In 1965, Sylvia and her sister Jenny were left by their parents in the care of a woman named Getrude Baniszewski. This woman lived in extreme poverty and had seven kids of her own, but she agreed to board Sylvia and Jenny for $20 a week. Less than four months later, Sylvia was found dead, with over 150 bruises, scars, and burn marks over her body. She had been the victim of months of torture and abuse, overseen by Gertrude and carried out by a gang of neighborhood kids (including several of Getrude's own).

There were two books written about this case (John Deans's "The Indiana Torture Slaying" and Kate Millett's "The Basement"). When I first read about it, I found it hard to forget. I learned that there was a movie in the works, so I visited the board at IMDB. I found out that many others were haunted by the case, as well.

A few people at the boards wondered why O'Haver would want to put a story like this on film. I think it's an important story to tell, especially considering that incidents similar to Sylvia's are still happening far too often today.

On Sunday, you can hear O'Haver talk a little about his film and what it was like to work with Keener and Page. Tune in to KAOS at 89.3 FM (or online here). The interview should start at about 11:30, and run for about 11 minutes.