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9 of the Most Shocking Crimes of the 1960s
Part 1 of crimes that changed the world
The violent crime rate increased by 126 percent between 1960 and 1970, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Social tensions and general feelings of unrest contributed to the rejection of societal norms and the massive spike in criminal activity.
The Murder of Sylvia Likens
Probably one of the most heinous cases I have ever heard of, Sylvia Likens did not die peacefully. She suffered for months before her body gave up.
Sylvia was only 16 when she was sent to be cared for by Gertrude Baniszewski while her parents were unable to. She was extensively and continuously tortured for three months by Baniszewski, her children, and other neighborhood kids that Baniszewski invited to the home.
Sylvia was beaten, starved, cut, burned, and verbally and physically tormented. Her autopsy showed 150 wounds on her body, including burns, scald marks, and eroded skin. Her official cause of death was a combination of a subdural hematoma, shock, and severe malnutrition.
Sylvia was only allowed to eat leftovers or spoiled food out of garbage cans. Baniszewski’s daughter Paula beat Sylvia with such force that she broke her own wrist, then continued beating her with the cast…
