Upamanyu Biswas
Uncovering the tragedy of Sylvia Likens’ torturous murder in 1965, ‘An American Crime‘ follows the young sixteen-year-old and her sister, Jenny Likens, during their stay with the Baniszewski family and the subsequent maltreatment they received at the hands of their host. In particular, Sylvia became the scapegoat for several horrifying physical and mental lacerations that led to her belittlement, humiliation, and abuse of an unprecedented nature directed by Gertrude Baniszewski and her children who took part in the young girl’s regular punishments. Additionally, the involvement of neighborhood kids also played a tragic part in Sylvia’s overall decline in health, specifically two individuals who were tried during her murder trial – Richard Hobbs and Coy Hubbard.
Hobbs was a fourteen-year-old who was responsible for etching out the message “I’m a prostitute and proud of it” on her abdomen with a heated needle, while Hubbard repeatedly abused Sylvia physically, often using her as a practice dummy for his judo sessions. The young girl was thrashed against the floor and the walls on several occasions during these exercises, and close to her final moments, Hubbard was also responsible for beating her on the head with a curtain rod, which caused her to lose consciousness. The pair were apprehended after Sylvia’s murder came to light and charged with suspicion of having a hand in her death.
Richard Hobbs and Coy Hubbard Were Tried Together With the Baniszewskis
The day after Richard Hobbs carved the words “I’m a prostitute and proud of it!” on Sylvia Likens’ belly, his mother, Juanita Hobbs, was taken to the hospital after suffering from cancer for a year. Neither she nor her husband knew that Richard was friends with the Baniszewski family, and two weeks later, Juanita passed away having no notion about her son’s involvement in a murder investigation. According to John Dean’s 2008 book, ‘House of Evil: The Indiana Torture Slaying,’ Richard was taken down to the police headquarters, where he revealed the truth of his actions free from Gertrude’s presence. He was initially reluctant to call his father to the station. However, the next day, the older man was present and affirmed that he wanted his son to tell the truth and cooperate with the police.
Coy Hubbard, who was Stephanie Baniszewski’s boyfriend, was also called into the headquarters, where, similarly to Richard, he declined to inform his parents. Later, his mother was contacted by the police and hurried to his aid. By then, Coy had already admitted to the beatings he had subjected to Sylvia, as well as other physical injuries. During the trial, Gertrude Baniszewski, Paula Baniszewski, and John Baniszewski were tried together with Richard and Coy. Allegedly, in the case of Richard, the defense tried to plead that he was led to do the things he did under the influence of Gertrude, and he was a follower, not an instigator of the crime against Sylvia. His defense also suggested that if Richard had not etched those words onto Sylvia’s abdomen, he would have been a state’s witness like Stephanie Baniszewski.
Similar arguments were reportedly made for Coy, stating that he was following the pack leader, Gertrude, and abusing Sylvia because the adult woman had set the example. Ultimately, both Richard and Coy, alongside Johnny Baniszewski, were found guilty of manslaughter, while Gertrude was charged with first-degree murder and Paula with second-degree murder for Sylvia’s death. Richard and Coy were imprisoned with a sentence of two to twenty-one years in the Indiana State Reformatory with Johnny Baniszewski.
Richard Hobbs Passed Away Soon After His Release
Although Richard Hobbs was set for a longer stint at the detention facility, he ended up serving only 18 months in the Indiana State Reformatory before he was granted parole on February 27, 1968. Very little is known about Richard’s movements after his release from prison. Reportedly, he suffered a nervous breakdown a few years after his sentence was cleared, but he did not get much time to enjoy his freedom. On January 2, 1972, Richard passed away at the age of 21 due to lung cancer.
Coy Hubbard’s Run-In With the Law and Death
Coy Hubbard, just like Richard Hobbs and Johnny Baniszewski, was released from the Indiana State Reformatory on February 27, 1968, having served only 18 months. According to Indianapolis Monthly, Coy ran into his defense attorney from the Sylvia murder trial, Forrest Bowman Jr., in the early 1970s at a gas station. Remembering the encounter, Bowman said, “He was very effusive and said, ‘Come inside, I want to introduce you to my boss. I said sure. That was the last contact I had with him.” Coy did not change his name in the aftermath of the trial, deciding even to live out his life in the Indianapolis area.
He had several run-ins with the law — reportedly, once in 1978 when he was sent to prison for armed robbery, and in 1983, he was charged with the murder of two men, Daniel L. Hassler and Raymond T. Atkins, in Putnam County in 1977. He was later acquitted of the murder charges by a jury. In 2007, after the release of ‘An American Crime,’ he allegedly lost his job owing to his involvement in the whole affair. That same year, according to various reports, Coy, who was a 56-year-old husband and father then, passed away on June 23 due to a heart attack in Shelbyville, Indiana. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Hubbard, 5 kids, 17 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
Read More: An American Crime Ending: Does Sylvia Die?
