Ohio ‘house of horrors’ family left behind previous home as new owner shares what he found
The new owner of a house where the Siders family used to live has described what he found as 'pretty rough.'
Before relocating to Vinton County, Ohio, were 16 children were allegedly kept in horrendous conditions described by officials as a 'house of horrors', the Siders family lived in a home in Cheshire, Gallia County between 2020 and 2024, reports ABC6, via VT.
That house was sold earlier this year and new owner, Bruce Gulick, has claimed he found evidence that someone may have been living in the attic.
"There are a lot of kids clothes in the attic stuffed away like someone was like living up in there," he speculated.
Advert
The house was also allegedly covered in waste, both human and animal.
He added: "The whole entire house was just urine and human and cat faeces, so it was pretty rough."
ABC6 also talked to residents near the house in Gallia County, with one neighbour also claiming that the house wasn't left in a good state,
"We didn't know that he even left for quite a while," they said.
"It was kind of just an empty house, I guess. Left a mess. Not really that great of condition."
Elizabeth Siders, 33, her spouse Gary Siders Jr, 36, and his parents Gary Siders Sr, 73 and Christina Siders, 67, were all arrested on June 30 after authorities raided their dilapidated Vinton County home and found 16 children living in 'deplorable' conditions, with bonds set at $300,000 each.
Police suspect the children were kept in a 12-foot by 12-foot room for four years.
The children aged from 18 years to 18 months were rescued and remain in the care of officials in Ohio, though an update on their condition has not yet been given.
"Conditions you cannot even imagine people being in, let alone children being in," Ohio attorney general Andy Wilson said previously. "It was terrible. They looked like almost feral animals.
“I cannot get the smell off of me.
“I have never seen anything like what I saw today. It really looked third world. It is not something we are used to seeing in America.”
Elizabeth, Gary Jr and Christina remain in custody but Gary Sr was granted a recognizance bond due to his poor health. He will be forced to wear a GPS monitor if he leaves the hospital.
All four family members are expected to appear in court soon, facing 16 counts of child endangerment, after a judge entered not guilty pleas on their behalf.
The lawyer representing Elizabeth Siders has disputed the accuracy of some of the details released by authorities.
“There’s no indication that the kids were not free to move about the home. There’s no indication from my conversations with my client that the kids were not allowed to go outside,” J. Thomas Stolly told WBNS.
A timeline of the allegations against the Siders family
31 March 2008
Gary Siders Jr, 18, and Elizabeth Siders, 15, are married in Mason County, West Virginia with the consent of Elizabeth’s parents. Marital records indicate Elizabeth's education topped at eighth grade, while Gary Siders Jr. left school after completing ninth grade.
30 May 2008
The couple’s eldest child is born. More children are born in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022 (twins), 2024 (twins), and 2025.
2021
The superintendent of the Gallia County Local Schools in southeast Ohio told WSAZ3 there are records from this year showing Gary Jr. and Elizabeth were parents with a local school at the time.
Court records obtained by the Columbus Dispatch reveal that Gallia County Juvenile Court filed six truancy complaints against Gary Siders Jr. and Elizabeth Siders for failing to send their children to school.
2022
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said the Siders family moved to Vinton County, again in southeast Ohio, around this time.
10 November 2022
Elizabeth Siders prematurely delivers conjoined twins, who die an hour after they are born. Named Faith Lee and Bailey Lee Siders, they were joined at the chest, face-to-face, according to birth certificates obtained by WCMH.
23, 27, 29 and 31 May 2026
Court records show Gary Siders Jr. is accused of exposing himself on four separate occasions on these dates, WOWK reports.
30 June 2026
An arrest warrant is issued for Gary Siders Jr related to four alleged counts of public indecency.
Police attend the Siders’ home in relation to this investigation and find 16 children living in what police describe as deplorable conditions.
Authorities claim the children were confined to a 12-foot by 12-foot space for four years.
Gary Siders Sr, 73, Christina Siders, 67, Gary Siders Jr, 36, and Elizabeth Siders, 33, are arrested and charged with 16 counts of endangering children, second-degree felonies. All have since entered not guilty pleas.
3 July 2026
In an interview with WSYX ABC 6, Elizabeth Siders’ lawyer Thomas Stolly said on meeting his client for the first time: “I met a woman who was timid and who was exhausted. It looked like she had been crying quite a bit. She looked distraught.”
When asked if Elizabeth is also a victim in the case, he says: “I don’t think she would classify herself as a victim.”
He says the initial coverage of conditions at the Siders’ home is ‘not the whole story’.
7 July 2026
All four of the defendants waive their right to a preliminary hearing, meaning the case will now go before a grand jury.
They will decide whether to indict the four accused family members.
On the same day, Gary Sr.’s legal team ask for his $300,000 bail to be waived. They argue it is excessive, saying the 73-year-old has ‘significant health issues’ and ‘very limited mobility’, and doesn’t have the capacity to post any bail money.
His lawyer, Dorian Keith Baum, says Gary Sr. ‘has denied any and all allegations against him’ and has ‘a vested interest… to clear his name’.
Baum also says he has concerns about Gary Sr’s competency to stand trial.
That day, Gary Sr. is transported to OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital in Athens. If released from hospital, he will be required to wear a GPS monitor. His bond is changed to a recognizance bond, which means he doesn’t have to pay the money upfront.
8 July 2026
Vinton County prosecutor William Archer Jr. tells press that Gary Sr. 'has a serious medical condition that requires specialized care' that would 'potentially bankrupt Vinton County' if he'd remained in jail and the county had to pay for his care. Removing the 16 children from the Siders' home more than doubled the number of children in temporary care in Vinton County, putting further financial strain on local authorities.
Daniel Murphy