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  • Torture Mom

  • A Chilling True Story of Confinement, Mutilation and Murder (True Crime)
  • By: Ryan Green
  • Narrated by: Steve White
  • Length: 3 hrs and 50 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (55 ratings)
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Torture Mom

By: Ryan Green
Narrated by: Steve White
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Summary

In July 1965, teenagers Sylvia and Jenny Likens were left in the temporary care of Gertrude Baniszewski, a middle-aged single mother, and her seven children. 

The Baniszewski household was overrun with children. There were few rules and ample freedom. Sadly, the environment created a dangerous hierarchy of social Darwinism where the strong preyed on the weak. 

What transpired in the following three months was both riveting and chilling.

In October 1965, the body of Sylvia Likens was found in the basement of the Baniszewski home, where she had been imprisoned. She was starved, beaten, burned, and had the words "I am a prostitute and proud of it" carved into her stomach. 

Gertrude Baniszewski oversaw and facilitated the torture and eventual murder of Sylvia Likens. While she played an active role in Sylvia's death, the majority of the abuse was carried out by her children and other neighborhood youths.

The case shocked the entire nation and would later be described as "The single worst crime perpetuated against an individual in Indiana's history".

Caution: This audiobook contains descriptive accounts of abuse and violence. If you are especially sensitive to this material, it might be advisable not to listen any further.

©2018 Ryan Green (P)2018 Ryan Green

What listeners say about Torture Mom

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Shocking

Im not sure how to describe this book, I would recommend it to fans of true crime, but I was thankful for the warning given to me by the author before I listened to it

It is a truely shocking book, and really hard to listen to in places, at times I felt physically sick. It is very graphic

How a mum, or another human can cause this sort of suffering to a child is beyond me, and to have the sort of control over others, to be able to get them to keep quite and even participate.

Sylvia was let down by so many people, it really is heart breaking

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review

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8 people found this helpful

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truly unnerving and harrowing

I had not heard of this true story before reading / listening to this book. It is a great length to be listened to in one sitting and I was eager to start. From the offset it became apparent just how much research the author had carried out to provide readers with the smallest of details. Yes its hard to listen to at times due to the nature of the crime committed - but it is truly harrowing and will stay in your mind for a long time after the last page has been read. She was just evil in the finest form - pure evil . I was given this book by the author/narrator in return for an honest and unbiased review

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Unbelievably sad

Not for the faint hearted. This is as worse as it gets. As a parent this hurts deep

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Stomach turning story. A MUST listen.

It’s one of the most horrific stories that I’ve ever heard and that’s exactly why it’s so important to know about. The message is clear: if you see something SAY something!! The whole community failed poor Sylvie by doing nothing. And those bastard kids who happily participated in the abuse… I’m going to have nightmares after this but I don’t regret listening to a very well written and told book.

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Absolutely heartbreaking/blood boiling

The stuff in this book is not for the faint of heart, it is a story that needs to be heard though to know what can happen when people turn a blind eye to abuse. What this girl went through is truly heartbreaking and at many points throughout the book i wished i could have been there to swoop in and help her.

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Horrific and true

I remember seeing a documentary about this case. If you see the audiobook length and think it's only 3 hours and some trust me that's more than enough.
The 5 star goes to the investigation of the entire case and details out together. I am a lover of real crime however there are certain stories that are too horrific to even see as interesting on a forensic level. The true horror of this story is the fact that it's not a horror story but real life and this girl lived every minute of it.
The sentences at the end of it are a further degradation of the trauma already inflicted on the victim.
Be warned, not for the faint of heart.

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chilling!

really enjoyed this book, very disturbing. would highly recommend if you a true chilling experience

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    4 out of 5 stars

The most harrowing case I've ever heard.

This is a tough listen, one that requires a strong constitution to overcome each gruesomely narrated chapter. The book almost has the audience relive every horrific moment in the later life of Sylvia Likens and it's very difficult to not feel empathy and pain in the stomach having heard the terrible things this innocent girl endured. That is what makes this book so well written and narrated. It makes you feel pain, rage and sorrow that comes with the extremes of the bystander effect and just how little rights, children of the 60s/70s actually had, how non existent their protection really was. Truely awful.

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True portrayal of human nature

If you want to know the aspects of human nature look no further than this book. It has all 7 deadly sins portrayed in this well written account of a matriarch and her young victims.
But this sad tale is not just about the matriarch, it includes, her children, their friends, a reverend, a school, a neighbourhood, social workers and Sylvia, her sister and their parents.
With the transcripts of witness statements etc. Ryan Green has exposed all the bad aspects of human nature, including our choice to ignore, and look the other way, preferring to believe what hear so we can continue not to get involved.

If you like to listen or read about sadistic acts perpetrated on another human being, you will not be disappointed. The narrator takes you through all the grisly details of what Sylvia endured.

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sick absolutely heartbreaking

A hard listen. However it was a good book. if you can stomach this kind of thing, torture and abuse to the unthinkable then read the book. was not keen on narrator voice though

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