On October 26, 1965, 16-year old Sylvia Likens died after 3 months of abuse at the hands of the woman being paid to watch her and her younger sister.  In House of Evil, John Dean details the torture and the subsequent trial that found Gertrude Baniszewski, two of her children, and two other neighborhood kids convicted of charges ranging from first degree murder to manslaughter.

The horrific story, which was the basis for Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door, rocked the Indianapolis community after Sylvia’s death was discovered.  Dean, who both covered the trial for the local newspaper and was called as a witness during the proceedings, paints a horrid picture of a girl forced to waste away while an entire family takes out their frustrations on her, ruining her both mentally and physically.  By the time she finally succumbs to her injuries, death must have been a welcome relief.