Gertrude Baniszewski | The Woman Who Charged Neighborhood Kids a Nickel to Watch Her Torture a Girl

In 1965, a carnival worker left his two daughters in the care of a struggling Indianapolis mother for $20 a week. What followed was one of the most horrific cases of torture and murder in American history — despite dozens of people knowing it was happening. IN THIS EPISODE: Gertrude Baniszewski – a woman whose evil ran so deep, it flowed through her children and their friends and displayed itself in the torture, mutilation and murder of a young girl. (Torture Mother) *** On January 2, 1935, a man who signed the guest register as “Roland T. Owen” checked into the President Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri – and never checked out. (The Man in Room 1046) *** If you ask a dying loved one to try and reach you from the other side when they finally pass away, don’t be surprised if they follow up on that promise. (My Mom’s Wake) *** The last cabin standing along the beach at Hunting Island State Park is a celebrity among locals and visitors as folks have taken to a love affair with the little blue cabin’s fight against nature over the past few years. Oh… and it also appears to be haunted. (Little Blue Ocean Cabin) CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and Lead-In 00:01:42.103 = Show Open 00:03:33.891 = The Torture Mother, Part 1 00:17:39.437 = *** The Torture Mother, Part 2 00:38:39.253 = *** The Man In Room 1046 00:45:45.323 = My Mom’s Wake 00:51:06.802 = *** Little Blue 00:55:43.060 = Show Close *** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE… “The Man in Room 1046” by Troy Taylor: http://bit.ly/2QJcZpW “My Mom’s Wake” by Pete Inesc: http://bit.ly/2EObXUE “Little Blue Ocean Cabin” posted at GhostsNGhouls.com (link no longer available) “The Torture Mother” posted at Murderpedia.org: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4xcbkut7 Weird Darkness theme from Alibi Music Library = = = = = (Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.) = = = = = "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46 = = = = = WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness. = = = = = Originally aired: June 01, 2019 EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirdarkness.com/TortureMother ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all things strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold cases, conspiracy theories, and more. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “20 Best Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a blend of “Coast to Coast AM”, “The Twilight Zone”, “Unsolved Mysteries”, and “In Search Of”.DISCLAIMER: Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised. #WeirdDarkness #TrueCrime #SylviaLikens #TortureMother #GertrudeBaniszewski #TrueCrimeHistory #IndianapolisTrue Crime #1960sCrime #TrueCrimeCommunity #MurderCase