Click HERE to see this thread with all of the graphics, features, and links.

Just watched An American Crime today. I googled it up afterwards, and was stunned to find out that it was based on a real-life story from 1965.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia_Likens

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertrude_Baniszewski



http://www.nydailynews.com/news/justice-story/teen-girl-fatally-bullied-indiana-house-horrors-article-1.1309751

Do you guys agree with the sentences that were meted out to her and the others who took part in this crime?

I'm still digesting all this. Disturbing doesn't cover it.

Isn't Indiana among the so-called Red States of the US?

Figures that this sort of crap is committed by "god-fearing Christians" around those parts.

Edit: I couldn't even finish watching the movie, and according to both Catherine Keener and Ellen Page, the actual case itself is at least 20 times worse than what they portrayed in the movie.

Harrowing and tragic.

Originally posted by Epicurus
Isn't Indiana among the so-called Red States of the US?

Figures that this sort of crap is committed by "god-fearing Christians" around those parts.

Edit: I couldn't even finish watching the movie, and according to both Catherine Keener and Ellen Page, the actual case itself is at least 20 times worse than what they portrayed in the movie.

Yeah, Indiana has traditionally been a Red State, although some deviation exists.

Originally posted by Stealth Moose
Yeah, Indiana has traditionally been a Red State, although some deviation exists.

This has nothing to do with red or blue states.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
This has nothing to do with red or blue states.

No, evil can happen anywhere. I'm not convinced the location has anything to do with it either.

Originally posted by Stealth Moose
No, evil can happen anywhere. I'm not convinced the location has anything to do with it either.

Wait, it can't be evil! There was no guns used.

There's another decent film about it called The Girl Next Door. Case is very unsettling.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
This has nothing to do with red or blue states.
Originally posted by Stealth Moose
No, evil can happen anywhere. I'm not convinced the location has anything to do with it either.
Red States have a much higher percentage of child abuse cases than Blue states though.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/book-red-state-children-at-much-greater-risk-than-youths-in-blue-states-reflecting-toll-of-anti-government-politics-53745607.html
http://www.mrc.org/articles/children-more-risk-red-states-book-claims
http://mydd.com/users/desmoinesdem/posts/children-are-better-off-in-blue-states
http://books.google.co.in/books?id=KJiv_qgRRIEC&pg=PA81&lpg=PA81&dq=red+states+child+abuse&source=bl&ots=BpFQqRLeKW&sig=wZwol34DIhoz3Ka_K7EVSTzj3-4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=LagWU7qhO4iGrQexqIGABA&ved=0CEUQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=red%20states%20child%20abuse&f=false
I don't think that the location matters either, but the fact that said crime occurred in a Red state, should be hardly surprising to anyone here.

Radio excerpt from interviews conducted with Richards Hobbs(the guy who carved the words "I'm a prostitue and proud of it." and Gertrude Baniszewski:

cU3Bonz-HNc

Originally posted by Epicurus
Red States have a much higher percentage of child abuse cases than Blue states though.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/book-red-state-children-at-much-greater-risk-than-youths-in-blue-states-reflecting-toll-of-anti-government-politics-53745607.html
http://www.mrc.org/articles/children-more-risk-red-states-book-claims
http://mydd.com/users/desmoinesdem/posts/children-are-better-off-in-blue-states
http://books.google.co.in/books?id=KJiv_qgRRIEC&pg=PA81&lpg=PA81&dq=red+states+child+abuse&source=bl&ots=BpFQqRLeKW&sig=wZwol34DIhoz3Ka_K7EVSTzj3-4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=LagWU7qhO4iGrQexqIGABA&ved=0CEUQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=red%20states%20child%20abuse&f=false
I don't think that the location matters either, but the fact that said crime occurred in a Red state, should be hardly surprising to anyone here.

That probably doesn't have anything to do with political inclinations though, if that's the angle you're going for.

I've read about this before, it's sickening.

Apparently Paula Baniszewski, Gertrude's eldest daughter and one of the ring-leaders of this horrible crime, was paroled one year after she made a successful escape attempt from the Indiana Women's Prison(she was recaptured during the same year). This wasn't her first prison break attempt either, and she had a history of bad behavior while incarcerated.

Strange.

Originally posted by Robtard
That probably doesn't have anything to do with political inclinations though, if that's the angle you're going for.
Nope, but it's an interesting thing to note nevertheless. Especially in the case of this scenario, which is one of history's most awful cases of child abuse and neglect.

Edit: Also, speaking of Paula, she was fired a few years ago while working as a teacher's aide for an Iowa school. Turns out that she'd lied about her background as a convicted felon.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/iowa-teachers-aide-fired-role-grisly-1965-killing/story?id=17555655