Sept. 27, 2023
Behind Closed Doors

Unspeakable: A True Crime Podcast by Kelly Jennings brings you the disturbing case of the torture mother.
Gertrude Baniszewski was an Indiana divorcee who oversaw and facilitated the prolonged torture, mutilation, and eventual murder of Sylvia...
Unspeakable: A True Crime Podcast by Kelly Jennings brings you the disturbing case of the torture mother.
Gertrude Baniszewski was an Indiana divorcee who oversaw and facilitated the prolonged torture, mutilation, and eventual murder of Sylvia Likens, a teenage girl she had taken into her home.
The case is unique in that, while Baniszewski did play an active role in Likens' death, the majority of the torture that eventually brought about Likens' demise was carried out by Baniszewski's teenage children and other neighborhood children.
Although Baniszewski did instruct the children on several occasions, it was later discovered that they took a large degree of Likens' torture into their own hands, in what would later be called a Lord of the Flies scenario come to life. When she was convicted of first degree murder in 1965, the case was called "the single worst crime perpetuated against an individual in Indiana's history".
Gertrude Baniszewski was an Indiana divorcee who oversaw and facilitated the prolonged torture, mutilation, and eventual murder of Sylvia Likens, a teenage girl she had taken into her home.
The case is unique in that, while Baniszewski did play an active role in Likens' death, the majority of the torture that eventually brought about Likens' demise was carried out by Baniszewski's teenage children and other neighborhood children.
Although Baniszewski did instruct the children on several occasions, it was later discovered that they took a large degree of Likens' torture into their own hands, in what would later be called a Lord of the Flies scenario come to life. When she was convicted of first degree murder in 1965, the case was called "the single worst crime perpetuated against an individual in Indiana's history".
WEBVTT
1
00:00:06.080 --> 00:00:10.240
Welcome to Unspeakable, a true crime
podcast where I tell stories of real crimes
2
00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:14.839
with real victims, whose cases are
so shocking that many are left wondering how
3
00:00:14.919 --> 00:00:25.280
is this even real? I use
my experiences in law enforcement corrections, and
4
00:00:25.359 --> 00:00:30.079
combine with my years as a criminal
justice educator, dig deep into complex cases
5
00:00:30.120 --> 00:00:51.079
of evil acts, some so evil
many feel they are unspeakable. Warning.
6
00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:55.679
Unspeakable as intended for mature audiences.
If you are easily offended, then I'm
7
00:00:55.679 --> 00:00:59.679
not your girl. Listening discretion is
advised. Hey y'all, kJ here back
8
00:00:59.679 --> 00:01:03.280
for an other episode of Unspeakable.
How are you doing You? Probably notice
9
00:01:03.320 --> 00:01:06.400
I sound a little stuffy, but
that's because I got something going on.
10
00:01:06.560 --> 00:01:10.200
But I'm gonna fight through just for
you. I'm gonna tell a good story
11
00:01:10.239 --> 00:01:12.239
today. But before I start,
I have to give some shout outs to
12
00:01:12.280 --> 00:01:18.120
some people because we got some new
patron members in the house. Let's start
13
00:01:18.200 --> 00:01:25.439
with Miss Carly Henson from Bruley,
Louisiana and Charlene Bordelaine from Walker, Louisiana.
14
00:01:25.560 --> 00:01:29.319
I mean, hello Louisiana, peeps. I've also got Tracy Ray from
15
00:01:29.359 --> 00:01:32.480
the Great I was about to say
the Great State, but from the great
16
00:01:32.879 --> 00:01:36.519
area of Denham Springs, Louisiana.
All my Louisiana people, what's up?
17
00:01:37.239 --> 00:01:42.239
Super glad to have you now.
I also have Miss Brianna Jones and Lee
18
00:01:42.519 --> 00:01:46.040
s No last name for Lee,
but hey, Lee, you know who
19
00:01:46.040 --> 00:01:49.239
you are. Hey. Remember if
you didn't put your address on Patreon,
20
00:01:49.280 --> 00:01:52.760
I can't send you your awesome little
gifts that I like to send out.
21
00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:55.079
So go in there and make sure
that you have your address for me so
22
00:01:55.120 --> 00:01:57.760
I can get everything to you.
And then from the great state of Texas,
23
00:01:57.879 --> 00:02:02.359
I've got Miss shell Lee Faine and
Miss Sharon Dixon. How y'all doing
24
00:02:02.400 --> 00:02:07.319
over there? Hey, y'all?
And then Alabama. I cannot support your
25
00:02:07.360 --> 00:02:09.919
team. I'm sorry, Miss Jamie. I can't do it. I was
26
00:02:10.039 --> 00:02:15.039
born against it. But I can
support you and you can support me.
27
00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:19.159
How about that? So, Miss
Jamie Patterson, how are you doing?
28
00:02:19.319 --> 00:02:22.000
Then? I I can't believe it. Ohio? How are you doing?
29
00:02:22.039 --> 00:02:25.199
Ohio? This is Miss Erica Ryan. Hey there, all the way in
30
00:02:25.240 --> 00:02:30.840
Howahi in Ohio? And then just
a few little jumps over from Florida,
31
00:02:30.919 --> 00:02:36.439
Miss Laura Krause, Hi Laura.
And then last but not least, all
32
00:02:36.479 --> 00:02:42.400
the way from Australia, miss Lee, and I think it's Bassill you.
33
00:02:42.599 --> 00:02:44.840
I hope I said that right,
girl, You get me if I said
34
00:02:44.840 --> 00:02:47.319
that wrong. Okay, Lee Basill, you so glad to have you all
35
00:02:47.319 --> 00:02:51.960
the way from Australia. And wow, if that's not just, I don't
36
00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:53.039
know. It makes me feel good
to know that I'm reaching all over the
37
00:02:53.039 --> 00:02:55.800
place. And y'all listening to my
story. So thank y'all, so so
38
00:02:57.039 --> 00:03:00.560
very much. Also, y'all have
asked and I made it happen. People
39
00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:04.319
are asking about card decals. So
if you want to look at some of
40
00:03:04.319 --> 00:03:08.879
the little uh mic drop car decals
that I had made, go to unspeakable
41
00:03:08.960 --> 00:03:13.000
dot com. Unspeakable the podcast dot
com. You can click on merch and
42
00:03:13.039 --> 00:03:15.719
then there's a new link. You
click there and there's a whole lot of
43
00:03:15.719 --> 00:03:17.759
new stuff. Go check it out, get you something ordered, and if
44
00:03:17.800 --> 00:03:21.599
you have anything else you want,
like someone mentioned, hey what about mousepads,
45
00:03:21.599 --> 00:03:23.560
I'm gonna get those made too,
So go check it out. Let
46
00:03:23.560 --> 00:03:27.439
me know if you want something else, and Mama will make it happen.
47
00:03:28.120 --> 00:03:30.280
Now let's jump into this story.
And dang, it seems like I got
48
00:03:30.280 --> 00:03:34.599
a lot of kid cases. The
last few weeks, but it is what
49
00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:38.039
it is. This one was requested, and so I'm following through, and
50
00:03:38.080 --> 00:03:44.879
I'm gonna do this story about a
girl named Sylvia Likns. And before we
51
00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:49.479
could start talking about Sylvia, I
gotta talk about the woman whose house this
52
00:03:49.560 --> 00:03:53.879
is gonna take place in. And
I had to do more research than I'm
53
00:03:53.919 --> 00:03:57.120
proud of to figure out how to
say her last name, because no matter
54
00:03:57.159 --> 00:04:00.560
how many times I looked it up, everybody said it different. I even
55
00:04:00.560 --> 00:04:02.360
went to a pronunciation website to figure
out how to say it, and of
56
00:04:02.360 --> 00:04:06.199
course they said it two different ways. So I'm gonna go with the way
57
00:04:06.199 --> 00:04:11.840
it was said in the police tapes
when they were doing an interview with this
58
00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:15.680
person. So it is gonna be
Benichetsky is how I'm gonna pronounce it,
59
00:04:15.959 --> 00:04:19.959
but other people pronounced it other ways. Don't come at me if you don't
60
00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:24.040
like the way I'm pronouncing it.
All right, So let's start, though.
61
00:04:24.040 --> 00:04:26.600
We're gonna be in nineteen twenty nine, so way back in the gap,
62
00:04:26.680 --> 00:04:29.759
right. This is gonna be about
a month before the Wall Street crash,
63
00:04:29.800 --> 00:04:31.040
and the US is about to go, you know, take that deep
64
00:04:31.079 --> 00:04:34.560
dive down into the Great Depression,
and we're gonna have that worst economic collapse
65
00:04:35.079 --> 00:04:40.199
of you know, the US.
And I don't know if maybe this is
66
00:04:40.199 --> 00:04:46.199
gonna be some type of foreshadowing in
a way, because someone was born that
67
00:04:46.360 --> 00:04:53.879
same year who was also going to
bring some epic terror and downfall in her
68
00:04:53.920 --> 00:04:58.480
lifetime. And her name is gonna
be Gertrude van Fawsen. Now she will
69
00:04:58.519 --> 00:05:01.480
turn into a Banichetski I mentioned a
minute ago, but for right now,
70
00:05:01.519 --> 00:05:04.160
she's going to be Gertrude van Fawsen. And she's going to be the third
71
00:05:04.279 --> 00:05:08.680
of six children born into the van
Faussen family, and they have a mixed
72
00:05:08.680 --> 00:05:15.199
heritage of both Polish and Dutch.
And she was firmly, firmly regarded as
73
00:05:15.240 --> 00:05:19.600
a daddy's girl, and all accounts
say that she was doated on by her
74
00:05:19.720 --> 00:05:24.360
daddy and she always wanted to be
with him and they had a very very
75
00:05:24.480 --> 00:05:30.319
very good relationship. Now, when
attention was all that was left that her
76
00:05:30.360 --> 00:05:35.519
father could give her because of the
collapse you know of the US, as
77
00:05:35.560 --> 00:05:41.680
far as money and luxuries of any
type, a lot of the kids in
78
00:05:41.720 --> 00:05:46.439
the in the van Faussen family started
to resent Gertrude shorthand we would call her
79
00:05:46.519 --> 00:05:48.680
Gert. Okay, a lot of
the kids in the family started to resent
80
00:05:48.759 --> 00:05:53.519
Girt because, like I said,
when there was nothing of monetary value that
81
00:05:53.519 --> 00:05:57.600
they could be given, it was
a lot to ask to get the attention
82
00:05:57.639 --> 00:06:01.040
of their father, and their father
really doated on little Gert Now. The
83
00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:05.120
mother thought it was a bit much, and eventually it shifted towards her own
84
00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:10.439
mother, hating her because of the
attention that her father gave, and that
85
00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:15.120
mother daughter relationship became pretty icy,
and the difference in the treatment of the
86
00:06:15.240 --> 00:06:20.199
children from Gert's mother was a bit
like obnoxious. It became pretty obvious that
87
00:06:20.439 --> 00:06:26.000
the mom was not very loving towards
little Girt. Now. This would also
88
00:06:26.040 --> 00:06:30.560
follow her into her school years,
and the friends of Gert's siblings would also
89
00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:36.240
in turn like to bully on Gertrude
as a like a pack Her father saw
90
00:06:36.319 --> 00:06:41.879
this issue and would even give more
attention to Gertrude as a result. The
91
00:06:41.920 --> 00:06:46.000
father ran the household back then,
if you remember that Dad's called the shots,
92
00:06:46.040 --> 00:06:48.040
and so no matter what everyone in
the family tried to do, the
93
00:06:48.120 --> 00:06:54.680
dad would always get back little Gertrude. And father and Gert you know,
94
00:06:54.759 --> 00:06:58.920
they would laugh and joke and she
would sit at the table and read her
95
00:06:58.959 --> 00:07:01.879
little books were dad, and while
money was scarce, they still had that
96
00:07:01.959 --> 00:07:06.560
loving relationship. But by one account, it was stated that they were at
97
00:07:06.560 --> 00:07:12.199
the kitchen table one day. They're
laughing and joking as they always did,
98
00:07:12.279 --> 00:07:15.920
and Gert's reading to him when he
laughs really, really hard, but then
99
00:07:16.160 --> 00:07:19.920
his eyes somewhat seemed to bulge from
his head. He's laughing so hard,
100
00:07:20.360 --> 00:07:25.639
and then he just flat out falls
over and dies. His head slams down
101
00:07:25.639 --> 00:07:31.000
into the table and he's dead.
Now, I did see another account that
102
00:07:31.160 --> 00:07:34.959
said that he was actually weeding his
garden whenever he had that heart attack.
103
00:07:35.079 --> 00:07:39.120
But I mean, just newsflash,
I wasn't there. This was nineteen twenty
104
00:07:39.160 --> 00:07:42.279
nine. So I'm just giving you
both accounts. You can decide which one
105
00:07:42.319 --> 00:07:46.759
you want to believe or not.
But I know this, no matter what
106
00:07:46.800 --> 00:07:51.480
account you believe. Gert starts screaming, right, something's wrong with her daddy,
107
00:07:51.759 --> 00:07:55.480
And the mom comes running in,
and rather than running straight to her
108
00:07:55.480 --> 00:07:59.120
father and saying, oh my god, what happened, she turns to Girt
109
00:07:59.199 --> 00:08:03.399
and screams, what did you do
to him? And immediately puts the blame
110
00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:07.000
on this child that her father has
just killed over from a heart attack,
111
00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:09.439
and Gert says, hey, I'll
run to a doctor. I'll go get
112
00:08:09.439 --> 00:08:11.519
a doctor. I'll do whatever I
need to do, and her mom just
113
00:08:11.600 --> 00:08:15.120
kind of quit back at her,
I don't have any money for a doctor.
114
00:08:15.480 --> 00:08:18.639
Do you have money for a doctor. Rather than what you would expect
115
00:08:18.120 --> 00:08:20.959
the response to be of a mom
grabbing the child and saying, come here,
116
00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:24.199
come out of here, it's okay, right, kind of sheltering them
117
00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:28.040
from what's happening and then calling for
help, no, she pretty much just
118
00:08:28.639 --> 00:08:31.399
kind of snarls back at Gert and
says, this is your fault, and
119
00:08:31.440 --> 00:08:35.000
I can't fix it because I don't
have the money to fix it. And
120
00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:41.000
so whenever her dad dies, Gert
is really maladjusted to that big change in
121
00:08:41.039 --> 00:08:45.720
her life and the one person that
gave her all the support was now gone,
122
00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:50.120
and everyone that turned against her her
family was who she was left with.
123
00:08:50.120 --> 00:08:54.879
So she was irrationally blamed by her
mother, and as a child,
124
00:08:56.039 --> 00:09:01.000
she would suffer from night terrors that
were combined with the increasingly escalating cruelty of
125
00:09:01.039 --> 00:09:07.639
her mother, and her mom would
even start to beat her and physically abuse
126
00:09:07.720 --> 00:09:11.159
her after the other kids went to
bed, and so her existence became quite
127
00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:15.519
sad pretty quickly, and over the
next three years it would just get even
128
00:09:15.559 --> 00:09:20.279
worse. She got blamed for everything
that happened in the household or didn't happen
129
00:09:20.320 --> 00:09:22.519
in the household. If there wasn't
enough food, it's because Gert ate too
130
00:09:22.639 --> 00:09:26.519
much. If something was lost,
it was because Gert took it and she
131
00:09:26.639 --> 00:09:30.240
lost it. She was always the
brunt of the blame for whatever went wrong.
132
00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:35.879
So Gert's social life remained pretty desolate
and she would suffer socially emotionally.
133
00:09:35.919 --> 00:09:39.840
She didn't have that many friends,
and she would eventually give up on female
134
00:09:39.879 --> 00:09:48.000
relationships because she saw females as the
root of her problems. So her siblings
135
00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:52.919
and her siblings friends would all start
these vicious rumors about her, saying that
136
00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:58.840
she was promiscuous and that she was
easy, that she had multiple STDs,
137
00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:03.120
and just really horrible things to say
about a kid or a teenager who doesn't
138
00:10:03.120 --> 00:10:09.480
even know how to defend themselves,
and that really just really burned this fire
139
00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:13.720
into Gertrude that she hated females.
She did not see the value in a
140
00:10:13.720 --> 00:10:18.279
female because all they do is trying
to drag her down. So when puberty
141
00:10:18.399 --> 00:10:24.480
hit, she became really really interested
in boys, right, her attention was
142
00:10:24.879 --> 00:10:28.720
really fixated on the males, and
her mother would often hiss at her,
143
00:10:28.840 --> 00:10:33.639
you know, that she was acting
inappropriate. However, flirting was really the
144
00:10:33.679 --> 00:10:39.519
only thing that Gert was ever actually
doing. There's there's no proof that she
145
00:10:39.639 --> 00:10:43.399
was being promiscuous or hyper sexualized or
anything anything like that. It seemed like
146
00:10:43.399 --> 00:10:46.840
she just was really flirtatious, but
her mom would really hammer home that she
147
00:10:46.960 --> 00:10:54.159
was just inappropriate sexually. And on
top of being accused of being a guess
148
00:10:54.159 --> 00:10:56.840
sexually immoral was the fact that she
was just an average looking girl. She
149
00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:01.519
wasn't this beauty, you know,
beauty queen. She had to work for
150
00:11:01.559 --> 00:11:07.759
the attention of the males, and
she didn't really have this outgoing personality either,
151
00:11:07.840 --> 00:11:09.840
So she didn't have a whole lot
going for her as far as beauty
152
00:11:09.840 --> 00:11:16.759
and charm. But she would quickly
realize that competition with other girls was a
153
00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:22.200
real thing if you wanted to get
that male attention, and so in order
154
00:11:22.240 --> 00:11:28.279
to overcome her lack of beauty or
her lack of charm, she did become
155
00:11:28.320 --> 00:11:33.559
promiscuous. So, I don't know, manifest destiny or something, but she
156
00:11:33.879 --> 00:11:37.399
did turn that corner and become a
promiscuous girl. When that did happen,
157
00:11:37.840 --> 00:11:43.159
then the rumor mill went wild.
But it was too late because Gert got
158
00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:46.360
a taste of attention. And when
she got that taste of attention, the
159
00:11:46.480 --> 00:11:50.879
negative you know, things that came
with it didn't really matter. Daddy was
160
00:11:50.919 --> 00:11:54.759
gone and she replaced him with other
male attention. And you can see how
161
00:11:54.799 --> 00:12:00.360
quickly that probably went down south with
other girls, you know, in her
162
00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:03.720
in her neighborhood. Now, older
men were her favorite. Okay, she
163
00:12:03.840 --> 00:12:09.720
liked those older men, but her
only real connection with a man that she
164
00:12:09.759 --> 00:12:11.600
will say she ever really had was
with her dad. That was the only
165
00:12:11.639 --> 00:12:16.240
true loving relationship that she felt.
And because I guess her dad was older,
166
00:12:16.279 --> 00:12:18.799
I could see why she would jump
towards older males. A matter of
167
00:12:18.840 --> 00:12:22.799
fact, I see that now in
young girls that lack male attention, and
168
00:12:22.840 --> 00:12:26.559
so they go for those older men, not realizing that those older men.
169
00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:30.200
You know, as a young girl, you don't have anything really to offer
170
00:12:30.240 --> 00:12:33.240
an older man, I guess other
than sexual you know, desire. You're
171
00:12:33.240 --> 00:12:35.720
not going to be this, you
know, runner of a household. You're
172
00:12:35.720 --> 00:12:39.679
not gonna be a matriarch. If
you're sixteen and you're sleeping with a thirty
173
00:12:39.759 --> 00:12:41.679
year old, it just not to
menion. It's illegal, but it's you
174
00:12:41.720 --> 00:12:45.240
know, it's not really fitting.
But young girls don't see that, you
175
00:12:45.279 --> 00:12:48.919
know. So at sixteen years old, she would drop out of school.
176
00:12:48.399 --> 00:12:52.840
She packed up her things, and
she moved out of the house and very
177
00:12:52.919 --> 00:12:58.519
quickly married a guy named John Bankowitz. Now when you read his name,
178
00:12:58.519 --> 00:13:01.200
it's look, it's like Benizuski,
and you'll see other people refer to it
179
00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:05.360
as Benizuski. But like I said, Benichetsky is how it was said in
180
00:13:05.480 --> 00:13:09.320
the police recordings, and that's why
I'm going with it. So either way,
181
00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:13.879
they only dated a few months too, So she jumped very quickly into
182
00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:16.960
this marriage. And I think anyone
in today's times would go a rut row.
183
00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:20.799
Probably not a good idea young girl
jumping into a marriage after only a
184
00:13:20.799 --> 00:13:24.039
few months. And John that she
married was an eighteen year old police officer.
185
00:13:24.639 --> 00:13:31.759
And something kind of sad too,
to mention was that when they got
186
00:13:31.759 --> 00:13:35.279
married, only his family came to
the wedding. Gert's own family didn't attend
187
00:13:35.320 --> 00:13:37.799
the wedding. She really had no
friends that were in the wedding. She
188
00:13:37.840 --> 00:13:41.840
didn't have any support from her family. Her mother disagreed with the marriage,
189
00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:48.480
and gert hated her siblings because of
all of those rumors of promiscuity and hateful
190
00:13:48.519 --> 00:13:50.679
things that they had spread about her. So she really, I guess,
191
00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:56.159
dove headfirst into this marriage thinking that
it was going to save her when you
192
00:13:56.159 --> 00:13:58.720
could probably see the riding on the
wall that that's not going to happen.
193
00:13:58.159 --> 00:14:03.679
But they settled into a life,
and it quickly became apparent to John that
194
00:14:03.919 --> 00:14:07.960
Gertrude had never been taught the things
that a girl should be taught growing up,
195
00:14:09.120 --> 00:14:11.240
things like how to cook. Again, I'll be back up real quick.
196
00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:16.000
Someone's going girls don't have to cook, Okay, touche. But I
197
00:14:16.039 --> 00:14:20.759
think in normal societal standards of the
nineteen sixties that's what happened, right,
198
00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:24.080
Women stayed home barefoot and pregnant basically, and you needed to cook and clean
199
00:14:24.120 --> 00:14:28.159
and care for your man. And
not saying it had to be that way,
200
00:14:28.159 --> 00:14:31.320
but that's what it was at that
time. And Gertrude's own mom didn't
201
00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:33.519
trust her in the kitchen. It
would never teach her to cook because she
202
00:14:33.559 --> 00:14:37.519
didn't want to spend any time with
her. She blamed her for her father's
203
00:14:37.559 --> 00:14:41.399
death, and all they did was
kind of be ousting towards her. So
204
00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:46.799
one thing though that John was aware
of what he married her was her reputation,
205
00:14:46.200 --> 00:14:50.519
and he was very much intrigued by
her sexual expertise that supposedly she had
206
00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:54.879
based on all the rumors that were
spread about her. Unfortunately, though,
207
00:14:56.480 --> 00:15:01.159
he found himself not with a submissive
woman, you know, who would basically
208
00:15:01.279 --> 00:15:09.919
mother him, but rather kind of
a dud as a wife. She kept
209
00:15:09.960 --> 00:15:16.440
the house kind of clean, but
nagged him constantly about his messes, but
210
00:15:16.759 --> 00:15:22.039
failed to clean the home. She
was overly frugal with the money, which
211
00:15:22.039 --> 00:15:26.279
he didn't like, and she always
fussed if he went to get drinks with
212
00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:30.240
the guys after work, which again
was kind of a societal normal thing back
213
00:15:30.279 --> 00:15:33.639
then. So she didn't clean house, she didn't cook very well, she
214
00:15:33.720 --> 00:15:37.279
wasn't good at doing the laundry,
and all she did was bitch about the
215
00:15:37.320 --> 00:15:39.919
money. As you can see,
it kind of wasn't off to a good
216
00:15:39.960 --> 00:15:43.919
start. So something that kind of
struck me there was that it seems as
217
00:15:43.919 --> 00:15:48.240
though control wasn't there for her as
a child. She was completely out of
218
00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:52.799
control. So whenever she got into
this new marriage, she had no example
219
00:15:52.799 --> 00:15:54.519
of what a marriage should look like. She doesn't know how to be a
220
00:15:54.840 --> 00:16:00.559
motherly, matronly wife figure, and
so what she does is she tries to
221
00:16:00.600 --> 00:16:07.080
take control of every aspect when she
gets a taste of control, and it
222
00:16:07.120 --> 00:16:10.919
doesn't make John very happy. So
after about a year of marriage, he
223
00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:12.919
notices, look, she's not even
growing as a wife. Her cooking still
224
00:16:12.919 --> 00:16:18.679
sucks, she's not doing well around
the house. And then John is really
225
00:16:18.759 --> 00:16:23.279
let down and disappointed in the one
place he absolutely expected her to excel in,
226
00:16:23.879 --> 00:16:29.960
which was the bet. She did
not fulfill the rumors that he had
227
00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:32.320
heard about her, that she was
going to be this you know, sexual
228
00:16:32.360 --> 00:16:37.600
temptress as a teen. You know, she's young, she's eighteen years old.
229
00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:42.840
She was considered to be kind of
clumsy and laxa daisical in her sexual
230
00:16:44.120 --> 00:16:48.159
antics with him, and John would
argue that he kind of felt duped by
231
00:16:48.159 --> 00:16:52.759
her because he was experienced at eighteen
years old with the girls. And he
232
00:16:52.840 --> 00:16:56.679
let it be known too. He
made it very clear that she was not
233
00:16:57.000 --> 00:17:02.120
making him happy sexually, and than
her try to meet the bar of what
234
00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:07.000
he wanted, she withdrew sexually,
and John, getting fed up with every
235
00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:12.720
aspect of the marriage, became increasingly
violent towards her. So Gert would become
236
00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:17.319
pregnant multiple times in the next few
years of their marriage, and they would
237
00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:22.160
end up having four children back to
back to back. And while I'm not
238
00:17:22.319 --> 00:17:26.440
saying that, you know, she's
a complete victim here, I think she
239
00:17:26.480 --> 00:17:32.519
does have a few things going on. Mentally. She's been emotionally abused.
240
00:17:32.599 --> 00:17:34.920
I think she's blamed for the death
of her father, the one person that
241
00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:38.480
she loved the most. She's not
taught how to become a woman, and
242
00:17:38.519 --> 00:17:45.839
then she becomes one very quickly and
a mother very quickly, and her husband
243
00:17:45.880 --> 00:17:48.559
is just very degrading of her performance, I guess as a wife and mother.
244
00:17:49.000 --> 00:17:53.519
So what she does do is where
she lacks and taking care of John,
245
00:17:55.079 --> 00:17:59.759
she flips the script and she becomes
very much engaged in her home.
246
00:18:00.279 --> 00:18:03.680
So she started keeping a very clean
house for the kids, and she took
247
00:18:03.720 --> 00:18:07.559
it upon herself to learn to cook, and she even went and sought out
248
00:18:07.640 --> 00:18:11.319
nutritional advice from her kids doctors to
say, Okay, obviously don't know what
249
00:18:11.359 --> 00:18:14.599
I'm doing. What do I need
to do here to make things better,
250
00:18:15.319 --> 00:18:19.160
she started showing way more attention to
her children, and when that happened,
251
00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:26.279
John got increasingly frustrated and really started
up up in is that not the most
252
00:18:26.279 --> 00:18:29.759
Southern thing you've heard me say thus
far? Up in oh my God.
253
00:18:30.279 --> 00:18:36.359
He started increasing the beatings that he
inflicted upon Gert, and his reason was
254
00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:40.920
simply that he says she annoyed him. She absolutely annoyed him, and the
255
00:18:40.920 --> 00:18:45.400
beatings got worse. But John wanted
his police officer career to remain unblemished,
256
00:18:45.880 --> 00:18:51.119
so he was very careful with his
antics. Because he worked with abused women,
257
00:18:51.960 --> 00:18:55.000
he knew the triggers, he knew
kind of what to expect, and
258
00:18:55.079 --> 00:18:59.079
so he tried to be careful that
what he did to Girt was not something
259
00:18:59.119 --> 00:19:03.920
that was blatantly vious to the people
out in public. So Gert would become
260
00:19:03.200 --> 00:19:07.720
better at makeup, and as she
got better at makeup, she would cover
261
00:19:07.799 --> 00:19:12.200
her bruises. And she never had
been taught how to do makeup by her
262
00:19:12.200 --> 00:19:15.240
mother. She kind of had to
self teach it because all her mother would
263
00:19:15.240 --> 00:19:18.279
tell her was that if she did
make up, then that would make her
264
00:19:18.359 --> 00:19:22.799
horrsh okay. And so there was
a whole lot of sexual shame impressed upon
265
00:19:22.839 --> 00:19:26.559
Girt when she was younger, and
this would matter as this story plays out
266
00:19:26.599 --> 00:19:33.799
in her older life. And you
know, after she would have her first
267
00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:37.319
two children. Something I wanted to
mention that I forgot to put in my
268
00:19:37.359 --> 00:19:42.759
notes, but I remember it now
was that she was clinically suffering from a
269
00:19:42.839 --> 00:19:48.200
mental breakdown. And I think today
if she would, you know, the
270
00:19:48.200 --> 00:19:53.640
mental health the mental health standards that
we have in society today, which are
271
00:19:53.680 --> 00:19:57.680
still lacking, but we least have
some you know, semblance of mental health.
272
00:19:57.720 --> 00:20:02.559
Mattering back then in the same sees
is absolutely not even a thing as
273
00:20:02.640 --> 00:20:04.720
like it is today. And so
when she had this mental breakdown after the
274
00:20:04.759 --> 00:20:10.359
first two kids, when she sought
help, really the only thing that doctors
275
00:20:10.359 --> 00:20:11.519
told her was, you know,
maybe you need to pick yourself up by
276
00:20:11.559 --> 00:20:15.000
your bootstraps. You need to try
harder, you need to wake up,
277
00:20:15.039 --> 00:20:17.920
you need to freshen your face,
make your hair, do your makeup,
278
00:20:18.279 --> 00:20:22.640
be kind to your husband, and
really, you know, take control of
279
00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:26.680
your destiny and then you will improve. When the reality of it is it
280
00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:30.880
more sounds like she's suffering from a
deep clinical depression, could even be some
281
00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:37.599
postpartum depression, and something else that
I read said that clinically back then,
282
00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:41.720
in today's standards, they might would
even call her bipolar and maybe put her
283
00:20:41.720 --> 00:20:48.240
on some bipolar medication. And that
lack of mental health care, and then
284
00:20:48.279 --> 00:20:51.480
you added two more children on top
of that. You can kind of see
285
00:20:51.480 --> 00:20:55.599
how this was a downward spiral for
this woman. And it kind of in
286
00:20:55.640 --> 00:21:03.720
my mind, if you remember Andrea
Yate's case, where she kept having children,
287
00:21:03.799 --> 00:21:07.319
kept having children, and they went
more towards the religious route than the
288
00:21:07.480 --> 00:21:10.519
medical route to help her, and
then she ends up drowning all of her
289
00:21:10.599 --> 00:21:15.359
children. I almost kind of see
that that story happening here, where she's
290
00:21:15.400 --> 00:21:18.359
just getting worse and worse, but
the times were just not helpful to her.
291
00:21:19.799 --> 00:21:22.119
So she got to know some of
the women in her neighborhood, and
292
00:21:22.160 --> 00:21:26.640
that's when she first learned about divorce
from another woman in her neighborhood. And
293
00:21:26.720 --> 00:21:32.279
so this idea of I don't have
to necessarily be with him starts kind of
294
00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:36.720
rolling around her brain. And then
finally John would raise his fist to her
295
00:21:36.799 --> 00:21:40.279
to punch her and beat her,
and that's when she just comes out with
296
00:21:40.279 --> 00:21:41.319
it, Look, I want a
divorce from you. I don't have to
297
00:21:41.319 --> 00:21:45.160
take this and I'm not gonna take
it. And John was literally stunned by
298
00:21:45.160 --> 00:21:48.240
this. You know, he's the
man of the household and he's in charge,
299
00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:52.319
and he makes the money, and
you're the wife. You're supposed to
300
00:21:52.359 --> 00:21:55.400
be submissive and do what I want. And she kind of throws the flag
301
00:21:55.440 --> 00:21:56.160
in his face and says, nah, I don't want to do this.
302
00:21:56.880 --> 00:22:02.160
And by the next week after she
says that the paperwork was filed and she
303
00:22:02.279 --> 00:22:06.839
was awarded full custody of the kids. But kind of sadly, John never
304
00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:10.759
contested it. He didn't want to
take care of the kids. He almost
305
00:22:10.799 --> 00:22:17.119
kind of was winning. Still,
so they get a divorce and guess what,
306
00:22:17.319 --> 00:22:21.839
marriage number two is coming in hot
right. She wastes no time and
307
00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:26.119
she meets a man named Edward Guthrie
just a few months later and they quickly
308
00:22:26.640 --> 00:22:33.880
wed again. They get married,
So obviously Gert's not picking up on the
309
00:22:33.880 --> 00:22:36.519
fact that maybe you ought to get
to know somebody before you marry them.
310
00:22:36.519 --> 00:22:40.240
But again, she's got a lot
going on in her life. And as
311
00:22:40.279 --> 00:22:45.400
you might could guess, he's hashtag
he's a drunk and unemployed. That was
312
00:22:45.440 --> 00:22:48.720
her choice of man at that time. But even though he's a drunk and
313
00:22:48.799 --> 00:22:56.160
unemployed, he married her because those
child support checks that she's supposed to be
314
00:22:56.160 --> 00:23:00.680
getting from John, those were looking
pretty good too, and him Floyd man
315
00:23:00.839 --> 00:23:04.279
right, it's kind of like a
guaranteed income. So the issue would come
316
00:23:04.359 --> 00:23:10.039
that she would get her checks for
child support, but then he would spend
317
00:23:10.039 --> 00:23:12.400
half the checks on liquor before Gert
got any of the money. Again,
318
00:23:12.480 --> 00:23:15.000
the man runs the household, right, she puts the money in the account,
319
00:23:15.200 --> 00:23:19.200
he would go spend the money.
Not to mention, he didn't like
320
00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:26.079
her kids, I cannot even today. I know people that marry people and
321
00:23:26.079 --> 00:23:29.559
then they don't like the person they
married's kids. And I'm not sure how
322
00:23:29.599 --> 00:23:34.279
you expect that to work out.
Because as a woman, if you don't
323
00:23:34.359 --> 00:23:40.319
like my kids, you can go
fuck yourself. They're my number one job
324
00:23:40.359 --> 00:23:42.799
in life is to love my children, to take care of them. And
325
00:23:42.839 --> 00:23:47.920
if you don't like them, you
can kick bricks, you can get somewhere.
326
00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:51.640
But I guess because of the times
back then, it kind of was
327
00:23:51.680 --> 00:23:56.319
what it was. But he saw
those kids as basically baggage, just extra
328
00:23:56.359 --> 00:24:00.680
baggage, and he wanted the check
for for them from their from their father.
329
00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:07.000
One time, he even hit one
of the kids and he woke up
330
00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:11.279
in a ditch with a huge lump
on the back of his head. Okay,
331
00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:14.839
so Gert did get upset with him
for hitting her kids, and she
332
00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:17.759
womped him upside the head. Yeah, I said, won't write that down.
333
00:24:17.759 --> 00:24:21.160
She wamped him, Okay, upside
the head because she wasn't playing.
334
00:24:21.240 --> 00:24:25.400
She did love her children, and
you're not going to hit my kids now.
335
00:24:25.400 --> 00:24:30.279
He never tried that again because he
didn't like that. But something else
336
00:24:30.359 --> 00:24:34.519
kind of changed whenever that happened,
and Gert realized, you know what,
337
00:24:36.319 --> 00:24:40.319
if I'm not getting my way with
men and physically we're not getting along,
338
00:24:40.839 --> 00:24:45.880
like as far as relationship goes,
I have another age old tool in my
339
00:24:47.240 --> 00:24:52.960
you know box of tools that I
need to become good at. And she
340
00:24:52.119 --> 00:24:55.799
realized, you know what it is. It's sex. If I can become
341
00:24:55.920 --> 00:25:00.480
sexually amazing, then I can control
a man. Now I'm sorry, and
342
00:25:00.559 --> 00:25:07.599
she is wrong. I mean,
if you can provide for a man sexually,
343
00:25:07.720 --> 00:25:10.680
I find it hard to believe a
man around here is gonna say no,
344
00:25:11.400 --> 00:25:14.839
how dare you please me? You
know I'm trying to say, like,
345
00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:18.559
Okay, maybe you do have something
kind of going on there. If
346
00:25:18.559 --> 00:25:22.960
you disagree with me whatever, I'm
just throwing it out there. So she
347
00:25:22.119 --> 00:25:26.559
upped her game. Her her golden
was all right, I may not be
348
00:25:26.599 --> 00:25:27.759
a good wife, it may suck
it cooking, it may not clean too
349
00:25:27.799 --> 00:25:32.039
well, and I may have a
shitty personality and a horrible man picker,
350
00:25:32.079 --> 00:25:34.680
but by god, I can become
sexually amazing. And so she upped the
351
00:25:34.680 --> 00:25:42.640
antie and she was even able to
get Eddie to stop drinking and was able
352
00:25:42.680 --> 00:25:48.039
to make old Eddie get a job
all by laying the booty on him.
353
00:25:48.119 --> 00:25:52.720
All right, so she started slaying
it in the bedroom and he kind of
354
00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:57.359
changed his ways, and soon thereafter, guess what, he found himself stable.
355
00:25:57.599 --> 00:26:00.559
He had an income, and he
was like, oh my god,
356
00:26:00.640 --> 00:26:03.440
it turns out if I work and
I work hard, I can advance in
357
00:26:03.480 --> 00:26:07.720
the workplace and I can I can
make money. And then it backfired on
358
00:26:07.839 --> 00:26:11.240
Girt because he said, yeah,
I'm pretty much gonna divorce you now that
359
00:26:11.640 --> 00:26:15.279
I'm making I'm making my way and
I don't have to depend on your check
360
00:26:15.359 --> 00:26:21.039
from your baby daddy. So he
filed from divorce and he didn't. Are
361
00:26:21.039 --> 00:26:26.319
you ready for this? He didn't
even tell her he filed for divorce and
362
00:26:26.440 --> 00:26:30.559
did not even tell her when she
was served the paperwork. Do you know
363
00:26:30.640 --> 00:26:37.319
what his reason and court was for
divorcing her quote unquote the kids annoyed him.
364
00:26:37.319 --> 00:26:41.000
Welcome to being a parent. Your
kids are gonna annoy you. Other
365
00:26:41.000 --> 00:26:45.519
people's kids are gonna annoy you.
But that'd gone right. So their entire
366
00:26:45.599 --> 00:26:52.319
marriage, from the day they met
through the last day and divorce was just
367
00:26:52.480 --> 00:26:55.920
a year, actually less than a
year, all right, So she had
368
00:26:56.000 --> 00:27:03.839
marriage number two under her belt.
And that's when she really starts getting kind
369
00:27:03.839 --> 00:27:07.079
of depressed. Right, she can't
keep a man. She's got all these
370
00:27:07.200 --> 00:27:15.640
kids, she's not she's poor,
you know, And so she does what
371
00:27:15.720 --> 00:27:17.960
I think a lot of women or
a lot of men too, a lot
372
00:27:17.960 --> 00:27:22.960
of us do when we're sad and
we're lonely, is that she starts kind
373
00:27:22.960 --> 00:27:26.480
of reminiscing through those rose colored glasses, you know, of her marriage to
374
00:27:26.519 --> 00:27:30.960
her original husband John, and she
starts going, you know, maybe it
375
00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:33.880
wasn't so bad, Maybe things weren't
as bad as I thought they were.
376
00:27:33.960 --> 00:27:37.559
Maybe I really should have stayed with
my husband, and we should have worked
377
00:27:37.559 --> 00:27:41.240
things out, and yeah, we
screwed up, but we're young, and
378
00:27:41.799 --> 00:27:45.480
you know we're gonna make it if
we could just you know, try again.
379
00:27:45.839 --> 00:27:49.759
So she runs into him one night
while I think he was on patrol,
380
00:27:51.240 --> 00:27:55.400
but they start having a conversation.
That conversation went really well, and
381
00:27:55.480 --> 00:27:59.000
she invites her ex husband back to
the house for dinner, and as you
382
00:27:59.039 --> 00:28:02.119
can imagine, the kids are super
excited. Right, Oh, my god,
383
00:28:02.799 --> 00:28:06.759
Daddy's back home. Mom's got him
here where they're having dinner, dat
384
00:28:06.799 --> 00:28:11.240
mama's cooking and things. Things are
just this is so exciting. Daddy's back.
385
00:28:11.319 --> 00:28:17.279
And so she got Old John liquored
up, and then she slang her
386
00:28:17.440 --> 00:28:23.200
new her newly mastered brown Chicken,
brown cow right on Old John and then
387
00:28:23.319 --> 00:28:26.559
lo and behold, if the kids
don't wake up for breakfast the next morning,
388
00:28:26.559 --> 00:28:30.400
and guess who's still there, Daddy. That's right, because Daddy spent
389
00:28:30.480 --> 00:28:38.799
the night after he got serviced by
old Girt. And amazingly, they fell
390
00:28:38.880 --> 00:28:45.400
back in love. But they had
grown apart in their you know, their
391
00:28:45.440 --> 00:28:49.240
time when they weren't together, and
they realized, you know what, we're
392
00:28:49.240 --> 00:28:52.960
still in love, even though we're
kind of on different wave lengths, and
393
00:28:52.000 --> 00:28:59.519
so they got married again in a
low key affair, but this round,
394
00:29:00.880 --> 00:29:03.720
you know, was so much better. Things were going well, they were
395
00:29:03.799 --> 00:29:11.000
working together until she got pregnant again, and unfortunately she would lose the baby
396
00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:14.599
in just the last few months of
the pregnancy. It wasn't in the first
397
00:29:14.640 --> 00:29:18.000
few weeks. It was towards the
end of the pregnancy. And when that
398
00:29:18.160 --> 00:29:23.119
happened, she fell into a very
very very deep despair. And when that
399
00:29:23.240 --> 00:29:30.720
happened, rather than John doating on
her or you know, acknowledging what she
400
00:29:30.799 --> 00:29:36.200
was going through and how sad things
were, he really just kind of withdrew
401
00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:38.200
as well and was like, Okay, this sucks. And their love life
402
00:29:38.200 --> 00:29:44.839
shriveled up and it just died dead
flat right there. And so even though
403
00:29:44.880 --> 00:29:49.559
their love life fell apart, apparently
they were still having sex, because shortly
404
00:29:49.599 --> 00:29:55.759
after she lost that baby, she
found herself pregnant again. And when she
405
00:29:55.880 --> 00:29:59.640
was pregnant again, she magically snapped
right back into being a good wife.
406
00:29:59.640 --> 00:30:03.599
And so it's like flip flopping back
and forth, and John was constantly on
407
00:30:03.640 --> 00:30:07.200
the verge of leaving, but whenever
she got pregnant again, he was so
408
00:30:07.240 --> 00:30:14.599
happy with her change that he stayed
and even though he had been violent towards
409
00:30:14.640 --> 00:30:17.920
her in the past and things,
you know, had kind of gone back
410
00:30:17.920 --> 00:30:22.839
and forth, he even stopped being
really violent towards her. So in her
411
00:30:22.880 --> 00:30:30.599
mind she thought, well, maybe
maybe I deserved the violence because I had
412
00:30:30.599 --> 00:30:33.480
been a bad wife, and so
she kind of internalized it and said,
413
00:30:33.480 --> 00:30:36.599
well, I wasn't doing a good
job. He was violent towards me,
414
00:30:36.640 --> 00:30:38.400
but I'm doing a good job,
a good job now, and so he's
415
00:30:38.440 --> 00:30:44.359
been nice to me, so maybe
things will get better. But that cycle
416
00:30:44.480 --> 00:30:48.359
kind of continued for seven more years. She would get pregnant, she would
417
00:30:48.519 --> 00:30:52.039
miscarry, she would go into a
depression, he would get violent, things
418
00:30:52.079 --> 00:30:56.440
would go bad, then she'd get
pregnant again, things would get better,
419
00:30:56.720 --> 00:31:00.559
and then she would miscarry again,
and it just was on and on for
420
00:31:00.720 --> 00:31:03.480
seven years. And by the end
of the marriage the second time, she
421
00:31:03.599 --> 00:31:07.279
did have two more healthy children,
but the rest of'em would die before
422
00:31:07.279 --> 00:31:12.480
they ever got to full term.
So I think I've painted a pretty decent
423
00:31:12.480 --> 00:31:17.440
picture here that you can see that
this was just not healthy for her emotionally
424
00:31:17.680 --> 00:31:22.160
physically, their relationships suffered. It
never really recovered, They never got help,
425
00:31:22.200 --> 00:31:25.240
and they just kept spitting out more
kids rather than solving the problems,
426
00:31:25.279 --> 00:31:29.119
which we see that in society today
too. But John would eventually file for
427
00:31:29.160 --> 00:31:36.400
divorce again, and guess what,
Gert would get the kids uncontested again whenever
428
00:31:37.039 --> 00:31:41.160
it was over. So how old
is Gert now? She's about thirty seven
429
00:31:41.200 --> 00:31:45.200
years old, mentally unstable, She's
depending on her child support checks as her
430
00:31:45.200 --> 00:31:52.000
income, and she still couldn't make
ends meet. Her life is just not
431
00:31:52.160 --> 00:31:56.559
going well. So over this time
of all of these things happening, she
432
00:31:56.720 --> 00:32:02.119
just becomes flat out bitter and mean, and there's a shift. And from
433
00:32:02.160 --> 00:32:06.400
the time that she was hitting in
one of her ex husband's for hitting her
434
00:32:06.480 --> 00:32:10.680
kids too. Now she puts a
lot of blame on her children and she
435
00:32:10.799 --> 00:32:15.200
sees them as causing her issues.
That she can't get a man because she
436
00:32:15.279 --> 00:32:19.599
has all these kids and then they
act bad, so no man wants to
437
00:32:19.640 --> 00:32:22.519
be around her, and so she
hates a whole lot of that blame though,
438
00:32:22.559 --> 00:32:28.000
on her female children, on her
daughters. Now, you know,
439
00:32:28.400 --> 00:32:32.960
I don't want to blame people,
you know, who are in this situation.
440
00:32:34.440 --> 00:32:37.319
Maybe it's learned behavior, but it
sure does seem kind of like she's
441
00:32:37.400 --> 00:32:44.240
mirroring how her mother behaved when she
lost her husband aka Gert's dad. You
442
00:32:44.319 --> 00:32:47.640
know. So now though, I'm
going to introduce to you the amazing Dennis.
443
00:32:47.839 --> 00:32:50.920
Okay, this is the next man
in her life. And he's a
444
00:32:50.960 --> 00:32:54.279
fellow ten years younger than Gert,
so he's in his twenties. And even
445
00:32:54.359 --> 00:32:59.039
better is he's married. For the
love of God, when she meets him,
446
00:33:00.039 --> 00:33:04.279
it's like she cannot figure this out. You know, God will not
447
00:33:04.400 --> 00:33:08.599
send you another another woman's husband.
If you didn't know that, I don't
448
00:33:08.599 --> 00:33:14.960
think that was in revelations anywhere.
But he's a younger fella, he's married,
449
00:33:15.000 --> 00:33:22.880
he's a welder, and he's prone
to self destructive drinking, kind of
450
00:33:22.920 --> 00:33:27.880
like the other husbands that she picked. But he was willing to take on
451
00:33:28.039 --> 00:33:35.039
Gertrude and her busload of heathens.
Amazingly, this young guy, and the
452
00:33:35.079 --> 00:33:37.880
way that she was able to keep
him around during this affair that they were
453
00:33:37.920 --> 00:33:40.960
having was that she would use sex
as a means of rewarding him whenever he
454
00:33:42.000 --> 00:33:46.240
would do something that she wanted.
Right. So what ended up happening was
455
00:33:46.880 --> 00:33:52.079
Dennis's wife found out about their affair, and even though Dennis didn't want to
456
00:33:52.079 --> 00:33:55.160
be with Gert. He wanted to
be with his wife. His wife was
457
00:33:55.200 --> 00:34:00.480
like, how about no, and
she rolled out and started a new relationship
458
00:34:00.759 --> 00:34:04.720
quite quickly, and so Gert was
always there kind of saying, hey,
459
00:34:04.759 --> 00:34:07.240
I'm here, I'll sleep with you, I'll do what you want. And
460
00:34:07.279 --> 00:34:09.559
so he kind of just I guess
settled and said, well, you're here,
461
00:34:09.599 --> 00:34:13.880
and you caused you know, or
we caused my divorce, so I
462
00:34:13.880 --> 00:34:19.360
guess we can just stay hooking up. And she moved Gert moved in with
463
00:34:19.440 --> 00:34:24.760
him only one day after his wife
left. One day, like the ink
464
00:34:24.840 --> 00:34:29.480
wasn't even dry, and she moved
in. So I'm not a big fan
465
00:34:29.519 --> 00:34:32.119
of dentists either, because I don't
think that you know, he made good
466
00:34:32.119 --> 00:34:36.519
decisions even though he's only in his
twenties, but he's just like whatever I
467
00:34:36.559 --> 00:34:40.280
mean, but red flag much even
ludicrous y'all. Remember Ludicrous said you can't
468
00:34:40.320 --> 00:34:44.840
turn a hole into a house wife
posed on ac Right, y'all know that
469
00:34:44.880 --> 00:34:51.599
song, y'all remember it just me? Okay, all right? So no,
470
00:34:51.639 --> 00:34:55.679
sooner did she move in with him, she completely stops taking care of
471
00:34:55.719 --> 00:35:00.239
the house. It's this repetitive cycle
you know of sex will not keep a
472
00:35:00.239 --> 00:35:05.559
man. It's got to be a
full scope here right of you being a
473
00:35:05.599 --> 00:35:10.599
good wife and a good lover and
a good partner. And she refused to
474
00:35:10.639 --> 00:35:15.440
clean all together. There was trash
all over the floor, there was bottles
475
00:35:15.480 --> 00:35:19.360
and food everywhere. I kind of
get like an episode of hoarders in my
476
00:35:19.360 --> 00:35:21.840
mind when I start thinking about how
filthy their house was, on top of
477
00:35:21.880 --> 00:35:25.159
the fact there's kids everywhere who don't
clean up after themselves. Can I get
478
00:35:25.159 --> 00:35:29.360
an amen from every parent listening right
now? The kids aren't going to clean
479
00:35:29.400 --> 00:35:32.280
up unless you're hounded them, So
you can imagine the mess. And on
480
00:35:32.559 --> 00:35:37.639
more than one occasion it was said
that even her children, like her little
481
00:35:37.639 --> 00:35:42.639
ones, were they choked on food
and trash from the floor, like bottle
482
00:35:42.679 --> 00:35:46.519
caps and things that were just left
on the ground. But what she did
483
00:35:46.599 --> 00:35:52.599
do was be available to him sexually, and so he stuck around for a
484
00:35:52.599 --> 00:36:00.199
while because of how she would treat
him in the bedroom, but eventually he
485
00:36:00.119 --> 00:36:04.920
wanted out. The sex was not
enough, the house was filthy, the
486
00:36:04.960 --> 00:36:07.920
kids were everywhere. He didn't want
the kids, they weren't his, and
487
00:36:07.960 --> 00:36:13.480
so he planned this escape from her
without her really really knowing. The day
488
00:36:13.480 --> 00:36:16.559
he planned his escape, and he
said, Okay, I'm leaving today,
489
00:36:16.639 --> 00:36:22.599
he would say. He came home
and strangely, the house was absolutely immaculate.
490
00:36:23.760 --> 00:36:29.480
She was cooking in the kitchen and
the kids were like hanging around her
491
00:36:29.480 --> 00:36:32.719
and watching her cook, and they
were having almost normalcy in the household.
492
00:36:32.800 --> 00:36:37.280
And he was stunned. He was
like taken aback by what is this?
493
00:36:37.960 --> 00:36:42.559
But he was happy. So they
go and to have a conversation in the
494
00:36:42.639 --> 00:36:45.079
room, you know, the side
room, and she apologized for how she
495
00:36:45.119 --> 00:36:47.079
had been acting, and she promised, look, I'm gonna make it up
496
00:36:47.079 --> 00:36:53.239
to you, which included a whole
bunch of brown chicken brown goal time again.
497
00:36:53.440 --> 00:36:55.840
So she starts laying that on him. Now, if you're tired of
498
00:36:55.880 --> 00:37:00.760
hearing me talk about it, imagine
how he's he is that even doing it
499
00:37:00.800 --> 00:37:06.480
is not solving the problems of the
relationship. And after they go in the
500
00:37:06.480 --> 00:37:09.199
back and she kind of rocks his
world. She immediately starts talking about wanting
501
00:37:09.239 --> 00:37:14.199
to get married, and Dennis has
a what the fuck moment right then and
502
00:37:14.239 --> 00:37:16.280
there, he completely freaks out and
was like, wait a minute, wait
503
00:37:16.280 --> 00:37:19.760
a minute, just because we went
in the bag and you know, and
504
00:37:19.800 --> 00:37:22.079
had sex and you cooked and cleaned
the house. Doesn't mean I want to
505
00:37:22.079 --> 00:37:25.320
marry you. And he says,
look, I don't. I don't want
506
00:37:25.360 --> 00:37:29.480
this. I don't want kids with
you. I don't want any more kids.
507
00:37:29.480 --> 00:37:31.320
He felt like children were a trap
and that she was trying to trap
508
00:37:31.400 --> 00:37:35.639
him, and her response to him
was, well, I didn't want any
509
00:37:35.679 --> 00:37:38.760
of these kids after my first one
either, But here I am so kind
510
00:37:38.760 --> 00:37:45.239
of like I guess she's saying,
misery wants company. And so they would
511
00:37:45.280 --> 00:37:47.920
stick around together long enough that they
would pop out one kid together. His
512
00:37:49.000 --> 00:37:53.719
name would be Dennis Lee. And
by that point altogether Gert had seven children
513
00:37:55.079 --> 00:38:01.440
between all of these men. And
in nineteen sixty five, when this story
514
00:38:01.559 --> 00:38:06.320
that I'm going to start into really
starts to take off, this is the
515
00:38:06.360 --> 00:38:08.920
ages that all of these children are, and it's gonna matter. In the
516
00:38:09.000 --> 00:38:15.760
story, she has her eldest daughter, Paula, who is seventeen, Stephanie
517
00:38:15.920 --> 00:38:22.119
who is fifteen, John who's twelve, Marie who is eleven, Shirley who
518
00:38:22.199 --> 00:38:27.239
is ten, James who is eight, and then little Dennis Lee. Now,
519
00:38:27.280 --> 00:38:29.159
if you're like, holy crap,
Kelly, I can't keep up with
520
00:38:29.199 --> 00:38:30.920
all these kids, don't worry about
it. You're not gonna have to.
521
00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:34.000
I'm I'm gonna get you on track, all right. But before we go
522
00:38:34.079 --> 00:38:39.559
further, remember she's got all seven
kids, and she's seemingly restarting this cycle
523
00:38:39.599 --> 00:38:44.000
of abuse, right, And so
I kind of wanted to say, why
524
00:38:44.079 --> 00:38:49.960
do abusers continue the abuse cycle,
especially when they hated the way that they
525
00:38:50.000 --> 00:38:52.559
were treated? Right? Why does
that happen? Because it's still happening in
526
00:38:52.599 --> 00:38:55.920
today's society. So I went to
one of some of these sites that I
527
00:38:55.960 --> 00:38:59.880
look at, but one of them
is called very wellmind dot com, and
528
00:39:00.079 --> 00:39:04.159
that's where I got a little bit
of this. But the reason abusers continue
529
00:39:04.199 --> 00:39:08.280
abuse and that cycle of abuse is
simply because it feels familiar to them.
530
00:39:08.360 --> 00:39:15.280
It's what they know. So if
the connection between abuse and love is made
531
00:39:15.320 --> 00:39:22.880
early in life, the feelings of
shame and anger, which naturally happen as
532
00:39:22.920 --> 00:39:29.559
a consequence of that abuse, can
become mixed up with sexual feelings, and
533
00:39:29.599 --> 00:39:35.800
that leads to confusion in the person
who is experiencing the abuse. So if
534
00:39:35.840 --> 00:39:39.400
abuse and love kind of get mixed
up in the mind and shame and anger,
535
00:39:40.320 --> 00:39:45.159
which are the consequences of that abuse, you know what I'm saying,
536
00:39:45.639 --> 00:39:51.079
they get mixed up, and it
gives mixed signals about what should be happening
537
00:39:51.079 --> 00:39:55.360
as a result of the abuse,
and so these feelings become interpreted as feelings
538
00:39:55.400 --> 00:40:01.760
of love and passion and can sometimes
even lead to sexual arousal, even though
539
00:40:01.760 --> 00:40:06.079
it's abuse, all right, And
I'm not going super deep into this,
540
00:40:06.159 --> 00:40:07.800
but I just kind of wanted to
show you how the brain can. It's
541
00:40:07.960 --> 00:40:12.960
the brain is amazing, but sometimes
it can really get things confused in the
542
00:40:13.079 --> 00:40:19.280
child's mind. So what happens is
someone who's been abused may believe that they
543
00:40:19.280 --> 00:40:24.519
are attracted to or feel love for
their abuser, sometimes even thinking that they
544
00:40:24.519 --> 00:40:30.960
have a special connection to the abuser, and their experience so far traps them
545
00:40:30.960 --> 00:40:37.039
into feelings of intimacy, which are
associated with the abuse because it was imprinted
546
00:40:37.039 --> 00:40:39.599
on them as a very young age, and so there's a confusion between the
547
00:40:39.639 --> 00:40:45.000
two love, intimacy and abuse.
They're so intertwined it's hard to separate them
548
00:40:45.000 --> 00:40:50.280
out. So when they are later
abused, like in an intimate relationship,
549
00:40:50.679 --> 00:40:55.760
they perceive those familiar feelings of shame
and anger as love and passion. And
550
00:40:55.800 --> 00:40:59.719
so I hope you can feel that
like I can, Like when you're young
551
00:40:59.760 --> 00:41:05.119
and you're in a bad relationship and
you somehow miss you mistake hurt as part
552
00:41:05.159 --> 00:41:07.800
of the love process, Like they
hurt me because they love me. They
553
00:41:07.800 --> 00:41:10.519
wouldn't hurt me if they didn't care
type thing. But it's just wrong,
554
00:41:10.559 --> 00:41:17.159
it's not love doesn't hurt. So
another thing too, is that in those
555
00:41:17.199 --> 00:41:22.360
feelings of it being familiar, sometimes
abused abused people will become abusive and they're
556
00:41:22.440 --> 00:41:27.719
using it as an attempt to heal
themselves. So, for example, a
557
00:41:27.760 --> 00:41:35.280
survival, a survivor of childhood sexual
abuse may try to undo the abuse by
558
00:41:35.360 --> 00:41:43.119
taking their power back now real quick. If someone is raped in today's society,
559
00:41:43.199 --> 00:41:45.920
will go do a sexual assault kit
on them, right, A sane
560
00:41:45.960 --> 00:41:50.639
nerse sexual assault nurse examiner will come
do that examination on them, super invasive,
561
00:41:51.119 --> 00:41:54.400
lots of swabbing, lots of pictures
taken. And one of the big
562
00:41:54.480 --> 00:42:00.440
things or the big mantras though of
these nurses is that we are not going
563
00:42:00.519 --> 00:42:04.320
to retake the power away from the
victim. So if the victim says stop,
564
00:42:04.360 --> 00:42:06.719
I've had enough, they're going to
stop. If they say no,
565
00:42:06.760 --> 00:42:08.599
I do not want pictures taken of
me they're not going to take the pictures.
566
00:42:08.880 --> 00:42:13.800
They're not going to force someone because
their power was already taken by someone
567
00:42:13.840 --> 00:42:16.840
against their will. We are not
going to further that by taking their power
568
00:42:16.920 --> 00:42:22.920
away. Again. Well, that's
kind of where these abuses. These people
569
00:42:22.920 --> 00:42:28.840
who are abused become abuser themselves because
they're trying to heal themselves by taking back
570
00:42:28.880 --> 00:42:32.800
the power and by engaging in a
relationship with another abuser. They can try
571
00:42:32.840 --> 00:42:38.679
to relive the relationship with their original
abuser, but in this instance, they
572
00:42:38.679 --> 00:42:44.039
want to get it right because they
have the power. So similarly, by
573
00:42:44.039 --> 00:42:46.800
becoming an abuser, someone who has
been abused can play the role of the
574
00:42:46.880 --> 00:42:54.519
more powerful person in the relationship in
an attempt to overcome the powerlessness they felt,
575
00:42:54.840 --> 00:43:00.400
but unfortunately it's not effective, and
they may repeatedly dominate others in that
576
00:43:00.440 --> 00:43:06.840
feudal attempt to get over the weakness
that they experienced, but they're never healing
577
00:43:06.840 --> 00:43:09.239
themselves. And it seems like Gert
was one of those people that all this
578
00:43:09.360 --> 00:43:16.400
misinterpretive abuse or misinterpreted abuse for love
and then the power struggle. It seems
579
00:43:16.440 --> 00:43:21.920
like she's jumping right in and that's
why she herself becomes an abuser. So
580
00:43:22.119 --> 00:43:29.280
here's Gert A Haggard asthmatic chain smoker, who is now continuing to I'll say
581
00:43:29.280 --> 00:43:35.159
in quotes, raise her kids.
But she's again alone because all the men
582
00:43:35.199 --> 00:43:40.679
in her life have left her.
And the main parts of this story are
583
00:43:40.679 --> 00:43:45.320
going to start at this time when
that daughter Paula that I mentioned a moment
584
00:43:45.360 --> 00:43:52.880
ago is a teenager herself. Paula
is seventeen and she is the eldest of
585
00:43:52.920 --> 00:43:57.599
Gert's children. But Gert is more
of a friend to Paula than she is
586
00:43:57.639 --> 00:44:02.760
a mother. Now, something that
Paula had to deal with was that Gert
587
00:44:04.159 --> 00:44:07.880
would bombard her with her troubles,
and Paula was kind of forced to listen
588
00:44:07.920 --> 00:44:13.880
to all of her mother's problems and
eventually that gets to be a lot for
589
00:44:13.920 --> 00:44:17.360
a kid. Kids should not have
to shoulder adult problems, but adults do
590
00:44:17.360 --> 00:44:22.199
it to kids all the time.
Think about divorce right where they You know,
591
00:44:22.239 --> 00:44:25.000
people who are getting divorced always put
their problems on, you know,
592
00:44:25.039 --> 00:44:28.719
their seven year old kid, like
their kid is supposed to understand it all
593
00:44:28.760 --> 00:44:31.360
and the complexities of it all.
And Paula gets burned out on it.
594
00:44:32.119 --> 00:44:38.920
So Paula switches her attention as she's
now seventeen, and she starts becoming interested
595
00:44:39.000 --> 00:44:45.079
in a boy that she knows.
And she's not promiscuous like Gert was her
596
00:44:45.079 --> 00:44:50.599
mother, but she's definitely interested for
sure in this boy. So at one
597
00:44:50.599 --> 00:44:53.079
point things got really hot and heavy
and they were kissing and they were touching
598
00:44:53.079 --> 00:44:55.920
each other at the house, and
that's when her mom, Gert, busts
599
00:44:55.960 --> 00:45:04.440
in and just unleashes all out age
on the two. She grabs Paula by
600
00:45:04.519 --> 00:45:08.880
her hair and hurls her across the
room, screaming insults at her. She
601
00:45:08.920 --> 00:45:13.559
starts calling her a whore and every
other name under you under the sun.
602
00:45:14.079 --> 00:45:16.239
And the boy that she was making
out with is trying to scramble and get
603
00:45:16.239 --> 00:45:22.199
out of the house. And from
that point forward, Gert orders that her
604
00:45:22.599 --> 00:45:29.679
sons that they are going to remove
all doors in that house and there will
605
00:45:29.719 --> 00:45:32.599
be no doors in this house,
and no one will go without her being
606
00:45:32.639 --> 00:45:37.000
able to see what they are doing
at any moment's time when she wanted to
607
00:45:37.480 --> 00:45:40.400
and to really serve this, you
know, this point home, she then
608
00:45:40.519 --> 00:45:45.679
took them all outside and made them
take the doors of the house and she
609
00:45:45.840 --> 00:45:50.519
burned them in a fire so that
they all knew how permanent this was and
610
00:45:50.559 --> 00:45:53.280
there would be no privacy in the
home. And then from that point forward,
611
00:45:53.599 --> 00:46:00.920
Gert becomes obsessed with purity of her
girls, and he comes just almost
612
00:46:00.960 --> 00:46:08.320
like a cult towards her kids,
where she's giving these daily lectures about purity
613
00:46:08.519 --> 00:46:15.159
and sexual perversion, and she starts
making them go to church constantly, which,
614
00:46:15.159 --> 00:46:16.639
hey, I'm not saying church is
a bad thing, but you can't
615
00:46:16.639 --> 00:46:22.280
always be shoving it down a kid's
throat. Well. As Gert kind of
616
00:46:22.280 --> 00:46:30.159
gets over that manicness, then that
kind of starts fading and she goes back
617
00:46:30.159 --> 00:46:34.920
to her normal ways where she's kind
of zoned out, sleeping in her bedroom,
618
00:46:35.000 --> 00:46:37.880
smoking constantly, not taking care of
the kids and leaving them to their
619
00:46:37.880 --> 00:46:43.679
own devices. So Paula starts going
to bars to meet guys without her mom
620
00:46:43.800 --> 00:46:46.880
finding out. She kind of sneaks
out, and one man that she meets
621
00:46:47.079 --> 00:46:52.920
ends up being an older man she
falls for and she starts sleeping with him.
622
00:46:52.840 --> 00:46:57.800
And after she starts sleeping with him, that's when Paula finds out that
623
00:46:57.920 --> 00:47:02.800
not only is he not single,
but this older guy was married and he
624
00:47:02.920 --> 00:47:08.519
wasn't gonna be with Paula she was
just basically his side piece. So Paula
625
00:47:08.559 --> 00:47:15.880
immediately dumped this guy, and shortly
thereafter after she stops seeing him. Guess
626
00:47:15.920 --> 00:47:21.239
what, she finds herself pregnant.
So when gart finds out that her daughter,
627
00:47:21.480 --> 00:47:23.960
you know, is pregnant, she
hits a breaking point and kind of
628
00:47:24.000 --> 00:47:28.920
just completely becomes just a worthless piece
of crap, I guess is the best
629
00:47:28.920 --> 00:47:31.079
way to put it. She doesn't
have really that many redeeming values at this
630
00:47:31.119 --> 00:47:36.280
point, so she stops eating.
She becomes really bony and nasty. She's
631
00:47:36.400 --> 00:47:40.079
vicious. All she does is just
chain smoke all the time. She's not
632
00:47:40.159 --> 00:47:44.960
taking care of her kids. She
refuses to let the kids clean up,
633
00:47:45.239 --> 00:47:47.880
and she really kind of revels in
the disgustingness of their home. She's kind
634
00:47:47.880 --> 00:47:51.320
of like, no, if we're
gonna be nasty people, then we're just
635
00:47:51.320 --> 00:47:57.239
gonna be nasty people. And eventually
there's like this shift that whenever Gert kind
636
00:47:57.280 --> 00:48:01.800
of gives up and starts doing her
own thing, Paula becomes kind of the
637
00:48:01.840 --> 00:48:06.400
head of the household in a strange
way because she's the next oldest person in
638
00:48:06.440 --> 00:48:08.400
the home. Well, when you
have a seventeen year old who's pregnant,
639
00:48:08.440 --> 00:48:12.760
mind you in charge of the home. Guess what happens. It becomes a
640
00:48:12.760 --> 00:48:15.119
teen hangout. All the kids in
the neighborhood realize, oh, hey,
641
00:48:15.159 --> 00:48:17.840
we can go hang out over there, and we can do whatever we want.
642
00:48:17.880 --> 00:48:22.239
We can smoke and cuss and talk
about whatever we want to and nobody's
643
00:48:22.239 --> 00:48:29.039
gonna stop us, even if there's
an adult there. Because Gert even starts
644
00:48:29.159 --> 00:48:34.199
joining in with the teen So she's
smoking with the teenagers, talking trash.
645
00:48:34.400 --> 00:48:37.559
She even like instigates fights, and
when they'll squabble, she'll even get in
646
00:48:37.599 --> 00:48:42.920
on the fights. There's literally no
someonance of parenting going on in this home.
647
00:48:43.360 --> 00:48:45.480
But from the outside, the house
just looks like a normal middle class
648
00:48:45.519 --> 00:48:49.360
America house. And I do have
photos and I will be sharing this with
649
00:48:49.400 --> 00:48:53.320
you, But nobody on the outside
really would have known what was going on
650
00:48:53.320 --> 00:48:57.199
on the inside, and the teens
would have been fools to go share it
651
00:48:57.199 --> 00:49:00.000
and tell anybody, because then their
little honey hoole would would be described.
652
00:49:00.119 --> 00:49:05.159
Did so paul st Paula starts letting
all these teens come over. Girt's not
653
00:49:05.239 --> 00:49:10.760
really do anything about it, and
so whenever you know, this chaos is
654
00:49:10.760 --> 00:49:15.920
happening in the home. It just
becomes kind of weird that the kids do
655
00:49:15.960 --> 00:49:19.639
whatever they want to do. And
at one point, Paula says, I
656
00:49:19.719 --> 00:49:22.159
kind of need a break from the
chaos that's going on in my house.
657
00:49:22.960 --> 00:49:25.440
She had been hiding the pregnancy from
all the kids at school. She did
658
00:49:25.480 --> 00:49:30.480
try to you know, she did
try to hide it from her siblings at
659
00:49:30.480 --> 00:49:32.960
first because she was trying to keep
some type of normalcy. And at some
660
00:49:34.039 --> 00:49:37.840
point she befriended a girl named Darlene
McGuire that lived, I believe, really
661
00:49:37.840 --> 00:49:42.039
close to them, and people said
that she was a really sweet girl,
662
00:49:42.159 --> 00:49:44.840
had a heart of gold, Like
she was that kid that would take in
663
00:49:44.920 --> 00:49:47.280
animals, like stray animals all the
time. She would even try to help
664
00:49:47.320 --> 00:49:51.519
stray kids, you know, ones
that just kind of showed up or relatch
665
00:49:51.599 --> 00:49:57.920
key kids. And one day,
while they're in town, these two sisters
666
00:49:58.000 --> 00:50:04.239
were found wandering the streets and Darlene
brought them home. So sweet girl that's
667
00:50:04.280 --> 00:50:07.960
friends with now Paula brings home these
two girls that were just young and randomly
668
00:50:07.000 --> 00:50:13.880
wandering the streets. And these two
girls names were Jenny and Sylvia Likns.
669
00:50:14.679 --> 00:50:17.800
Now why were they just randomly walking
the streets. Great question, glad you
670
00:50:17.840 --> 00:50:22.039
asked. Their mom's name was Betty, who was married to their dad,
671
00:50:22.119 --> 00:50:30.719
Lester, and they were just kind
of your typical low class struggling to make
672
00:50:30.800 --> 00:50:35.199
it, kept reproducing type of family. And I'm not talking bad about them.
673
00:50:35.239 --> 00:50:39.079
I'm just saying that Lester had an
eighth grade education and Betty didn't seem
674
00:50:39.119 --> 00:50:42.960
to have much better, and they
were kind of doing I guess, the
675
00:50:43.000 --> 00:50:47.039
best they knew how, but it
wasn't very good, and Lester would sometimes
676
00:50:47.039 --> 00:50:52.199
be abusive towards Betty. And one
day Betty had enough and so she fled
677
00:50:52.239 --> 00:50:55.360
the house with you from their abusive
dad in the night, and she took
678
00:50:55.360 --> 00:51:00.880
the two girls with them. Well, when they fled, they had jumped
679
00:51:00.880 --> 00:51:07.400
on a bus and it took them
to town where they had run out of
680
00:51:07.440 --> 00:51:10.719
money. So there was the mom
with her kids and didn't have any money.
681
00:51:12.079 --> 00:51:14.760
So what she did was she went
to go try to steal some food
682
00:51:14.760 --> 00:51:16.559
for them because she had spent all
the money on the bus tickets, and
683
00:51:16.639 --> 00:51:21.519
she got caught and they arrested the
mom. Well, when they arrested Betty,
684
00:51:22.119 --> 00:51:27.000
the little girls, Sylvia and Jenny, they fled because they didn't want
685
00:51:27.000 --> 00:51:30.000
to get caught too well when they
ran, that's when they were kind of
686
00:51:30.039 --> 00:51:32.079
just wandering the streets with nowhere to
go. Their mom had been arrested and
687
00:51:32.119 --> 00:51:37.199
their dad didn't even know they were
gone. And that's when Darlene found them
688
00:51:37.239 --> 00:51:42.400
and Paula, Gert's daughter, says, hey, you can come back to
689
00:51:42.519 --> 00:51:46.079
our house. So the girls go
back with them. They're hungry, right
690
00:51:46.119 --> 00:51:52.119
and they don't have anywhere to be, and Gert strangely responds very positively to
691
00:51:52.159 --> 00:51:59.320
them showing up to the house.
She says, sure, I completely understand
692
00:51:59.360 --> 00:52:02.719
y'all are in a rough spot.
And she's very kind, and the Likings
693
00:52:02.719 --> 00:52:06.159
girls are like, oh my god, this is great. You know someone's
694
00:52:06.199 --> 00:52:09.639
willing to be kind to us,
and you know this is wonderful. So
695
00:52:09.760 --> 00:52:15.400
I want you in your mind right
now to start just a few months clock,
696
00:52:15.480 --> 00:52:17.320
because everything I'm about to tell you
from here on out is going to
697
00:52:17.360 --> 00:52:22.760
happen in just a couple of months. So it's about December of nineteen sixty
698
00:52:22.760 --> 00:52:27.159
five where we're at. And I
thought, before I go any further,
699
00:52:28.239 --> 00:52:30.880
I wanted to tell you what Sylvia
Likings was like. Okay, she was
700
00:52:30.920 --> 00:52:37.639
the older of the two girls that
were found wandering the streets. So Sylvia
701
00:52:37.760 --> 00:52:40.320
was a teenage girl of these lower
class parents, like I mentioned, who
702
00:52:40.400 --> 00:52:45.639
struggled a lot financially. I mean, they were not having a good time,
703
00:52:45.119 --> 00:52:51.840
and Sylvia was the kind of kid
that would help out. She said,
704
00:52:51.880 --> 00:52:53.679
if y'all are struggling, I'm I'm
gonna help out. And I thought
705
00:52:53.679 --> 00:52:57.679
that was rather endearing when I read
about it. But how would she help
706
00:52:57.679 --> 00:53:00.039
her parents out? Well, it
was reported that she would do odd and
707
00:53:00.119 --> 00:53:05.519
ends jobs like she would babysit,
she would run errands for people, she
708
00:53:05.559 --> 00:53:08.320
would iron for friends and neighbors,
anything that she could do that wasn't a
709
00:53:08.320 --> 00:53:12.199
lot of skill and could bring,
you know, bring some money to the
710
00:53:12.199 --> 00:53:15.760
household. And those that were close
to him knew that she would even give
711
00:53:15.840 --> 00:53:19.599
her earnings to her mom so that
her mom could try to make ends meet.
712
00:53:20.159 --> 00:53:22.400
And she loved music. She liked
the popular music at the time,
713
00:53:22.440 --> 00:53:27.840
so like she was a Beatles lover. And they people that knew or said
714
00:53:27.840 --> 00:53:30.199
that she was friendly, and she
came across as a confident girl, and
715
00:53:30.239 --> 00:53:36.119
she was full of life, and
that confidence was something that people really liked
716
00:53:36.159 --> 00:53:38.719
about her, but it was kept
in check because one time when she was
717
00:53:38.840 --> 00:53:43.639
younger, she was wrestling with her
brothers and one of her brothers accidentally kicked
718
00:53:43.639 --> 00:53:46.599
out one of her front teeth,
and so that confidence was kind of checked
719
00:53:46.599 --> 00:53:50.639
when that front tooth was kicked out. And so as a result, when
720
00:53:50.639 --> 00:53:53.320
I post pictures of Sylvia for you
to see, usually she's going to be
721
00:53:53.360 --> 00:53:58.119
sporting her long, wavy, you
know, brown hair, but she was
722
00:53:58.159 --> 00:54:00.159
gonna look well kept and you know, well put together. But her mouth
723
00:54:00.239 --> 00:54:05.280
is always closed when she smiles because
she wanted to hide that imperfection. And
724
00:54:05.360 --> 00:54:08.400
her little nickname that her friends called
her by was Cookie. But that sweet
725
00:54:08.599 --> 00:54:15.679
nickname was in contrast to how fiercely
she was protective of her younger sister Jenny.
726
00:54:15.760 --> 00:54:22.039
So her love for her little sister
was completely and utterly unchallenged. She
727
00:54:22.119 --> 00:54:27.840
loved her sister more than anything else
in her life. And she had just
728
00:54:27.880 --> 00:54:31.679
a soft spot for her sister Jenny
because Jenny suffered from the effects of polio,
729
00:54:32.159 --> 00:54:37.519
and silvio was there for her to
kind of pick up where Jenny lacked.
730
00:54:37.079 --> 00:54:42.920
She was so understanding and loving of
her sister, and the polio was
731
00:54:42.960 --> 00:54:45.320
so bad in little Jenny that she
even had to wear braces on her legs.
732
00:54:45.400 --> 00:54:47.800
She was weak, you know,
she couldn't do a lot of things
733
00:54:47.800 --> 00:54:52.360
that other kids could do. And
Sylvia made a point to spend a lot
734
00:54:52.360 --> 00:54:54.519
of her time with her little sister
Jenny, and they loved going in and
735
00:54:54.559 --> 00:54:59.320
having fun together. Even on a
couple of occasions I read about that they
736
00:54:59.320 --> 00:55:04.519
would go to the local skating rink
together and living up to her big sister
737
00:55:04.599 --> 00:55:08.400
protective status, Sylvia would help her
little sister Jenny skate because she would hold
738
00:55:08.480 --> 00:55:13.679
her hand and Jenny would skate on
her good foot that was not damaged by
739
00:55:13.679 --> 00:55:17.239
the polio. So basically, these
were two good kids just live in there
740
00:55:17.360 --> 00:55:21.840
the best life that they could.
And I thought it was kind of interesting
741
00:55:21.880 --> 00:55:24.440
too that her family they had more
kids than they could take care of.
742
00:55:24.800 --> 00:55:29.639
But I don't think it was necessarily
like on purpose, because believe it or
743
00:55:29.639 --> 00:55:34.000
not, they had two sets of
natural twins, and Sylvia was just the
744
00:55:34.039 --> 00:55:39.960
middle child between the two sets of
twins, so they had Jenny, her
745
00:55:39.960 --> 00:55:45.679
little sister, Jenny had a twin
named Benny, and then her older sister
746
00:55:46.840 --> 00:55:52.159
was also a twin. Her older
sister, Diana was also a twin to
747
00:55:52.320 --> 00:55:55.719
her other brother and you're not gonna
hear a lot about Diana though, because
748
00:55:55.719 --> 00:56:00.320
Diana got married at age eighteen and
moved out very quickly her husband's family because
749
00:56:00.559 --> 00:56:07.039
she thought that that was going to
better her situation. So these were two
750
00:56:07.079 --> 00:56:12.079
good kids. Now. The next
morning, after they went and stayed with
751
00:56:12.159 --> 00:56:17.519
Girt and her and her crew,
their dad shows up at the house after
752
00:56:17.639 --> 00:56:22.079
Darlene led him there. So he
had kind of gotten worried about where his
753
00:56:22.159 --> 00:56:24.400
family was, and that little girl, Darlene that lived on the street that
754
00:56:24.480 --> 00:56:31.519
was super sweet led him to Gertrude's
house with Paula and the way, you
755
00:56:31.559 --> 00:56:37.239
know, the mom Betty had called
him after her arrest and they reconciled over
756
00:56:37.280 --> 00:56:38.400
the phone, like this was stupid. I shouldn't have run away. I
757
00:56:38.400 --> 00:56:42.159
got arrested. He says, I'm
coming to town. I'm gonna get you.
758
00:56:42.719 --> 00:56:45.079
But what's kind of weird about this
is after he comes and finds his
759
00:56:45.159 --> 00:56:53.599
two daughters, he begs Gertrude to
keep his daughters because he and their mom
760
00:56:53.679 --> 00:57:00.039
were going to be joining the traveling
circus and there was no room for the
761
00:56:59.840 --> 00:57:01.079
girls. And I know, right
now you're like, up, here's some
762
00:57:01.119 --> 00:57:05.320
bullshit. You're joining the circus.
Y'all know it's actually true. Okay,
763
00:57:05.360 --> 00:57:07.719
I want you to think back.
This is like that Barnum and Bailey's traveling
764
00:57:07.719 --> 00:57:12.760
circus. It only happened during the
summer, and they were only going to
765
00:57:12.840 --> 00:57:15.079
be able to make the bulk of
the money that they were able to make
766
00:57:15.239 --> 00:57:21.559
at the circus selling concessions and all
that stuff. So I kind of was
767
00:57:21.599 --> 00:57:24.000
intrigued by this, and I'm like, okay, so you're just gonna dump
768
00:57:24.039 --> 00:57:28.159
your two kids with two people because
you want to run off and work for
769
00:57:28.199 --> 00:57:31.760
the circus. That sounds kind of
crappy. But the more I researched and
770
00:57:31.800 --> 00:57:35.679
I kind of started thinking about it, I kind of get where these parents
771
00:57:35.679 --> 00:57:37.960
were coming from. But don't come
at me. Just listen real quick.
772
00:57:37.679 --> 00:57:45.679
So one summer before this, they
did already work for this traveling carnival and
773
00:57:45.679 --> 00:57:47.280
it went okay. The kids were
with them, you know, it was
774
00:57:47.400 --> 00:57:53.119
long hours, but some of the
kids had gone and stayed with their grandparents
775
00:57:54.400 --> 00:58:00.360
and talking about Danny and Benny this
go round. This is the second summer
776
00:58:00.400 --> 00:58:02.119
when things were a bit different.
The oldest daughter, like I told you,
777
00:58:02.159 --> 00:58:06.760
Diana, had moved out because she
got married and This kind of left
778
00:58:06.920 --> 00:58:12.360
Danny, Binny, Jenny, and
Sylvia with their parents who couldn't afford to
779
00:58:12.360 --> 00:58:16.519
take care of them and their finances
had gotten worse. So the thinking of
780
00:58:16.559 --> 00:58:21.480
the parents was while the boys would
be fine, they could stand up and
781
00:58:21.519 --> 00:58:23.559
they could sell the treats and the
cotton candy and all that the whole day,
782
00:58:24.440 --> 00:58:29.039
and even Sylvia would be able to
help out and could help maximize their
783
00:58:29.079 --> 00:58:35.920
income. The problem was that they
were thinking about Jenny and that the workload
784
00:58:36.000 --> 00:58:37.960
was going to be too demanding for
her because of her disabilities, because she
785
00:58:38.000 --> 00:58:42.840
would have to stand all day and
with her legs in the sad condition from
786
00:58:42.880 --> 00:58:45.280
the polio, that was just going
to be super super hard for her.
787
00:58:45.840 --> 00:58:50.840
The other issue that they had was
they thought, I don't know if we
788
00:58:50.880 --> 00:58:58.719
need to be really dragging our two
girls to this traveling circus because the girls
789
00:58:58.760 --> 00:59:01.800
would be working in an environ mainly
of all adult men. And they kind
790
00:59:01.840 --> 00:59:05.000
of were like, you know,
the girls are getting older and they're pretty
791
00:59:05.039 --> 00:59:07.400
little girls, and it just doesn't
seem right to have them working in that
792
00:59:07.519 --> 00:59:13.199
environment with all adult males. Jenny
can't take care of herself, Sylvie would
793
00:59:13.199 --> 00:59:15.840
have to be taking care of Jenny
the whole time, and so I think
794
00:59:15.840 --> 00:59:19.079
in their mind they thought this would
be a good move. It's just for
795
00:59:19.119 --> 00:59:23.920
the summer, and it would help
Gert because they said, we will send
796
00:59:23.960 --> 00:59:30.639
you twenty dollars a week if you
keep them for helping out with our girls.
797
00:59:30.599 --> 00:59:35.360
Well, Gert was thrilled when she
heard this, because all she could
798
00:59:35.360 --> 00:59:37.679
think about was, all right,
twenty dollars a week for cigarette money,
799
00:59:37.719 --> 00:59:39.760
you know what I'm saying, because
you wann't gonna take care of the kids.
800
00:59:40.480 --> 00:59:45.079
The issue was that the Likings parents
never actually went into the house and
801
00:59:45.440 --> 00:59:51.079
looked around at the disgusting circumstances and
didn't realize that, yeah, this home
802
00:59:51.159 --> 00:59:54.320
is a teenager's dream if you think
about the fact that there's no rules and
803
00:59:54.360 --> 01:00:00.639
there's a teenage hierarchy with no adult
supervision. They didn't really look into that,
804
01:00:01.000 --> 01:00:09.159
so they leave their girls in this
cessed pool of nothing but problems that's
805
01:00:09.159 --> 01:00:15.679
about to turn horrifically bad for their
daughters. I think I'm gonna leave it
806
01:00:15.679 --> 01:00:19.880
there for now, because I had
to give you all this background so that
807
01:00:19.920 --> 01:00:22.079
you will know kind of how we
got where we're going to be and where
808
01:00:22.079 --> 01:00:23.519
we're heading to do not give up
on me. Don't be mad at me.
809
01:00:23.559 --> 01:00:27.599
I know I gotta make this in
multiple parts, but trust me,
810
01:00:27.800 --> 01:00:30.760
it's all about the details. Okay, It's all about the details. And
811
01:00:30.960 --> 01:00:34.920
I think something that's super sad in
my opinion about this is that, you
812
01:00:34.920 --> 01:00:37.840
know, I hate whenever kids are
involved in poor parenting and bad decisions on
813
01:00:37.880 --> 01:00:40.679
their behalf, because all they have
is innocence, you know, to work
814
01:00:40.719 --> 01:00:44.880
with to defend themselves, and innocence
is never going to be, you know,
815
01:00:44.960 --> 01:00:50.039
a good defense mechanism. And even
though Gert went through a lot in
816
01:00:50.079 --> 01:00:52.920
her lifetime, I think you can
see that she's not turning out to be
817
01:00:52.960 --> 01:00:55.360
a very good parent. She's not
a very nice person. But it's kind
818
01:00:55.360 --> 01:00:58.559
of like, I don't know what
you expect. You can't shake a hor
819
01:00:58.599 --> 01:01:00.199
tree and expect an angel to fall
out. Alt
1
00:00:06.080 --> 00:00:10.240
Welcome to Unspeakable, a true crime
podcast where I tell stories of real crimes
2
00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:14.839
with real victims, whose cases are
so shocking that many are left wondering how
3
00:00:14.919 --> 00:00:25.280
is this even real? I use
my experiences in law enforcement corrections, and
4
00:00:25.359 --> 00:00:30.079
combine with my years as a criminal
justice educator, dig deep into complex cases
5
00:00:30.120 --> 00:00:51.079
of evil acts, some so evil
many feel they are unspeakable. Warning.
6
00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:55.679
Unspeakable as intended for mature audiences.
If you are easily offended, then I'm
7
00:00:55.679 --> 00:00:59.679
not your girl. Listening discretion is
advised. Hey y'all, kJ here back
8
00:00:59.679 --> 00:01:03.280
for an other episode of Unspeakable.
How are you doing You? Probably notice
9
00:01:03.320 --> 00:01:06.400
I sound a little stuffy, but
that's because I got something going on.
10
00:01:06.560 --> 00:01:10.200
But I'm gonna fight through just for
you. I'm gonna tell a good story
11
00:01:10.239 --> 00:01:12.239
today. But before I start,
I have to give some shout outs to
12
00:01:12.280 --> 00:01:18.120
some people because we got some new
patron members in the house. Let's start
13
00:01:18.200 --> 00:01:25.439
with Miss Carly Henson from Bruley,
Louisiana and Charlene Bordelaine from Walker, Louisiana.
14
00:01:25.560 --> 00:01:29.319
I mean, hello Louisiana, peeps. I've also got Tracy Ray from
15
00:01:29.359 --> 00:01:32.480
the Great I was about to say
the Great State, but from the great
16
00:01:32.879 --> 00:01:36.519
area of Denham Springs, Louisiana.
All my Louisiana people, what's up?
17
00:01:37.239 --> 00:01:42.239
Super glad to have you now.
I also have Miss Brianna Jones and Lee
18
00:01:42.519 --> 00:01:46.040
s No last name for Lee,
but hey, Lee, you know who
19
00:01:46.040 --> 00:01:49.239
you are. Hey. Remember if
you didn't put your address on Patreon,
20
00:01:49.280 --> 00:01:52.760
I can't send you your awesome little
gifts that I like to send out.
21
00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:55.079
So go in there and make sure
that you have your address for me so
22
00:01:55.120 --> 00:01:57.760
I can get everything to you.
And then from the great state of Texas,
23
00:01:57.879 --> 00:02:02.359
I've got Miss shell Lee Faine and
Miss Sharon Dixon. How y'all doing
24
00:02:02.400 --> 00:02:07.319
over there? Hey, y'all?
And then Alabama. I cannot support your
25
00:02:07.360 --> 00:02:09.919
team. I'm sorry, Miss Jamie. I can't do it. I was
26
00:02:10.039 --> 00:02:15.039
born against it. But I can
support you and you can support me.
27
00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:19.159
How about that? So, Miss
Jamie Patterson, how are you doing?
28
00:02:19.319 --> 00:02:22.000
Then? I I can't believe it. Ohio? How are you doing?
29
00:02:22.039 --> 00:02:25.199
Ohio? This is Miss Erica Ryan. Hey there, all the way in
30
00:02:25.240 --> 00:02:30.840
Howahi in Ohio? And then just
a few little jumps over from Florida,
31
00:02:30.919 --> 00:02:36.439
Miss Laura Krause, Hi Laura.
And then last but not least, all
32
00:02:36.479 --> 00:02:42.400
the way from Australia, miss Lee, and I think it's Bassill you.
33
00:02:42.599 --> 00:02:44.840
I hope I said that right,
girl, You get me if I said
34
00:02:44.840 --> 00:02:47.319
that wrong. Okay, Lee Basill, you so glad to have you all
35
00:02:47.319 --> 00:02:51.960
the way from Australia. And wow, if that's not just, I don't
36
00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:53.039
know. It makes me feel good
to know that I'm reaching all over the
37
00:02:53.039 --> 00:02:55.800
place. And y'all listening to my
story. So thank y'all, so so
38
00:02:57.039 --> 00:03:00.560
very much. Also, y'all have
asked and I made it happen. People
39
00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:04.319
are asking about card decals. So
if you want to look at some of
40
00:03:04.319 --> 00:03:08.879
the little uh mic drop car decals
that I had made, go to unspeakable
41
00:03:08.960 --> 00:03:13.000
dot com. Unspeakable the podcast dot
com. You can click on merch and
42
00:03:13.039 --> 00:03:15.719
then there's a new link. You
click there and there's a whole lot of
43
00:03:15.719 --> 00:03:17.759
new stuff. Go check it out, get you something ordered, and if
44
00:03:17.800 --> 00:03:21.599
you have anything else you want,
like someone mentioned, hey what about mousepads,
45
00:03:21.599 --> 00:03:23.560
I'm gonna get those made too,
So go check it out. Let
46
00:03:23.560 --> 00:03:27.439
me know if you want something else, and Mama will make it happen.
47
00:03:28.120 --> 00:03:30.280
Now let's jump into this story.
And dang, it seems like I got
48
00:03:30.280 --> 00:03:34.599
a lot of kid cases. The
last few weeks, but it is what
49
00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:38.039
it is. This one was requested, and so I'm following through, and
50
00:03:38.080 --> 00:03:44.879
I'm gonna do this story about a
girl named Sylvia Likns. And before we
51
00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:49.479
could start talking about Sylvia, I
gotta talk about the woman whose house this
52
00:03:49.560 --> 00:03:53.879
is gonna take place in. And
I had to do more research than I'm
53
00:03:53.919 --> 00:03:57.120
proud of to figure out how to
say her last name, because no matter
54
00:03:57.159 --> 00:04:00.560
how many times I looked it up, everybody said it different. I even
55
00:04:00.560 --> 00:04:02.360
went to a pronunciation website to figure
out how to say it, and of
56
00:04:02.360 --> 00:04:06.199
course they said it two different ways. So I'm gonna go with the way
57
00:04:06.199 --> 00:04:11.840
it was said in the police tapes
when they were doing an interview with this
58
00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:15.680
person. So it is gonna be
Benichetsky is how I'm gonna pronounce it,
59
00:04:15.959 --> 00:04:19.959
but other people pronounced it other ways. Don't come at me if you don't
60
00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:24.040
like the way I'm pronouncing it.
All right, So let's start, though.
61
00:04:24.040 --> 00:04:26.600
We're gonna be in nineteen twenty nine, so way back in the gap,
62
00:04:26.680 --> 00:04:29.759
right. This is gonna be about
a month before the Wall Street crash,
63
00:04:29.800 --> 00:04:31.040
and the US is about to go, you know, take that deep
64
00:04:31.079 --> 00:04:34.560
dive down into the Great Depression,
and we're gonna have that worst economic collapse
65
00:04:35.079 --> 00:04:40.199
of you know, the US.
And I don't know if maybe this is
66
00:04:40.199 --> 00:04:46.199
gonna be some type of foreshadowing in
a way, because someone was born that
67
00:04:46.360 --> 00:04:53.879
same year who was also going to
bring some epic terror and downfall in her
68
00:04:53.920 --> 00:04:58.480
lifetime. And her name is gonna
be Gertrude van Fawsen. Now she will
69
00:04:58.519 --> 00:05:01.480
turn into a Banichetski I mentioned a
minute ago, but for right now,
70
00:05:01.519 --> 00:05:04.160
she's going to be Gertrude van Fawsen. And she's going to be the third
71
00:05:04.279 --> 00:05:08.680
of six children born into the van
Faussen family, and they have a mixed
72
00:05:08.680 --> 00:05:15.199
heritage of both Polish and Dutch.
And she was firmly, firmly regarded as
73
00:05:15.240 --> 00:05:19.600
a daddy's girl, and all accounts
say that she was doated on by her
74
00:05:19.720 --> 00:05:24.360
daddy and she always wanted to be
with him and they had a very very
75
00:05:24.480 --> 00:05:30.319
very good relationship. Now, when
attention was all that was left that her
76
00:05:30.360 --> 00:05:35.519
father could give her because of the
collapse you know of the US, as
77
00:05:35.560 --> 00:05:41.680
far as money and luxuries of any
type, a lot of the kids in
78
00:05:41.720 --> 00:05:46.439
the in the van Faussen family started
to resent Gertrude shorthand we would call her
79
00:05:46.519 --> 00:05:48.680
Gert. Okay, a lot of
the kids in the family started to resent
80
00:05:48.759 --> 00:05:53.519
Girt because, like I said,
when there was nothing of monetary value that
81
00:05:53.519 --> 00:05:57.600
they could be given, it was
a lot to ask to get the attention
82
00:05:57.639 --> 00:06:01.040
of their father, and their father
really doated on little Gert Now. The
83
00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:05.120
mother thought it was a bit much, and eventually it shifted towards her own
84
00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:10.439
mother, hating her because of the
attention that her father gave, and that
85
00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:15.120
mother daughter relationship became pretty icy,
and the difference in the treatment of the
86
00:06:15.240 --> 00:06:20.199
children from Gert's mother was a bit
like obnoxious. It became pretty obvious that
87
00:06:20.439 --> 00:06:26.000
the mom was not very loving towards
little Girt. Now. This would also
88
00:06:26.040 --> 00:06:30.560
follow her into her school years,
and the friends of Gert's siblings would also
89
00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:36.240
in turn like to bully on Gertrude
as a like a pack Her father saw
90
00:06:36.319 --> 00:06:41.879
this issue and would even give more
attention to Gertrude as a result. The
91
00:06:41.920 --> 00:06:46.000
father ran the household back then,
if you remember that Dad's called the shots,
92
00:06:46.040 --> 00:06:48.040
and so no matter what everyone in
the family tried to do, the
93
00:06:48.120 --> 00:06:54.680
dad would always get back little Gertrude. And father and Gert you know,
94
00:06:54.759 --> 00:06:58.920
they would laugh and joke and she
would sit at the table and read her
95
00:06:58.959 --> 00:07:01.879
little books were dad, and while
money was scarce, they still had that
96
00:07:01.959 --> 00:07:06.560
loving relationship. But by one account, it was stated that they were at
97
00:07:06.560 --> 00:07:12.199
the kitchen table one day. They're
laughing and joking as they always did,
98
00:07:12.279 --> 00:07:15.920
and Gert's reading to him when he
laughs really, really hard, but then
99
00:07:16.160 --> 00:07:19.920
his eyes somewhat seemed to bulge from
his head. He's laughing so hard,
100
00:07:20.360 --> 00:07:25.639
and then he just flat out falls
over and dies. His head slams down
101
00:07:25.639 --> 00:07:31.000
into the table and he's dead.
Now, I did see another account that
102
00:07:31.160 --> 00:07:34.959
said that he was actually weeding his
garden whenever he had that heart attack.
103
00:07:35.079 --> 00:07:39.120
But I mean, just newsflash,
I wasn't there. This was nineteen twenty
104
00:07:39.160 --> 00:07:42.279
nine. So I'm just giving you
both accounts. You can decide which one
105
00:07:42.319 --> 00:07:46.759
you want to believe or not.
But I know this, no matter what
106
00:07:46.800 --> 00:07:51.480
account you believe. Gert starts screaming, right, something's wrong with her daddy,
107
00:07:51.759 --> 00:07:55.480
And the mom comes running in,
and rather than running straight to her
108
00:07:55.480 --> 00:07:59.120
father and saying, oh my god, what happened, she turns to Girt
109
00:07:59.199 --> 00:08:03.399
and screams, what did you do
to him? And immediately puts the blame
110
00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:07.000
on this child that her father has
just killed over from a heart attack,
111
00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:09.439
and Gert says, hey, I'll
run to a doctor. I'll go get
112
00:08:09.439 --> 00:08:11.519
a doctor. I'll do whatever I
need to do, and her mom just
113
00:08:11.600 --> 00:08:15.120
kind of quit back at her,
I don't have any money for a doctor.
114
00:08:15.480 --> 00:08:18.639
Do you have money for a doctor. Rather than what you would expect
115
00:08:18.120 --> 00:08:20.959
the response to be of a mom
grabbing the child and saying, come here,
116
00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:24.199
come out of here, it's okay, right, kind of sheltering them
117
00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:28.040
from what's happening and then calling for
help, no, she pretty much just
118
00:08:28.639 --> 00:08:31.399
kind of snarls back at Gert and
says, this is your fault, and
119
00:08:31.440 --> 00:08:35.000
I can't fix it because I don't
have the money to fix it. And
120
00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:41.000
so whenever her dad dies, Gert
is really maladjusted to that big change in
121
00:08:41.039 --> 00:08:45.720
her life and the one person that
gave her all the support was now gone,
122
00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:50.120
and everyone that turned against her her
family was who she was left with.
123
00:08:50.120 --> 00:08:54.879
So she was irrationally blamed by her
mother, and as a child,
124
00:08:56.039 --> 00:09:01.000
she would suffer from night terrors that
were combined with the increasingly escalating cruelty of
125
00:09:01.039 --> 00:09:07.639
her mother, and her mom would
even start to beat her and physically abuse
126
00:09:07.720 --> 00:09:11.159
her after the other kids went to
bed, and so her existence became quite
127
00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:15.519
sad pretty quickly, and over the
next three years it would just get even
128
00:09:15.559 --> 00:09:20.279
worse. She got blamed for everything
that happened in the household or didn't happen
129
00:09:20.320 --> 00:09:22.519
in the household. If there wasn't
enough food, it's because Gert ate too
130
00:09:22.639 --> 00:09:26.519
much. If something was lost,
it was because Gert took it and she
131
00:09:26.639 --> 00:09:30.240
lost it. She was always the
brunt of the blame for whatever went wrong.
132
00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:35.879
So Gert's social life remained pretty desolate
and she would suffer socially emotionally.
133
00:09:35.919 --> 00:09:39.840
She didn't have that many friends,
and she would eventually give up on female
134
00:09:39.879 --> 00:09:48.000
relationships because she saw females as the
root of her problems. So her siblings
135
00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:52.919
and her siblings friends would all start
these vicious rumors about her, saying that
136
00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:58.840
she was promiscuous and that she was
easy, that she had multiple STDs,
137
00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:03.120
and just really horrible things to say
about a kid or a teenager who doesn't
138
00:10:03.120 --> 00:10:09.480
even know how to defend themselves,
and that really just really burned this fire
139
00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:13.720
into Gertrude that she hated females.
She did not see the value in a
140
00:10:13.720 --> 00:10:18.279
female because all they do is trying
to drag her down. So when puberty
141
00:10:18.399 --> 00:10:24.480
hit, she became really really interested
in boys, right, her attention was
142
00:10:24.879 --> 00:10:28.720
really fixated on the males, and
her mother would often hiss at her,
143
00:10:28.840 --> 00:10:33.639
you know, that she was acting
inappropriate. However, flirting was really the
144
00:10:33.679 --> 00:10:39.519
only thing that Gert was ever actually
doing. There's there's no proof that she
145
00:10:39.639 --> 00:10:43.399
was being promiscuous or hyper sexualized or
anything anything like that. It seemed like
146
00:10:43.399 --> 00:10:46.840
she just was really flirtatious, but
her mom would really hammer home that she
147
00:10:46.960 --> 00:10:54.159
was just inappropriate sexually. And on
top of being accused of being a guess
148
00:10:54.159 --> 00:10:56.840
sexually immoral was the fact that she
was just an average looking girl. She
149
00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:01.519
wasn't this beauty, you know,
beauty queen. She had to work for
150
00:11:01.559 --> 00:11:07.759
the attention of the males, and
she didn't really have this outgoing personality either,
151
00:11:07.840 --> 00:11:09.840
So she didn't have a whole lot
going for her as far as beauty
152
00:11:09.840 --> 00:11:16.759
and charm. But she would quickly
realize that competition with other girls was a
153
00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:22.200
real thing if you wanted to get
that male attention, and so in order
154
00:11:22.240 --> 00:11:28.279
to overcome her lack of beauty or
her lack of charm, she did become
155
00:11:28.320 --> 00:11:33.559
promiscuous. So, I don't know, manifest destiny or something, but she
156
00:11:33.879 --> 00:11:37.399
did turn that corner and become a
promiscuous girl. When that did happen,
157
00:11:37.840 --> 00:11:43.159
then the rumor mill went wild.
But it was too late because Gert got
158
00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:46.360
a taste of attention. And when
she got that taste of attention, the
159
00:11:46.480 --> 00:11:50.879
negative you know, things that came
with it didn't really matter. Daddy was
160
00:11:50.919 --> 00:11:54.759
gone and she replaced him with other
male attention. And you can see how
161
00:11:54.799 --> 00:12:00.360
quickly that probably went down south with
other girls, you know, in her
162
00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:03.720
in her neighborhood. Now, older
men were her favorite. Okay, she
163
00:12:03.840 --> 00:12:09.720
liked those older men, but her
only real connection with a man that she
164
00:12:09.759 --> 00:12:11.600
will say she ever really had was
with her dad. That was the only
165
00:12:11.639 --> 00:12:16.240
true loving relationship that she felt.
And because I guess her dad was older,
166
00:12:16.279 --> 00:12:18.799
I could see why she would jump
towards older males. A matter of
167
00:12:18.840 --> 00:12:22.799
fact, I see that now in
young girls that lack male attention, and
168
00:12:22.840 --> 00:12:26.559
so they go for those older men, not realizing that those older men.
169
00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:30.200
You know, as a young girl, you don't have anything really to offer
170
00:12:30.240 --> 00:12:33.240
an older man, I guess other
than sexual you know, desire. You're
171
00:12:33.240 --> 00:12:35.720
not going to be this, you
know, runner of a household. You're
172
00:12:35.720 --> 00:12:39.679
not gonna be a matriarch. If
you're sixteen and you're sleeping with a thirty
173
00:12:39.759 --> 00:12:41.679
year old, it just not to
menion. It's illegal, but it's you
174
00:12:41.720 --> 00:12:45.240
know, it's not really fitting.
But young girls don't see that, you
175
00:12:45.279 --> 00:12:48.919
know. So at sixteen years old, she would drop out of school.
176
00:12:48.399 --> 00:12:52.840
She packed up her things, and
she moved out of the house and very
177
00:12:52.919 --> 00:12:58.519
quickly married a guy named John Bankowitz. Now when you read his name,
178
00:12:58.519 --> 00:13:01.200
it's look, it's like Benizuski,
and you'll see other people refer to it
179
00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:05.360
as Benizuski. But like I said, Benichetsky is how it was said in
180
00:13:05.480 --> 00:13:09.320
the police recordings, and that's why
I'm going with it. So either way,
181
00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:13.879
they only dated a few months too, So she jumped very quickly into
182
00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:16.960
this marriage. And I think anyone
in today's times would go a rut row.
183
00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:20.799
Probably not a good idea young girl
jumping into a marriage after only a
184
00:13:20.799 --> 00:13:24.039
few months. And John that she
married was an eighteen year old police officer.
185
00:13:24.639 --> 00:13:31.759
And something kind of sad too,
to mention was that when they got
186
00:13:31.759 --> 00:13:35.279
married, only his family came to
the wedding. Gert's own family didn't attend
187
00:13:35.320 --> 00:13:37.799
the wedding. She really had no
friends that were in the wedding. She
188
00:13:37.840 --> 00:13:41.840
didn't have any support from her family. Her mother disagreed with the marriage,
189
00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:48.480
and gert hated her siblings because of
all of those rumors of promiscuity and hateful
190
00:13:48.519 --> 00:13:50.679
things that they had spread about her. So she really, I guess,
191
00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:56.159
dove headfirst into this marriage thinking that
it was going to save her when you
192
00:13:56.159 --> 00:13:58.720
could probably see the riding on the
wall that that's not going to happen.
193
00:13:58.159 --> 00:14:03.679
But they settled into a life,
and it quickly became apparent to John that
194
00:14:03.919 --> 00:14:07.960
Gertrude had never been taught the things
that a girl should be taught growing up,
195
00:14:09.120 --> 00:14:11.240
things like how to cook. Again, I'll be back up real quick.
196
00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:16.000
Someone's going girls don't have to cook, Okay, touche. But I
197
00:14:16.039 --> 00:14:20.759
think in normal societal standards of the
nineteen sixties that's what happened, right,
198
00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:24.080
Women stayed home barefoot and pregnant basically, and you needed to cook and clean
199
00:14:24.120 --> 00:14:28.159
and care for your man. And
not saying it had to be that way,
200
00:14:28.159 --> 00:14:31.320
but that's what it was at that
time. And Gertrude's own mom didn't
201
00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:33.519
trust her in the kitchen. It
would never teach her to cook because she
202
00:14:33.559 --> 00:14:37.519
didn't want to spend any time with
her. She blamed her for her father's
203
00:14:37.559 --> 00:14:41.399
death, and all they did was
kind of be ousting towards her. So
204
00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:46.799
one thing though that John was aware
of what he married her was her reputation,
205
00:14:46.200 --> 00:14:50.519
and he was very much intrigued by
her sexual expertise that supposedly she had
206
00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:54.879
based on all the rumors that were
spread about her. Unfortunately, though,
207
00:14:56.480 --> 00:15:01.159
he found himself not with a submissive
woman, you know, who would basically
208
00:15:01.279 --> 00:15:09.919
mother him, but rather kind of
a dud as a wife. She kept
209
00:15:09.960 --> 00:15:16.440
the house kind of clean, but
nagged him constantly about his messes, but
210
00:15:16.759 --> 00:15:22.039
failed to clean the home. She
was overly frugal with the money, which
211
00:15:22.039 --> 00:15:26.279
he didn't like, and she always
fussed if he went to get drinks with
212
00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:30.240
the guys after work, which again
was kind of a societal normal thing back
213
00:15:30.279 --> 00:15:33.639
then. So she didn't clean house, she didn't cook very well, she
214
00:15:33.720 --> 00:15:37.279
wasn't good at doing the laundry,
and all she did was bitch about the
215
00:15:37.320 --> 00:15:39.919
money. As you can see,
it kind of wasn't off to a good
216
00:15:39.960 --> 00:15:43.919
start. So something that kind of
struck me there was that it seems as
217
00:15:43.919 --> 00:15:48.240
though control wasn't there for her as
a child. She was completely out of
218
00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:52.799
control. So whenever she got into
this new marriage, she had no example
219
00:15:52.799 --> 00:15:54.519
of what a marriage should look like. She doesn't know how to be a
220
00:15:54.840 --> 00:16:00.559
motherly, matronly wife figure, and
so what she does is she tries to
221
00:16:00.600 --> 00:16:07.080
take control of every aspect when she
gets a taste of control, and it
222
00:16:07.120 --> 00:16:10.919
doesn't make John very happy. So
after about a year of marriage, he
223
00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:12.919
notices, look, she's not even
growing as a wife. Her cooking still
224
00:16:12.919 --> 00:16:18.679
sucks, she's not doing well around
the house. And then John is really
225
00:16:18.759 --> 00:16:23.279
let down and disappointed in the one
place he absolutely expected her to excel in,
226
00:16:23.879 --> 00:16:29.960
which was the bet. She did
not fulfill the rumors that he had
227
00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:32.320
heard about her, that she was
going to be this you know, sexual
228
00:16:32.360 --> 00:16:37.600
temptress as a teen. You know, she's young, she's eighteen years old.
229
00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:42.840
She was considered to be kind of
clumsy and laxa daisical in her sexual
230
00:16:44.120 --> 00:16:48.159
antics with him, and John would
argue that he kind of felt duped by
231
00:16:48.159 --> 00:16:52.759
her because he was experienced at eighteen
years old with the girls. And he
232
00:16:52.840 --> 00:16:56.679
let it be known too. He
made it very clear that she was not
233
00:16:57.000 --> 00:17:02.120
making him happy sexually, and than
her try to meet the bar of what
234
00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:07.000
he wanted, she withdrew sexually,
and John, getting fed up with every
235
00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:12.720
aspect of the marriage, became increasingly
violent towards her. So Gert would become
236
00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:17.319
pregnant multiple times in the next few
years of their marriage, and they would
237
00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:22.160
end up having four children back to
back to back. And while I'm not
238
00:17:22.319 --> 00:17:26.440
saying that, you know, she's
a complete victim here, I think she
239
00:17:26.480 --> 00:17:32.519
does have a few things going on. Mentally. She's been emotionally abused.
240
00:17:32.599 --> 00:17:34.920
I think she's blamed for the death
of her father, the one person that
241
00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:38.480
she loved the most. She's not
taught how to become a woman, and
242
00:17:38.519 --> 00:17:45.839
then she becomes one very quickly and
a mother very quickly, and her husband
243
00:17:45.880 --> 00:17:48.559
is just very degrading of her performance, I guess as a wife and mother.
244
00:17:49.000 --> 00:17:53.519
So what she does do is where
she lacks and taking care of John,
245
00:17:55.079 --> 00:17:59.759
she flips the script and she becomes
very much engaged in her home.
246
00:18:00.279 --> 00:18:03.680
So she started keeping a very clean
house for the kids, and she took
247
00:18:03.720 --> 00:18:07.559
it upon herself to learn to cook, and she even went and sought out
248
00:18:07.640 --> 00:18:11.319
nutritional advice from her kids doctors to
say, Okay, obviously don't know what
249
00:18:11.359 --> 00:18:14.599
I'm doing. What do I need
to do here to make things better,
250
00:18:15.319 --> 00:18:19.160
she started showing way more attention to
her children, and when that happened,
251
00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:26.279
John got increasingly frustrated and really started
up up in is that not the most
252
00:18:26.279 --> 00:18:29.759
Southern thing you've heard me say thus
far? Up in oh my God.
253
00:18:30.279 --> 00:18:36.359
He started increasing the beatings that he
inflicted upon Gert, and his reason was
254
00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:40.920
simply that he says she annoyed him. She absolutely annoyed him, and the
255
00:18:40.920 --> 00:18:45.400
beatings got worse. But John wanted
his police officer career to remain unblemished,
256
00:18:45.880 --> 00:18:51.119
so he was very careful with his
antics. Because he worked with abused women,
257
00:18:51.960 --> 00:18:55.000
he knew the triggers, he knew
kind of what to expect, and
258
00:18:55.079 --> 00:18:59.079
so he tried to be careful that
what he did to Girt was not something
259
00:18:59.119 --> 00:19:03.920
that was blatantly vious to the people
out in public. So Gert would become
260
00:19:03.200 --> 00:19:07.720
better at makeup, and as she
got better at makeup, she would cover
261
00:19:07.799 --> 00:19:12.200
her bruises. And she never had
been taught how to do makeup by her
262
00:19:12.200 --> 00:19:15.240
mother. She kind of had to
self teach it because all her mother would
263
00:19:15.240 --> 00:19:18.279
tell her was that if she did
make up, then that would make her
264
00:19:18.359 --> 00:19:22.799
horrsh okay. And so there was
a whole lot of sexual shame impressed upon
265
00:19:22.839 --> 00:19:26.559
Girt when she was younger, and
this would matter as this story plays out
266
00:19:26.599 --> 00:19:33.799
in her older life. And you
know, after she would have her first
267
00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:37.319
two children. Something I wanted to
mention that I forgot to put in my
268
00:19:37.359 --> 00:19:42.759
notes, but I remember it now
was that she was clinically suffering from a
269
00:19:42.839 --> 00:19:48.200
mental breakdown. And I think today
if she would, you know, the
270
00:19:48.200 --> 00:19:53.640
mental health the mental health standards that
we have in society today, which are
271
00:19:53.680 --> 00:19:57.680
still lacking, but we least have
some you know, semblance of mental health.
272
00:19:57.720 --> 00:20:02.559
Mattering back then in the same sees
is absolutely not even a thing as
273
00:20:02.640 --> 00:20:04.720
like it is today. And so
when she had this mental breakdown after the
274
00:20:04.759 --> 00:20:10.359
first two kids, when she sought
help, really the only thing that doctors
275
00:20:10.359 --> 00:20:11.519
told her was, you know,
maybe you need to pick yourself up by
276
00:20:11.559 --> 00:20:15.000
your bootstraps. You need to try
harder, you need to wake up,
277
00:20:15.039 --> 00:20:17.920
you need to freshen your face,
make your hair, do your makeup,
278
00:20:18.279 --> 00:20:22.640
be kind to your husband, and
really, you know, take control of
279
00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:26.680
your destiny and then you will improve. When the reality of it is it
280
00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:30.880
more sounds like she's suffering from a
deep clinical depression, could even be some
281
00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:37.599
postpartum depression, and something else that
I read said that clinically back then,
282
00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:41.720
in today's standards, they might would
even call her bipolar and maybe put her
283
00:20:41.720 --> 00:20:48.240
on some bipolar medication. And that
lack of mental health care, and then
284
00:20:48.279 --> 00:20:51.480
you added two more children on top
of that. You can kind of see
285
00:20:51.480 --> 00:20:55.599
how this was a downward spiral for
this woman. And it kind of in
286
00:20:55.640 --> 00:21:03.720
my mind, if you remember Andrea
Yate's case, where she kept having children,
287
00:21:03.799 --> 00:21:07.319
kept having children, and they went
more towards the religious route than the
288
00:21:07.480 --> 00:21:10.519
medical route to help her, and
then she ends up drowning all of her
289
00:21:10.599 --> 00:21:15.359
children. I almost kind of see
that that story happening here, where she's
290
00:21:15.400 --> 00:21:18.359
just getting worse and worse, but
the times were just not helpful to her.
291
00:21:19.799 --> 00:21:22.119
So she got to know some of
the women in her neighborhood, and
292
00:21:22.160 --> 00:21:26.640
that's when she first learned about divorce
from another woman in her neighborhood. And
293
00:21:26.720 --> 00:21:32.279
so this idea of I don't have
to necessarily be with him starts kind of
294
00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:36.720
rolling around her brain. And then
finally John would raise his fist to her
295
00:21:36.799 --> 00:21:40.279
to punch her and beat her,
and that's when she just comes out with
296
00:21:40.279 --> 00:21:41.319
it, Look, I want a
divorce from you. I don't have to
297
00:21:41.319 --> 00:21:45.160
take this and I'm not gonna take
it. And John was literally stunned by
298
00:21:45.160 --> 00:21:48.240
this. You know, he's the
man of the household and he's in charge,
299
00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:52.319
and he makes the money, and
you're the wife. You're supposed to
300
00:21:52.359 --> 00:21:55.400
be submissive and do what I want. And she kind of throws the flag
301
00:21:55.440 --> 00:21:56.160
in his face and says, nah, I don't want to do this.
302
00:21:56.880 --> 00:22:02.160
And by the next week after she
says that the paperwork was filed and she
303
00:22:02.279 --> 00:22:06.839
was awarded full custody of the kids. But kind of sadly, John never
304
00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:10.759
contested it. He didn't want to
take care of the kids. He almost
305
00:22:10.799 --> 00:22:17.119
kind of was winning. Still,
so they get a divorce and guess what,
306
00:22:17.319 --> 00:22:21.839
marriage number two is coming in hot
right. She wastes no time and
307
00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:26.119
she meets a man named Edward Guthrie
just a few months later and they quickly
308
00:22:26.640 --> 00:22:33.880
wed again. They get married,
So obviously Gert's not picking up on the
309
00:22:33.880 --> 00:22:36.519
fact that maybe you ought to get
to know somebody before you marry them.
310
00:22:36.519 --> 00:22:40.240
But again, she's got a lot
going on in her life. And as
311
00:22:40.279 --> 00:22:45.400
you might could guess, he's hashtag
he's a drunk and unemployed. That was
312
00:22:45.440 --> 00:22:48.720
her choice of man at that time. But even though he's a drunk and
313
00:22:48.799 --> 00:22:56.160
unemployed, he married her because those
child support checks that she's supposed to be
314
00:22:56.160 --> 00:23:00.680
getting from John, those were looking
pretty good too, and him Floyd man
315
00:23:00.839 --> 00:23:04.279
right, it's kind of like a
guaranteed income. So the issue would come
316
00:23:04.359 --> 00:23:10.039
that she would get her checks for
child support, but then he would spend
317
00:23:10.039 --> 00:23:12.400
half the checks on liquor before Gert
got any of the money. Again,
318
00:23:12.480 --> 00:23:15.000
the man runs the household, right, she puts the money in the account,
319
00:23:15.200 --> 00:23:19.200
he would go spend the money.
Not to mention, he didn't like
320
00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:26.079
her kids, I cannot even today. I know people that marry people and
321
00:23:26.079 --> 00:23:29.559
then they don't like the person they
married's kids. And I'm not sure how
322
00:23:29.599 --> 00:23:34.279
you expect that to work out.
Because as a woman, if you don't
323
00:23:34.359 --> 00:23:40.319
like my kids, you can go
fuck yourself. They're my number one job
324
00:23:40.359 --> 00:23:42.799
in life is to love my children, to take care of them. And
325
00:23:42.839 --> 00:23:47.920
if you don't like them, you
can kick bricks, you can get somewhere.
326
00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:51.640
But I guess because of the times
back then, it kind of was
327
00:23:51.680 --> 00:23:56.319
what it was. But he saw
those kids as basically baggage, just extra
328
00:23:56.359 --> 00:24:00.680
baggage, and he wanted the check
for for them from their from their father.
329
00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:07.000
One time, he even hit one
of the kids and he woke up
330
00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:11.279
in a ditch with a huge lump
on the back of his head. Okay,
331
00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:14.839
so Gert did get upset with him
for hitting her kids, and she
332
00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:17.759
womped him upside the head. Yeah, I said, won't write that down.
333
00:24:17.759 --> 00:24:21.160
She wamped him, Okay, upside
the head because she wasn't playing.
334
00:24:21.240 --> 00:24:25.400
She did love her children, and
you're not going to hit my kids now.
335
00:24:25.400 --> 00:24:30.279
He never tried that again because he
didn't like that. But something else
336
00:24:30.359 --> 00:24:34.519
kind of changed whenever that happened,
and Gert realized, you know what,
337
00:24:36.319 --> 00:24:40.319
if I'm not getting my way with
men and physically we're not getting along,
338
00:24:40.839 --> 00:24:45.880
like as far as relationship goes,
I have another age old tool in my
339
00:24:47.240 --> 00:24:52.960
you know box of tools that I
need to become good at. And she
340
00:24:52.119 --> 00:24:55.799
realized, you know what it is. It's sex. If I can become
341
00:24:55.920 --> 00:25:00.480
sexually amazing, then I can control
a man. Now I'm sorry, and
342
00:25:00.559 --> 00:25:07.599
she is wrong. I mean,
if you can provide for a man sexually,
343
00:25:07.720 --> 00:25:10.680
I find it hard to believe a
man around here is gonna say no,
344
00:25:11.400 --> 00:25:14.839
how dare you please me? You
know I'm trying to say, like,
345
00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:18.559
Okay, maybe you do have something
kind of going on there. If
346
00:25:18.559 --> 00:25:22.960
you disagree with me whatever, I'm
just throwing it out there. So she
347
00:25:22.119 --> 00:25:26.559
upped her game. Her her golden
was all right, I may not be
348
00:25:26.599 --> 00:25:27.759
a good wife, it may suck
it cooking, it may not clean too
349
00:25:27.799 --> 00:25:32.039
well, and I may have a
shitty personality and a horrible man picker,
350
00:25:32.079 --> 00:25:34.680
but by god, I can become
sexually amazing. And so she upped the
351
00:25:34.680 --> 00:25:42.640
antie and she was even able to
get Eddie to stop drinking and was able
352
00:25:42.680 --> 00:25:48.039
to make old Eddie get a job
all by laying the booty on him.
353
00:25:48.119 --> 00:25:52.720
All right, so she started slaying
it in the bedroom and he kind of
354
00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:57.359
changed his ways, and soon thereafter, guess what, he found himself stable.
355
00:25:57.599 --> 00:26:00.559
He had an income, and he
was like, oh my god,
356
00:26:00.640 --> 00:26:03.440
it turns out if I work and
I work hard, I can advance in
357
00:26:03.480 --> 00:26:07.720
the workplace and I can I can
make money. And then it backfired on
358
00:26:07.839 --> 00:26:11.240
Girt because he said, yeah,
I'm pretty much gonna divorce you now that
359
00:26:11.640 --> 00:26:15.279
I'm making I'm making my way and
I don't have to depend on your check
360
00:26:15.359 --> 00:26:21.039
from your baby daddy. So he
filed from divorce and he didn't. Are
361
00:26:21.039 --> 00:26:26.319
you ready for this? He didn't
even tell her he filed for divorce and
362
00:26:26.440 --> 00:26:30.559
did not even tell her when she
was served the paperwork. Do you know
363
00:26:30.640 --> 00:26:37.319
what his reason and court was for
divorcing her quote unquote the kids annoyed him.
364
00:26:37.319 --> 00:26:41.000
Welcome to being a parent. Your
kids are gonna annoy you. Other
365
00:26:41.000 --> 00:26:45.519
people's kids are gonna annoy you.
But that'd gone right. So their entire
366
00:26:45.599 --> 00:26:52.319
marriage, from the day they met
through the last day and divorce was just
367
00:26:52.480 --> 00:26:55.920
a year, actually less than a
year, all right, So she had
368
00:26:56.000 --> 00:27:03.839
marriage number two under her belt.
And that's when she really starts getting kind
369
00:27:03.839 --> 00:27:07.079
of depressed. Right, she can't
keep a man. She's got all these
370
00:27:07.200 --> 00:27:15.640
kids, she's not she's poor,
you know, And so she does what
371
00:27:15.720 --> 00:27:17.960
I think a lot of women or
a lot of men too, a lot
372
00:27:17.960 --> 00:27:22.960
of us do when we're sad and
we're lonely, is that she starts kind
373
00:27:22.960 --> 00:27:26.480
of reminiscing through those rose colored glasses, you know, of her marriage to
374
00:27:26.519 --> 00:27:30.960
her original husband John, and she
starts going, you know, maybe it
375
00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:33.880
wasn't so bad, Maybe things weren't
as bad as I thought they were.
376
00:27:33.960 --> 00:27:37.559
Maybe I really should have stayed with
my husband, and we should have worked
377
00:27:37.559 --> 00:27:41.240
things out, and yeah, we
screwed up, but we're young, and
378
00:27:41.799 --> 00:27:45.480
you know we're gonna make it if
we could just you know, try again.
379
00:27:45.839 --> 00:27:49.759
So she runs into him one night
while I think he was on patrol,
380
00:27:51.240 --> 00:27:55.400
but they start having a conversation.
That conversation went really well, and
381
00:27:55.480 --> 00:27:59.000
she invites her ex husband back to
the house for dinner, and as you
382
00:27:59.039 --> 00:28:02.119
can imagine, the kids are super
excited. Right, Oh, my god,
383
00:28:02.799 --> 00:28:06.759
Daddy's back home. Mom's got him
here where they're having dinner, dat
384
00:28:06.799 --> 00:28:11.240
mama's cooking and things. Things are
just this is so exciting. Daddy's back.
385
00:28:11.319 --> 00:28:17.279
And so she got Old John liquored
up, and then she slang her
386
00:28:17.440 --> 00:28:23.200
new her newly mastered brown Chicken,
brown cow right on Old John and then
387
00:28:23.319 --> 00:28:26.559
lo and behold, if the kids
don't wake up for breakfast the next morning,
388
00:28:26.559 --> 00:28:30.400
and guess who's still there, Daddy. That's right, because Daddy spent
389
00:28:30.480 --> 00:28:38.799
the night after he got serviced by
old Girt. And amazingly, they fell
390
00:28:38.880 --> 00:28:45.400
back in love. But they had
grown apart in their you know, their
391
00:28:45.440 --> 00:28:49.240
time when they weren't together, and
they realized, you know what, we're
392
00:28:49.240 --> 00:28:52.960
still in love, even though we're
kind of on different wave lengths, and
393
00:28:52.000 --> 00:28:59.519
so they got married again in a
low key affair, but this round,
394
00:29:00.880 --> 00:29:03.720
you know, was so much better. Things were going well, they were
395
00:29:03.799 --> 00:29:11.000
working together until she got pregnant again, and unfortunately she would lose the baby
396
00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:14.599
in just the last few months of
the pregnancy. It wasn't in the first
397
00:29:14.640 --> 00:29:18.000
few weeks. It was towards the
end of the pregnancy. And when that
398
00:29:18.160 --> 00:29:23.119
happened, she fell into a very
very very deep despair. And when that
399
00:29:23.240 --> 00:29:30.720
happened, rather than John doating on
her or you know, acknowledging what she
400
00:29:30.799 --> 00:29:36.200
was going through and how sad things
were, he really just kind of withdrew
401
00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:38.200
as well and was like, Okay, this sucks. And their love life
402
00:29:38.200 --> 00:29:44.839
shriveled up and it just died dead
flat right there. And so even though
403
00:29:44.880 --> 00:29:49.559
their love life fell apart, apparently
they were still having sex, because shortly
404
00:29:49.599 --> 00:29:55.759
after she lost that baby, she
found herself pregnant again. And when she
405
00:29:55.880 --> 00:29:59.640
was pregnant again, she magically snapped
right back into being a good wife.
406
00:29:59.640 --> 00:30:03.599
And so it's like flip flopping back
and forth, and John was constantly on
407
00:30:03.640 --> 00:30:07.200
the verge of leaving, but whenever
she got pregnant again, he was so
408
00:30:07.240 --> 00:30:14.599
happy with her change that he stayed
and even though he had been violent towards
409
00:30:14.640 --> 00:30:17.920
her in the past and things,
you know, had kind of gone back
410
00:30:17.920 --> 00:30:22.839
and forth, he even stopped being
really violent towards her. So in her
411
00:30:22.880 --> 00:30:30.599
mind she thought, well, maybe
maybe I deserved the violence because I had
412
00:30:30.599 --> 00:30:33.480
been a bad wife, and so
she kind of internalized it and said,
413
00:30:33.480 --> 00:30:36.599
well, I wasn't doing a good
job. He was violent towards me,
414
00:30:36.640 --> 00:30:38.400
but I'm doing a good job,
a good job now, and so he's
415
00:30:38.440 --> 00:30:44.359
been nice to me, so maybe
things will get better. But that cycle
416
00:30:44.480 --> 00:30:48.359
kind of continued for seven more years. She would get pregnant, she would
417
00:30:48.519 --> 00:30:52.039
miscarry, she would go into a
depression, he would get violent, things
418
00:30:52.079 --> 00:30:56.440
would go bad, then she'd get
pregnant again, things would get better,
419
00:30:56.720 --> 00:31:00.559
and then she would miscarry again,
and it just was on and on for
420
00:31:00.720 --> 00:31:03.480
seven years. And by the end
of the marriage the second time, she
421
00:31:03.599 --> 00:31:07.279
did have two more healthy children,
but the rest of'em would die before
422
00:31:07.279 --> 00:31:12.480
they ever got to full term.
So I think I've painted a pretty decent
423
00:31:12.480 --> 00:31:17.440
picture here that you can see that
this was just not healthy for her emotionally
424
00:31:17.680 --> 00:31:22.160
physically, their relationships suffered. It
never really recovered, They never got help,
425
00:31:22.200 --> 00:31:25.240
and they just kept spitting out more
kids rather than solving the problems,
426
00:31:25.279 --> 00:31:29.119
which we see that in society today
too. But John would eventually file for
427
00:31:29.160 --> 00:31:36.400
divorce again, and guess what,
Gert would get the kids uncontested again whenever
428
00:31:37.039 --> 00:31:41.160
it was over. So how old
is Gert now? She's about thirty seven
429
00:31:41.200 --> 00:31:45.200
years old, mentally unstable, She's
depending on her child support checks as her
430
00:31:45.200 --> 00:31:52.000
income, and she still couldn't make
ends meet. Her life is just not
431
00:31:52.160 --> 00:31:56.559
going well. So over this time
of all of these things happening, she
432
00:31:56.720 --> 00:32:02.119
just becomes flat out bitter and mean, and there's a shift. And from
433
00:32:02.160 --> 00:32:06.400
the time that she was hitting in
one of her ex husband's for hitting her
434
00:32:06.480 --> 00:32:10.680
kids too. Now she puts a
lot of blame on her children and she
435
00:32:10.799 --> 00:32:15.200
sees them as causing her issues.
That she can't get a man because she
436
00:32:15.279 --> 00:32:19.599
has all these kids and then they
act bad, so no man wants to
437
00:32:19.640 --> 00:32:22.519
be around her, and so she
hates a whole lot of that blame though,
438
00:32:22.559 --> 00:32:28.000
on her female children, on her
daughters. Now, you know,
439
00:32:28.400 --> 00:32:32.960
I don't want to blame people,
you know, who are in this situation.
440
00:32:34.440 --> 00:32:37.319
Maybe it's learned behavior, but it
sure does seem kind of like she's
441
00:32:37.400 --> 00:32:44.240
mirroring how her mother behaved when she
lost her husband aka Gert's dad. You
442
00:32:44.319 --> 00:32:47.640
know. So now though, I'm
going to introduce to you the amazing Dennis.
443
00:32:47.839 --> 00:32:50.920
Okay, this is the next man
in her life. And he's a
444
00:32:50.960 --> 00:32:54.279
fellow ten years younger than Gert,
so he's in his twenties. And even
445
00:32:54.359 --> 00:32:59.039
better is he's married. For the
love of God, when she meets him,
446
00:33:00.039 --> 00:33:04.279
it's like she cannot figure this out. You know, God will not
447
00:33:04.400 --> 00:33:08.599
send you another another woman's husband.
If you didn't know that, I don't
448
00:33:08.599 --> 00:33:14.960
think that was in revelations anywhere.
But he's a younger fella, he's married,
449
00:33:15.000 --> 00:33:22.880
he's a welder, and he's prone
to self destructive drinking, kind of
450
00:33:22.920 --> 00:33:27.880
like the other husbands that she picked. But he was willing to take on
451
00:33:28.039 --> 00:33:35.039
Gertrude and her busload of heathens.
Amazingly, this young guy, and the
452
00:33:35.079 --> 00:33:37.880
way that she was able to keep
him around during this affair that they were
453
00:33:37.920 --> 00:33:40.960
having was that she would use sex
as a means of rewarding him whenever he
454
00:33:42.000 --> 00:33:46.240
would do something that she wanted.
Right. So what ended up happening was
455
00:33:46.880 --> 00:33:52.079
Dennis's wife found out about their affair, and even though Dennis didn't want to
456
00:33:52.079 --> 00:33:55.160
be with Gert. He wanted to
be with his wife. His wife was
457
00:33:55.200 --> 00:34:00.480
like, how about no, and
she rolled out and started a new relationship
458
00:34:00.759 --> 00:34:04.720
quite quickly, and so Gert was
always there kind of saying, hey,
459
00:34:04.759 --> 00:34:07.240
I'm here, I'll sleep with you, I'll do what you want. And
460
00:34:07.279 --> 00:34:09.559
so he kind of just I guess
settled and said, well, you're here,
461
00:34:09.599 --> 00:34:13.880
and you caused you know, or
we caused my divorce, so I
462
00:34:13.880 --> 00:34:19.360
guess we can just stay hooking up. And she moved Gert moved in with
463
00:34:19.440 --> 00:34:24.760
him only one day after his wife
left. One day, like the ink
464
00:34:24.840 --> 00:34:29.480
wasn't even dry, and she moved
in. So I'm not a big fan
465
00:34:29.519 --> 00:34:32.119
of dentists either, because I don't
think that you know, he made good
466
00:34:32.119 --> 00:34:36.519
decisions even though he's only in his
twenties, but he's just like whatever I
467
00:34:36.559 --> 00:34:40.280
mean, but red flag much even
ludicrous y'all. Remember Ludicrous said you can't
468
00:34:40.320 --> 00:34:44.840
turn a hole into a house wife
posed on ac Right, y'all know that
469
00:34:44.880 --> 00:34:51.599
song, y'all remember it just me? Okay, all right? So no,
470
00:34:51.639 --> 00:34:55.679
sooner did she move in with him, she completely stops taking care of
471
00:34:55.719 --> 00:35:00.239
the house. It's this repetitive cycle
you know of sex will not keep a
472
00:35:00.239 --> 00:35:05.559
man. It's got to be a
full scope here right of you being a
473
00:35:05.599 --> 00:35:10.599
good wife and a good lover and
a good partner. And she refused to
474
00:35:10.639 --> 00:35:15.440
clean all together. There was trash
all over the floor, there was bottles
475
00:35:15.480 --> 00:35:19.360
and food everywhere. I kind of
get like an episode of hoarders in my
476
00:35:19.360 --> 00:35:21.840
mind when I start thinking about how
filthy their house was, on top of
477
00:35:21.880 --> 00:35:25.159
the fact there's kids everywhere who don't
clean up after themselves. Can I get
478
00:35:25.159 --> 00:35:29.360
an amen from every parent listening right
now? The kids aren't going to clean
479
00:35:29.400 --> 00:35:32.280
up unless you're hounded them, So
you can imagine the mess. And on
480
00:35:32.559 --> 00:35:37.639
more than one occasion it was said
that even her children, like her little
481
00:35:37.639 --> 00:35:42.639
ones, were they choked on food
and trash from the floor, like bottle
482
00:35:42.679 --> 00:35:46.519
caps and things that were just left
on the ground. But what she did
483
00:35:46.599 --> 00:35:52.599
do was be available to him sexually, and so he stuck around for a
484
00:35:52.599 --> 00:36:00.199
while because of how she would treat
him in the bedroom, but eventually he
485
00:36:00.119 --> 00:36:04.920
wanted out. The sex was not
enough, the house was filthy, the
486
00:36:04.960 --> 00:36:07.920
kids were everywhere. He didn't want
the kids, they weren't his, and
487
00:36:07.960 --> 00:36:13.480
so he planned this escape from her
without her really really knowing. The day
488
00:36:13.480 --> 00:36:16.559
he planned his escape, and he
said, Okay, I'm leaving today,
489
00:36:16.639 --> 00:36:22.599
he would say. He came home
and strangely, the house was absolutely immaculate.
490
00:36:23.760 --> 00:36:29.480
She was cooking in the kitchen and
the kids were like hanging around her
491
00:36:29.480 --> 00:36:32.719
and watching her cook, and they
were having almost normalcy in the household.
492
00:36:32.800 --> 00:36:37.280
And he was stunned. He was
like taken aback by what is this?
493
00:36:37.960 --> 00:36:42.559
But he was happy. So they
go and to have a conversation in the
494
00:36:42.639 --> 00:36:45.079
room, you know, the side
room, and she apologized for how she
495
00:36:45.119 --> 00:36:47.079
had been acting, and she promised, look, I'm gonna make it up
496
00:36:47.079 --> 00:36:53.239
to you, which included a whole
bunch of brown chicken brown goal time again.
497
00:36:53.440 --> 00:36:55.840
So she starts laying that on him. Now, if you're tired of
498
00:36:55.880 --> 00:37:00.760
hearing me talk about it, imagine
how he's he is that even doing it
499
00:37:00.800 --> 00:37:06.480
is not solving the problems of the
relationship. And after they go in the
500
00:37:06.480 --> 00:37:09.199
back and she kind of rocks his
world. She immediately starts talking about wanting
501
00:37:09.239 --> 00:37:14.199
to get married, and Dennis has
a what the fuck moment right then and
502
00:37:14.239 --> 00:37:16.280
there, he completely freaks out and
was like, wait a minute, wait
503
00:37:16.280 --> 00:37:19.760
a minute, just because we went
in the bag and you know, and
504
00:37:19.800 --> 00:37:22.079
had sex and you cooked and cleaned
the house. Doesn't mean I want to
505
00:37:22.079 --> 00:37:25.320
marry you. And he says,
look, I don't. I don't want
506
00:37:25.360 --> 00:37:29.480
this. I don't want kids with
you. I don't want any more kids.
507
00:37:29.480 --> 00:37:31.320
He felt like children were a trap
and that she was trying to trap
508
00:37:31.400 --> 00:37:35.639
him, and her response to him
was, well, I didn't want any
509
00:37:35.679 --> 00:37:38.760
of these kids after my first one
either, But here I am so kind
510
00:37:38.760 --> 00:37:45.239
of like I guess she's saying,
misery wants company. And so they would
511
00:37:45.280 --> 00:37:47.920
stick around together long enough that they
would pop out one kid together. His
512
00:37:49.000 --> 00:37:53.719
name would be Dennis Lee. And
by that point altogether Gert had seven children
513
00:37:55.079 --> 00:38:01.440
between all of these men. And
in nineteen sixty five, when this story
514
00:38:01.559 --> 00:38:06.320
that I'm going to start into really
starts to take off, this is the
515
00:38:06.360 --> 00:38:08.920
ages that all of these children are, and it's gonna matter. In the
516
00:38:09.000 --> 00:38:15.760
story, she has her eldest daughter, Paula, who is seventeen, Stephanie
517
00:38:15.920 --> 00:38:22.119
who is fifteen, John who's twelve, Marie who is eleven, Shirley who
518
00:38:22.199 --> 00:38:27.239
is ten, James who is eight, and then little Dennis Lee. Now,
519
00:38:27.280 --> 00:38:29.159
if you're like, holy crap,
Kelly, I can't keep up with
520
00:38:29.199 --> 00:38:30.920
all these kids, don't worry about
it. You're not gonna have to.
521
00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:34.000
I'm I'm gonna get you on track, all right. But before we go
522
00:38:34.079 --> 00:38:39.559
further, remember she's got all seven
kids, and she's seemingly restarting this cycle
523
00:38:39.599 --> 00:38:44.000
of abuse, right, And so
I kind of wanted to say, why
524
00:38:44.079 --> 00:38:49.960
do abusers continue the abuse cycle,
especially when they hated the way that they
525
00:38:50.000 --> 00:38:52.559
were treated? Right? Why does
that happen? Because it's still happening in
526
00:38:52.599 --> 00:38:55.920
today's society. So I went to
one of some of these sites that I
527
00:38:55.960 --> 00:38:59.880
look at, but one of them
is called very wellmind dot com, and
528
00:39:00.079 --> 00:39:04.159
that's where I got a little bit
of this. But the reason abusers continue
529
00:39:04.199 --> 00:39:08.280
abuse and that cycle of abuse is
simply because it feels familiar to them.
530
00:39:08.360 --> 00:39:15.280
It's what they know. So if
the connection between abuse and love is made
531
00:39:15.320 --> 00:39:22.880
early in life, the feelings of
shame and anger, which naturally happen as
532
00:39:22.920 --> 00:39:29.559
a consequence of that abuse, can
become mixed up with sexual feelings, and
533
00:39:29.599 --> 00:39:35.800
that leads to confusion in the person
who is experiencing the abuse. So if
534
00:39:35.840 --> 00:39:39.400
abuse and love kind of get mixed
up in the mind and shame and anger,
535
00:39:40.320 --> 00:39:45.159
which are the consequences of that abuse, you know what I'm saying,
536
00:39:45.639 --> 00:39:51.079
they get mixed up, and it
gives mixed signals about what should be happening
537
00:39:51.079 --> 00:39:55.360
as a result of the abuse,
and so these feelings become interpreted as feelings
538
00:39:55.400 --> 00:40:01.760
of love and passion and can sometimes
even lead to sexual arousal, even though
539
00:40:01.760 --> 00:40:06.079
it's abuse, all right, And
I'm not going super deep into this,
540
00:40:06.159 --> 00:40:07.800
but I just kind of wanted to
show you how the brain can. It's
541
00:40:07.960 --> 00:40:12.960
the brain is amazing, but sometimes
it can really get things confused in the
542
00:40:13.079 --> 00:40:19.280
child's mind. So what happens is
someone who's been abused may believe that they
543
00:40:19.280 --> 00:40:24.519
are attracted to or feel love for
their abuser, sometimes even thinking that they
544
00:40:24.519 --> 00:40:30.960
have a special connection to the abuser, and their experience so far traps them
545
00:40:30.960 --> 00:40:37.039
into feelings of intimacy, which are
associated with the abuse because it was imprinted
546
00:40:37.039 --> 00:40:39.599
on them as a very young age, and so there's a confusion between the
547
00:40:39.639 --> 00:40:45.000
two love, intimacy and abuse.
They're so intertwined it's hard to separate them
548
00:40:45.000 --> 00:40:50.280
out. So when they are later
abused, like in an intimate relationship,
549
00:40:50.679 --> 00:40:55.760
they perceive those familiar feelings of shame
and anger as love and passion. And
550
00:40:55.800 --> 00:40:59.719
so I hope you can feel that
like I can, Like when you're young
551
00:40:59.760 --> 00:41:05.119
and you're in a bad relationship and
you somehow miss you mistake hurt as part
552
00:41:05.159 --> 00:41:07.800
of the love process, Like they
hurt me because they love me. They
553
00:41:07.800 --> 00:41:10.519
wouldn't hurt me if they didn't care
type thing. But it's just wrong,
554
00:41:10.559 --> 00:41:17.159
it's not love doesn't hurt. So
another thing too, is that in those
555
00:41:17.199 --> 00:41:22.360
feelings of it being familiar, sometimes
abused abused people will become abusive and they're
556
00:41:22.440 --> 00:41:27.719
using it as an attempt to heal
themselves. So, for example, a
557
00:41:27.760 --> 00:41:35.280
survival, a survivor of childhood sexual
abuse may try to undo the abuse by
558
00:41:35.360 --> 00:41:43.119
taking their power back now real quick. If someone is raped in today's society,
559
00:41:43.199 --> 00:41:45.920
will go do a sexual assault kit
on them, right, A sane
560
00:41:45.960 --> 00:41:50.639
nerse sexual assault nurse examiner will come
do that examination on them, super invasive,
561
00:41:51.119 --> 00:41:54.400
lots of swabbing, lots of pictures
taken. And one of the big
562
00:41:54.480 --> 00:42:00.440
things or the big mantras though of
these nurses is that we are not going
563
00:42:00.519 --> 00:42:04.320
to retake the power away from the
victim. So if the victim says stop,
564
00:42:04.360 --> 00:42:06.719
I've had enough, they're going to
stop. If they say no,
565
00:42:06.760 --> 00:42:08.599
I do not want pictures taken of
me they're not going to take the pictures.
566
00:42:08.880 --> 00:42:13.800
They're not going to force someone because
their power was already taken by someone
567
00:42:13.840 --> 00:42:16.840
against their will. We are not
going to further that by taking their power
568
00:42:16.920 --> 00:42:22.920
away. Again. Well, that's
kind of where these abuses. These people
569
00:42:22.920 --> 00:42:28.840
who are abused become abuser themselves because
they're trying to heal themselves by taking back
570
00:42:28.880 --> 00:42:32.800
the power and by engaging in a
relationship with another abuser. They can try
571
00:42:32.840 --> 00:42:38.679
to relive the relationship with their original
abuser, but in this instance, they
572
00:42:38.679 --> 00:42:44.039
want to get it right because they
have the power. So similarly, by
573
00:42:44.039 --> 00:42:46.800
becoming an abuser, someone who has
been abused can play the role of the
574
00:42:46.880 --> 00:42:54.519
more powerful person in the relationship in
an attempt to overcome the powerlessness they felt,
575
00:42:54.840 --> 00:43:00.400
but unfortunately it's not effective, and
they may repeatedly dominate others in that
576
00:43:00.440 --> 00:43:06.840
feudal attempt to get over the weakness
that they experienced, but they're never healing
577
00:43:06.840 --> 00:43:09.239
themselves. And it seems like Gert
was one of those people that all this
578
00:43:09.360 --> 00:43:16.400
misinterpretive abuse or misinterpreted abuse for love
and then the power struggle. It seems
579
00:43:16.440 --> 00:43:21.920
like she's jumping right in and that's
why she herself becomes an abuser. So
580
00:43:22.119 --> 00:43:29.280
here's Gert A Haggard asthmatic chain smoker, who is now continuing to I'll say
581
00:43:29.280 --> 00:43:35.159
in quotes, raise her kids.
But she's again alone because all the men
582
00:43:35.199 --> 00:43:40.679
in her life have left her.
And the main parts of this story are
583
00:43:40.679 --> 00:43:45.320
going to start at this time when
that daughter Paula that I mentioned a moment
584
00:43:45.360 --> 00:43:52.880
ago is a teenager herself. Paula
is seventeen and she is the eldest of
585
00:43:52.920 --> 00:43:57.599
Gert's children. But Gert is more
of a friend to Paula than she is
586
00:43:57.639 --> 00:44:02.760
a mother. Now, something that
Paula had to deal with was that Gert
587
00:44:04.159 --> 00:44:07.880
would bombard her with her troubles,
and Paula was kind of forced to listen
588
00:44:07.920 --> 00:44:13.880
to all of her mother's problems and
eventually that gets to be a lot for
589
00:44:13.920 --> 00:44:17.360
a kid. Kids should not have
to shoulder adult problems, but adults do
590
00:44:17.360 --> 00:44:22.199
it to kids all the time.
Think about divorce right where they You know,
591
00:44:22.239 --> 00:44:25.000
people who are getting divorced always put
their problems on, you know,
592
00:44:25.039 --> 00:44:28.719
their seven year old kid, like
their kid is supposed to understand it all
593
00:44:28.760 --> 00:44:31.360
and the complexities of it all.
And Paula gets burned out on it.
594
00:44:32.119 --> 00:44:38.920
So Paula switches her attention as she's
now seventeen, and she starts becoming interested
595
00:44:39.000 --> 00:44:45.079
in a boy that she knows.
And she's not promiscuous like Gert was her
596
00:44:45.079 --> 00:44:50.599
mother, but she's definitely interested for
sure in this boy. So at one
597
00:44:50.599 --> 00:44:53.079
point things got really hot and heavy
and they were kissing and they were touching
598
00:44:53.079 --> 00:44:55.920
each other at the house, and
that's when her mom, Gert, busts
599
00:44:55.960 --> 00:45:04.440
in and just unleashes all out age
on the two. She grabs Paula by
600
00:45:04.519 --> 00:45:08.880
her hair and hurls her across the
room, screaming insults at her. She
601
00:45:08.920 --> 00:45:13.559
starts calling her a whore and every
other name under you under the sun.
602
00:45:14.079 --> 00:45:16.239
And the boy that she was making
out with is trying to scramble and get
603
00:45:16.239 --> 00:45:22.199
out of the house. And from
that point forward, Gert orders that her
604
00:45:22.599 --> 00:45:29.679
sons that they are going to remove
all doors in that house and there will
605
00:45:29.719 --> 00:45:32.599
be no doors in this house,
and no one will go without her being
606
00:45:32.639 --> 00:45:37.000
able to see what they are doing
at any moment's time when she wanted to
607
00:45:37.480 --> 00:45:40.400
and to really serve this, you
know, this point home, she then
608
00:45:40.519 --> 00:45:45.679
took them all outside and made them
take the doors of the house and she
609
00:45:45.840 --> 00:45:50.519
burned them in a fire so that
they all knew how permanent this was and
610
00:45:50.559 --> 00:45:53.280
there would be no privacy in the
home. And then from that point forward,
611
00:45:53.599 --> 00:46:00.920
Gert becomes obsessed with purity of her
girls, and he comes just almost
612
00:46:00.960 --> 00:46:08.320
like a cult towards her kids,
where she's giving these daily lectures about purity
613
00:46:08.519 --> 00:46:15.159
and sexual perversion, and she starts
making them go to church constantly, which,
614
00:46:15.159 --> 00:46:16.639
hey, I'm not saying church is
a bad thing, but you can't
615
00:46:16.639 --> 00:46:22.280
always be shoving it down a kid's
throat. Well. As Gert kind of
616
00:46:22.280 --> 00:46:30.159
gets over that manicness, then that
kind of starts fading and she goes back
617
00:46:30.159 --> 00:46:34.920
to her normal ways where she's kind
of zoned out, sleeping in her bedroom,
618
00:46:35.000 --> 00:46:37.880
smoking constantly, not taking care of
the kids and leaving them to their
619
00:46:37.880 --> 00:46:43.679
own devices. So Paula starts going
to bars to meet guys without her mom
620
00:46:43.800 --> 00:46:46.880
finding out. She kind of sneaks
out, and one man that she meets
621
00:46:47.079 --> 00:46:52.920
ends up being an older man she
falls for and she starts sleeping with him.
622
00:46:52.840 --> 00:46:57.800
And after she starts sleeping with him, that's when Paula finds out that
623
00:46:57.920 --> 00:47:02.800
not only is he not single,
but this older guy was married and he
624
00:47:02.920 --> 00:47:08.519
wasn't gonna be with Paula she was
just basically his side piece. So Paula
625
00:47:08.559 --> 00:47:15.880
immediately dumped this guy, and shortly
thereafter after she stops seeing him. Guess
626
00:47:15.920 --> 00:47:21.239
what, she finds herself pregnant.
So when gart finds out that her daughter,
627
00:47:21.480 --> 00:47:23.960
you know, is pregnant, she
hits a breaking point and kind of
628
00:47:24.000 --> 00:47:28.920
just completely becomes just a worthless piece
of crap, I guess is the best
629
00:47:28.920 --> 00:47:31.079
way to put it. She doesn't
have really that many redeeming values at this
630
00:47:31.119 --> 00:47:36.280
point, so she stops eating.
She becomes really bony and nasty. She's
631
00:47:36.400 --> 00:47:40.079
vicious. All she does is just
chain smoke all the time. She's not
632
00:47:40.159 --> 00:47:44.960
taking care of her kids. She
refuses to let the kids clean up,
633
00:47:45.239 --> 00:47:47.880
and she really kind of revels in
the disgustingness of their home. She's kind
634
00:47:47.880 --> 00:47:51.320
of like, no, if we're
gonna be nasty people, then we're just
635
00:47:51.320 --> 00:47:57.239
gonna be nasty people. And eventually
there's like this shift that whenever Gert kind
636
00:47:57.280 --> 00:48:01.800
of gives up and starts doing her
own thing, Paula becomes kind of the
637
00:48:01.840 --> 00:48:06.400
head of the household in a strange
way because she's the next oldest person in
638
00:48:06.440 --> 00:48:08.400
the home. Well, when you
have a seventeen year old who's pregnant,
639
00:48:08.440 --> 00:48:12.760
mind you in charge of the home. Guess what happens. It becomes a
640
00:48:12.760 --> 00:48:15.119
teen hangout. All the kids in
the neighborhood realize, oh, hey,
641
00:48:15.159 --> 00:48:17.840
we can go hang out over there, and we can do whatever we want.
642
00:48:17.880 --> 00:48:22.239
We can smoke and cuss and talk
about whatever we want to and nobody's
643
00:48:22.239 --> 00:48:29.039
gonna stop us, even if there's
an adult there. Because Gert even starts
644
00:48:29.159 --> 00:48:34.199
joining in with the teen So she's
smoking with the teenagers, talking trash.
645
00:48:34.400 --> 00:48:37.559
She even like instigates fights, and
when they'll squabble, she'll even get in
646
00:48:37.599 --> 00:48:42.920
on the fights. There's literally no
someonance of parenting going on in this home.
647
00:48:43.360 --> 00:48:45.480
But from the outside, the house
just looks like a normal middle class
648
00:48:45.519 --> 00:48:49.360
America house. And I do have
photos and I will be sharing this with
649
00:48:49.400 --> 00:48:53.320
you, But nobody on the outside
really would have known what was going on
650
00:48:53.320 --> 00:48:57.199
on the inside, and the teens
would have been fools to go share it
651
00:48:57.199 --> 00:49:00.000
and tell anybody, because then their
little honey hoole would would be described.
652
00:49:00.119 --> 00:49:05.159
Did so paul st Paula starts letting
all these teens come over. Girt's not
653
00:49:05.239 --> 00:49:10.760
really do anything about it, and
so whenever you know, this chaos is
654
00:49:10.760 --> 00:49:15.920
happening in the home. It just
becomes kind of weird that the kids do
655
00:49:15.960 --> 00:49:19.639
whatever they want to do. And
at one point, Paula says, I
656
00:49:19.719 --> 00:49:22.159
kind of need a break from the
chaos that's going on in my house.
657
00:49:22.960 --> 00:49:25.440
She had been hiding the pregnancy from
all the kids at school. She did
658
00:49:25.480 --> 00:49:30.480
try to you know, she did
try to hide it from her siblings at
659
00:49:30.480 --> 00:49:32.960
first because she was trying to keep
some type of normalcy. And at some
660
00:49:34.039 --> 00:49:37.840
point she befriended a girl named Darlene
McGuire that lived, I believe, really
661
00:49:37.840 --> 00:49:42.039
close to them, and people said
that she was a really sweet girl,
662
00:49:42.159 --> 00:49:44.840
had a heart of gold, Like
she was that kid that would take in
663
00:49:44.920 --> 00:49:47.280
animals, like stray animals all the
time. She would even try to help
664
00:49:47.320 --> 00:49:51.519
stray kids, you know, ones
that just kind of showed up or relatch
665
00:49:51.599 --> 00:49:57.920
key kids. And one day,
while they're in town, these two sisters
666
00:49:58.000 --> 00:50:04.239
were found wandering the streets and Darlene
brought them home. So sweet girl that's
667
00:50:04.280 --> 00:50:07.960
friends with now Paula brings home these
two girls that were just young and randomly
668
00:50:07.000 --> 00:50:13.880
wandering the streets. And these two
girls names were Jenny and Sylvia Likns.
669
00:50:14.679 --> 00:50:17.800
Now why were they just randomly walking
the streets. Great question, glad you
670
00:50:17.840 --> 00:50:22.039
asked. Their mom's name was Betty, who was married to their dad,
671
00:50:22.119 --> 00:50:30.719
Lester, and they were just kind
of your typical low class struggling to make
672
00:50:30.800 --> 00:50:35.199
it, kept reproducing type of family. And I'm not talking bad about them.
673
00:50:35.239 --> 00:50:39.079
I'm just saying that Lester had an
eighth grade education and Betty didn't seem
674
00:50:39.119 --> 00:50:42.960
to have much better, and they
were kind of doing I guess, the
675
00:50:43.000 --> 00:50:47.039
best they knew how, but it
wasn't very good, and Lester would sometimes
676
00:50:47.039 --> 00:50:52.199
be abusive towards Betty. And one
day Betty had enough and so she fled
677
00:50:52.239 --> 00:50:55.360
the house with you from their abusive
dad in the night, and she took
678
00:50:55.360 --> 00:51:00.880
the two girls with them. Well, when they fled, they had jumped
679
00:51:00.880 --> 00:51:07.400
on a bus and it took them
to town where they had run out of
680
00:51:07.440 --> 00:51:10.719
money. So there was the mom
with her kids and didn't have any money.
681
00:51:12.079 --> 00:51:14.760
So what she did was she went
to go try to steal some food
682
00:51:14.760 --> 00:51:16.559
for them because she had spent all
the money on the bus tickets, and
683
00:51:16.639 --> 00:51:21.519
she got caught and they arrested the
mom. Well, when they arrested Betty,
684
00:51:22.119 --> 00:51:27.000
the little girls, Sylvia and Jenny, they fled because they didn't want
685
00:51:27.000 --> 00:51:30.000
to get caught too well when they
ran, that's when they were kind of
686
00:51:30.039 --> 00:51:32.079
just wandering the streets with nowhere to
go. Their mom had been arrested and
687
00:51:32.119 --> 00:51:37.199
their dad didn't even know they were
gone. And that's when Darlene found them
688
00:51:37.239 --> 00:51:42.400
and Paula, Gert's daughter, says, hey, you can come back to
689
00:51:42.519 --> 00:51:46.079
our house. So the girls go
back with them. They're hungry, right
690
00:51:46.119 --> 00:51:52.119
and they don't have anywhere to be, and Gert strangely responds very positively to
691
00:51:52.159 --> 00:51:59.320
them showing up to the house.
She says, sure, I completely understand
692
00:51:59.360 --> 00:52:02.719
y'all are in a rough spot.
And she's very kind, and the Likings
693
00:52:02.719 --> 00:52:06.159
girls are like, oh my god, this is great. You know someone's
694
00:52:06.199 --> 00:52:09.639
willing to be kind to us,
and you know this is wonderful. So
695
00:52:09.760 --> 00:52:15.400
I want you in your mind right
now to start just a few months clock,
696
00:52:15.480 --> 00:52:17.320
because everything I'm about to tell you
from here on out is going to
697
00:52:17.360 --> 00:52:22.760
happen in just a couple of months. So it's about December of nineteen sixty
698
00:52:22.760 --> 00:52:27.159
five where we're at. And I
thought, before I go any further,
699
00:52:28.239 --> 00:52:30.880
I wanted to tell you what Sylvia
Likings was like. Okay, she was
700
00:52:30.920 --> 00:52:37.639
the older of the two girls that
were found wandering the streets. So Sylvia
701
00:52:37.760 --> 00:52:40.320
was a teenage girl of these lower
class parents, like I mentioned, who
702
00:52:40.400 --> 00:52:45.639
struggled a lot financially. I mean, they were not having a good time,
703
00:52:45.119 --> 00:52:51.840
and Sylvia was the kind of kid
that would help out. She said,
704
00:52:51.880 --> 00:52:53.679
if y'all are struggling, I'm I'm
gonna help out. And I thought
705
00:52:53.679 --> 00:52:57.679
that was rather endearing when I read
about it. But how would she help
706
00:52:57.679 --> 00:53:00.039
her parents out? Well, it
was reported that she would do odd and
707
00:53:00.119 --> 00:53:05.519
ends jobs like she would babysit,
she would run errands for people, she
708
00:53:05.559 --> 00:53:08.320
would iron for friends and neighbors,
anything that she could do that wasn't a
709
00:53:08.320 --> 00:53:12.199
lot of skill and could bring,
you know, bring some money to the
710
00:53:12.199 --> 00:53:15.760
household. And those that were close
to him knew that she would even give
711
00:53:15.840 --> 00:53:19.599
her earnings to her mom so that
her mom could try to make ends meet.
712
00:53:20.159 --> 00:53:22.400
And she loved music. She liked
the popular music at the time,
713
00:53:22.440 --> 00:53:27.840
so like she was a Beatles lover. And they people that knew or said
714
00:53:27.840 --> 00:53:30.199
that she was friendly, and she
came across as a confident girl, and
715
00:53:30.239 --> 00:53:36.119
she was full of life, and
that confidence was something that people really liked
716
00:53:36.159 --> 00:53:38.719
about her, but it was kept
in check because one time when she was
717
00:53:38.840 --> 00:53:43.639
younger, she was wrestling with her
brothers and one of her brothers accidentally kicked
718
00:53:43.639 --> 00:53:46.599
out one of her front teeth,
and so that confidence was kind of checked
719
00:53:46.599 --> 00:53:50.639
when that front tooth was kicked out. And so as a result, when
720
00:53:50.639 --> 00:53:53.320
I post pictures of Sylvia for you
to see, usually she's going to be
721
00:53:53.360 --> 00:53:58.119
sporting her long, wavy, you
know, brown hair, but she was
722
00:53:58.159 --> 00:54:00.159
gonna look well kept and you know, well put together. But her mouth
723
00:54:00.239 --> 00:54:05.280
is always closed when she smiles because
she wanted to hide that imperfection. And
724
00:54:05.360 --> 00:54:08.400
her little nickname that her friends called
her by was Cookie. But that sweet
725
00:54:08.599 --> 00:54:15.679
nickname was in contrast to how fiercely
she was protective of her younger sister Jenny.
726
00:54:15.760 --> 00:54:22.039
So her love for her little sister
was completely and utterly unchallenged. She
727
00:54:22.119 --> 00:54:27.840
loved her sister more than anything else
in her life. And she had just
728
00:54:27.880 --> 00:54:31.679
a soft spot for her sister Jenny
because Jenny suffered from the effects of polio,
729
00:54:32.159 --> 00:54:37.519
and silvio was there for her to
kind of pick up where Jenny lacked.
730
00:54:37.079 --> 00:54:42.920
She was so understanding and loving of
her sister, and the polio was
731
00:54:42.960 --> 00:54:45.320
so bad in little Jenny that she
even had to wear braces on her legs.
732
00:54:45.400 --> 00:54:47.800
She was weak, you know,
she couldn't do a lot of things
733
00:54:47.800 --> 00:54:52.360
that other kids could do. And
Sylvia made a point to spend a lot
734
00:54:52.360 --> 00:54:54.519
of her time with her little sister
Jenny, and they loved going in and
735
00:54:54.559 --> 00:54:59.320
having fun together. Even on a
couple of occasions I read about that they
736
00:54:59.320 --> 00:55:04.519
would go to the local skating rink
together and living up to her big sister
737
00:55:04.599 --> 00:55:08.400
protective status, Sylvia would help her
little sister Jenny skate because she would hold
738
00:55:08.480 --> 00:55:13.679
her hand and Jenny would skate on
her good foot that was not damaged by
739
00:55:13.679 --> 00:55:17.239
the polio. So basically, these
were two good kids just live in there
740
00:55:17.360 --> 00:55:21.840
the best life that they could.
And I thought it was kind of interesting
741
00:55:21.880 --> 00:55:24.440
too that her family they had more
kids than they could take care of.
742
00:55:24.800 --> 00:55:29.639
But I don't think it was necessarily
like on purpose, because believe it or
743
00:55:29.639 --> 00:55:34.000
not, they had two sets of
natural twins, and Sylvia was just the
744
00:55:34.039 --> 00:55:39.960
middle child between the two sets of
twins, so they had Jenny, her
745
00:55:39.960 --> 00:55:45.679
little sister, Jenny had a twin
named Benny, and then her older sister
746
00:55:46.840 --> 00:55:52.159
was also a twin. Her older
sister, Diana was also a twin to
747
00:55:52.320 --> 00:55:55.719
her other brother and you're not gonna
hear a lot about Diana though, because
748
00:55:55.719 --> 00:56:00.320
Diana got married at age eighteen and
moved out very quickly her husband's family because
749
00:56:00.559 --> 00:56:07.039
she thought that that was going to
better her situation. So these were two
750
00:56:07.079 --> 00:56:12.079
good kids. Now. The next
morning, after they went and stayed with
751
00:56:12.159 --> 00:56:17.519
Girt and her and her crew,
their dad shows up at the house after
752
00:56:17.639 --> 00:56:22.079
Darlene led him there. So he
had kind of gotten worried about where his
753
00:56:22.159 --> 00:56:24.400
family was, and that little girl, Darlene that lived on the street that
754
00:56:24.480 --> 00:56:31.519
was super sweet led him to Gertrude's
house with Paula and the way, you
755
00:56:31.559 --> 00:56:37.239
know, the mom Betty had called
him after her arrest and they reconciled over
756
00:56:37.280 --> 00:56:38.400
the phone, like this was stupid. I shouldn't have run away. I
757
00:56:38.400 --> 00:56:42.159
got arrested. He says, I'm
coming to town. I'm gonna get you.
758
00:56:42.719 --> 00:56:45.079
But what's kind of weird about this
is after he comes and finds his
759
00:56:45.159 --> 00:56:53.599
two daughters, he begs Gertrude to
keep his daughters because he and their mom
760
00:56:53.679 --> 00:57:00.039
were going to be joining the traveling
circus and there was no room for the
761
00:56:59.840 --> 00:57:01.079
girls. And I know, right
now you're like, up, here's some
762
00:57:01.119 --> 00:57:05.320
bullshit. You're joining the circus.
Y'all know it's actually true. Okay,
763
00:57:05.360 --> 00:57:07.719
I want you to think back.
This is like that Barnum and Bailey's traveling
764
00:57:07.719 --> 00:57:12.760
circus. It only happened during the
summer, and they were only going to
765
00:57:12.840 --> 00:57:15.079
be able to make the bulk of
the money that they were able to make
766
00:57:15.239 --> 00:57:21.559
at the circus selling concessions and all
that stuff. So I kind of was
767
00:57:21.599 --> 00:57:24.000
intrigued by this, and I'm like, okay, so you're just gonna dump
768
00:57:24.039 --> 00:57:28.159
your two kids with two people because
you want to run off and work for
769
00:57:28.199 --> 00:57:31.760
the circus. That sounds kind of
crappy. But the more I researched and
770
00:57:31.800 --> 00:57:35.679
I kind of started thinking about it, I kind of get where these parents
771
00:57:35.679 --> 00:57:37.960
were coming from. But don't come
at me. Just listen real quick.
772
00:57:37.679 --> 00:57:45.679
So one summer before this, they
did already work for this traveling carnival and
773
00:57:45.679 --> 00:57:47.280
it went okay. The kids were
with them, you know, it was
774
00:57:47.400 --> 00:57:53.119
long hours, but some of the
kids had gone and stayed with their grandparents
775
00:57:54.400 --> 00:58:00.360
and talking about Danny and Benny this
go round. This is the second summer
776
00:58:00.400 --> 00:58:02.119
when things were a bit different.
The oldest daughter, like I told you,
777
00:58:02.159 --> 00:58:06.760
Diana, had moved out because she
got married and This kind of left
778
00:58:06.920 --> 00:58:12.360
Danny, Binny, Jenny, and
Sylvia with their parents who couldn't afford to
779
00:58:12.360 --> 00:58:16.519
take care of them and their finances
had gotten worse. So the thinking of
780
00:58:16.559 --> 00:58:21.480
the parents was while the boys would
be fine, they could stand up and
781
00:58:21.519 --> 00:58:23.559
they could sell the treats and the
cotton candy and all that the whole day,
782
00:58:24.440 --> 00:58:29.039
and even Sylvia would be able to
help out and could help maximize their
783
00:58:29.079 --> 00:58:35.920
income. The problem was that they
were thinking about Jenny and that the workload
784
00:58:36.000 --> 00:58:37.960
was going to be too demanding for
her because of her disabilities, because she
785
00:58:38.000 --> 00:58:42.840
would have to stand all day and
with her legs in the sad condition from
786
00:58:42.880 --> 00:58:45.280
the polio, that was just going
to be super super hard for her.
787
00:58:45.840 --> 00:58:50.840
The other issue that they had was
they thought, I don't know if we
788
00:58:50.880 --> 00:58:58.719
need to be really dragging our two
girls to this traveling circus because the girls
789
00:58:58.760 --> 00:59:01.800
would be working in an environ mainly
of all adult men. And they kind
790
00:59:01.840 --> 00:59:05.000
of were like, you know,
the girls are getting older and they're pretty
791
00:59:05.039 --> 00:59:07.400
little girls, and it just doesn't
seem right to have them working in that
792
00:59:07.519 --> 00:59:13.199
environment with all adult males. Jenny
can't take care of herself, Sylvie would
793
00:59:13.199 --> 00:59:15.840
have to be taking care of Jenny
the whole time, and so I think
794
00:59:15.840 --> 00:59:19.079
in their mind they thought this would
be a good move. It's just for
795
00:59:19.119 --> 00:59:23.920
the summer, and it would help
Gert because they said, we will send
796
00:59:23.960 --> 00:59:30.639
you twenty dollars a week if you
keep them for helping out with our girls.
797
00:59:30.599 --> 00:59:35.360
Well, Gert was thrilled when she
heard this, because all she could
798
00:59:35.360 --> 00:59:37.679
think about was, all right,
twenty dollars a week for cigarette money,
799
00:59:37.719 --> 00:59:39.760
you know what I'm saying, because
you wann't gonna take care of the kids.
800
00:59:40.480 --> 00:59:45.079
The issue was that the Likings parents
never actually went into the house and
801
00:59:45.440 --> 00:59:51.079
looked around at the disgusting circumstances and
didn't realize that, yeah, this home
802
00:59:51.159 --> 00:59:54.320
is a teenager's dream if you think
about the fact that there's no rules and
803
00:59:54.360 --> 01:00:00.639
there's a teenage hierarchy with no adult
supervision. They didn't really look into that,
804
01:00:01.000 --> 01:00:09.159
so they leave their girls in this
cessed pool of nothing but problems that's
805
01:00:09.159 --> 01:00:15.679
about to turn horrifically bad for their
daughters. I think I'm gonna leave it
806
01:00:15.679 --> 01:00:19.880
there for now, because I had
to give you all this background so that
807
01:00:19.920 --> 01:00:22.079
you will know kind of how we
got where we're going to be and where
808
01:00:22.079 --> 01:00:23.519
we're heading to do not give up
on me. Don't be mad at me.
809
01:00:23.559 --> 01:00:27.599
I know I gotta make this in
multiple parts, but trust me,
810
01:00:27.800 --> 01:00:30.760
it's all about the details. Okay, It's all about the details. And
811
01:00:30.960 --> 01:00:34.920
I think something that's super sad in
my opinion about this is that, you
812
01:00:34.920 --> 01:00:37.840
know, I hate whenever kids are
involved in poor parenting and bad decisions on
813
01:00:37.880 --> 01:00:40.679
their behalf, because all they have
is innocence, you know, to work
814
01:00:40.719 --> 01:00:44.880
with to defend themselves, and innocence
is never going to be, you know,
815
01:00:44.960 --> 01:00:50.039
a good defense mechanism. And even
though Gert went through a lot in
816
01:00:50.079 --> 01:00:52.920
her lifetime, I think you can
see that she's not turning out to be
817
01:00:52.960 --> 01:00:55.360
a very good parent. She's not
a very nice person. But it's kind
818
01:00:55.360 --> 01:00:58.559
of like, I don't know what
you expect. You can't shake a hor
819
01:00:58.599 --> 01:01:00.199
tree and expect an angel to fall
out. Alt












