Richard Dean Hobbs Cause of Death: A Tragic End to a Troubled Life

Richard Dean Hobbs was a young man who was convicted of manslaughter in the infamous Sylvia Likens murder case in 1965. After serving less than two years in the Indiana Reformatory, he was granted parole on February 27, 1968 . However, his life was cut short when he died of lung cancer on January 2, 1972, at the age of 21.

 The Sylvia Likens Murder Case

Sylvia Marie Likens was an American teenager who was tortured and murdered by her caregiver, Gertrude Baniszewski, many of Baniszewski’s children, and several of their neighborhood friends. The abuse lasted for three months before Likens died from her extensive injuries and malnourishment on October 26, 1965, in Indianapolis, Indiana . Her autopsy showed 150 wounds across her body, including several burns, scald marks and eroded skin . Gertrude Baniszewski; her oldest daughter, Paula; her son, John; and two neighborhood youths, Coy Hubbard and Richard Hobbs, were all tried and convicted in May 1966 of neglecting, torturing, and murdering Likens .

 Richard Dean Hobbs’ Life After the Trial

After his release from the Indiana Reformatory in 1968, Hobbs struggled with mental health issues and suffered at least one nervous breakdown.He died of lung cancer on January 2, 1972, at the age of 21.

 Conclusion

Richard Dean Hobbs’ life was marked by tragedy. He was involved in one of the most horrific crimes in Indiana’s history and died at a young age due to lung cancer. The Sylvia Likens murder case remains one of the most shocking crimes ever committed in the state of Indiana. It is a reminder that we must be vigilant against abuse and neglect of vulnerable individuals.

Doms Desk

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