Bedwell, who is not wanted for any kind of crime, was nevertheless linked to one of Indiana’s most horrific murder cases.
The crime happened 50 years ago. The victim was 16-year-old Sylvia Likens. Likens died at the hands of her caretaker, Gertrude Baniszewski, in October 1965, CBS News reports.
Dianna Bedwell was her older sister.
At the time of Likens’ death, Bedwell was married and living with her first husband at just 18 years of age.
She also had two brothers, who were living with their grandparents. Likens and her younger sister Jenny had the unfortunate fate of living with Gertrude, who almost immediately targeted Sylvia and brought in other children on the torture and humiliation.
When Likens died from the constant abuse, Gertrude tried to pass her body off to police as if she was selling herself as a prostitute and the wounds and markings visible were sustained as the result of an orgy gone wrong.
At this point, Jenny reportedly spoke up and said, “Get me out of here and I’ll tell you everything.”
According to Jenny, Gertrude put Sylvia Likens on a steady diet of torture and abuse that resulted in burn marks over much of her body and the inscription, “I am a prostitute and proud of it,” carved into her stomach. Jenny said Sylvia was beaten and starved regularly. This resulted in her death from a brain hemorrhage, shock, and malnutrition.
Gertrude’s trial took the national stage and went on to inspire several portrayals in pop culture, most notably in the films An American Crime starring Catherine Keener as the murderess and The Girl Next Door starring Blanche Baker. (The latter was based on the Jack Ketchum bestseller of the same name.)