were swollen, her nails were all ripped out, and Liken’s had bitten her own lips to the point where her teeth were permanently visible.
The final cause of death of the real Sylvia Likens was revealed to be brain damage caused by a strong blow to the right temple, probably from Gertrude Baniszewski herself. Very similar to An American time, Sylvia Likens attempted to make an escape attempt on the day of her death, but passed out due to exhaustion. According to court documents, Gertrude punished her with a slap to the head. This is presumed to be the wound that claimed Sylvia Likens’ life.
Why the abuse that inspired an American crime lasted so long
There were many opportunities for someone to intervene
The treatment that Sylvia Likens suffered between July and October 1965 was simply horrific. What makes it all the more shocking is that Gertrude Baniszewski managed to attract so many accomplices, such as her own children and local neighborhood children such as Richard Dean Hobbs, and yet the treatment continued for months. This led to many questions, both from the general public at the time and from viewers of the true crime film adaptation. An American Crime decades later about why no one realized what was happening.
There are several reasons why no one knew what was happening to Sylvia Likens until it was too late. It is understood that Sylvia and Jenny Likens did not take opportunities to inform other adults at school or church as they believed this would worsen the abuse. They also did not believe that the police or other authorities would help them.
The horrific abuse of Sylvia Likens became a kind of twisted entertainment for the neighborhood children and Gertrude Baniszewski’s children – either that, or the participants feared punishment if they spoke out.
As for why none of the younger participants in the neighborhood informed their parents, there appears to have been a code of silence among them. This is one of the most disturbing aspects of the true story of An American crime. The horrific abuse of Sylvia Likens became a kind of twisted entertainment for the neighborhood children and Gertrude Baniszewski’s children – either that, or the participants feared punishment if they spoke out.
It’s impossible to know whether any of the local adults would have intervened if they had known the truth. Although it is tempting to hope that the events seen in An American Crime It could have been avoided if there were more witnesses, several adults visited the Gertrude Baniszewski and would have seen some kind of sign of the horrors that took place there. Unfortunately, no one spoke out.
What happened to the real Gertrude Baniszewski
Sylvia Likens’ killer didn’t die in prison
The end of An American Murder has Sylvia Likens narrate the final fate of her attackers and is faithful to the true story. Following the discovery of Sylvia Liken’s body and the testimony of her sister Jenny, several members of the Baniszewski group the family was accused, as were several children from the local neighborhood.
Gertrude, Paula and John Baniszewski were all charged with first-degree murder, as were Richard Hobbs and Coy Hubbard. Stephanie Banisewski was released after insufficient evidence, although she waived her immunity and agreed to testify.
The trial of Sylvia Likens’ five abusers lasted 17 days and took place in August 1966, almost a year after her death. The prosecution initially asked for the death penalty and tried to have everyone tried and sentenced together. However, By the time the jury returned its verdict, the prosecution was unsuccessful in its initial goals regarding the death penalty, although the five were not tried individually.
Gertrude Baniszewski changed her name and moved to Iowa, dying of lung cancer in 1990.
Hobbs, Hubbard and John Banisewski Jr. were found guilty of manslaughter. They were sentenced to 2 to 21 years each. They ended up serving less than two years, being paroled in 1968.
Paula and Gertude Banisewski were found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. They were retried in 1971 after the Indiana Supreme Court found the class trial was illegal and that the media frenzy could have created an atmosphere that would lead to an unfair trial. Paula was found guilty of manslaughter rather than murder and was paroled in 1972.
Gertrude was once again found guilty of first-degree murder, but her sentence remained intact. However, she was also granted parole in 1985, which sparked much public protest. Gertrude Baniszewski changed her name and moved to Iowa, eventually passing away from lung cancer in 1990. She never accepted responsibility for Sylvia Likens’ death or her part as leader of the group responsible for the harrowing torment shown in An American Crime.