Lawyer says mum of 16 children living like 'feral animals' in house of horrors not ‘evil’ in new plea
The lawyer representing 'Ohio House of Horrors' mum Elizabeth Siders has disputed the accuracy of some of the details released by authorities.
Thomas Stolly doesn't agree with some of the 'language' being used by officials in the US state to describe the conditions that the 16 children were found in at the rural property in Vinton County.
In wake of four adult family members being arrested and charged with felony child endangerment, he has urged the public to remember that they are 'innocent until proven guilty'.
Stolly is representing Elizabeth Siders, 33, who was taken into custody on 30 June alongside her husband Gary Siders Jr., 36, and his parents Gary Siders Sr., 73, Christina Siders, 67.
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Court documents show that police executed a warrant at the home in Hamden as a result of unrelated indecent exposure charges waged against Gary Jr.
The officers who were at the scene had no idea what they would stumble across inside the home and first responders have been speaking out about what they witnessed.
Ohio attorney general Andy Wilson told reporters that they found more than a dozen children living in 'conditions you cannot even imagine people being in, let alone children being in'.
"Their medical condition was so severe that the number one concern of our law enforcement who were there at the scene was getting them medical treatment, getting them to safety, to the point where literally their lives were in danger at the time," he said at a previous press conference.
Wilson said the kids were like 'feral animals', while describing the property was 'one of the worst environments' he had ever seen during his career and adding: "This is pure evil. Justice will be served for these kids."
Officials said the children's ages ranged from about 18 months to 18 years, many were unable to speak and they had not been enrolled in school.
It was reported that many of the youngsters were discovered in a room that was roughly 12-by-12-foot room which had a 'high presence' of human faeces.
After being rescued from what has been dubbed the 'Ohio House of Horrors', they were taken to hospital. The children are currently under the custody of authorities in Vinton County.
Meanwhile, three adult members of the Siders family - Elizabeth, her husband Gary Jr and Christina - remain behind bars on $300,000 bonds, however, Gary Sr has been released on a recognizance bond due to his health.
Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer announced the 73-year-old has a 'serious medical condition' and this move was made so that the county don't have to foot the money for his hospital bills.
His lawyer has spoken out about the concerns he has for Gary Sr's 'competence' and 'mental health', while adding: "With this media attention, especially in a very small county, it always raises the concern - are you going to be able to find a fair and impartial jury?"
It appears that the attorney representing Elizabeth - the mum of all 16 children - shares a similar perspective in regards to his client.
'Innocent until proven guilty'
Thomas Stolly has been urging the public to not rush to judgement and suggested people should not take the authorities statements as gospel.
He has challenged statements made by Ohio's attorney general and the implications of the wording that Wilson has used - such as describing the Siders family as 'pure evil'.
"We're still at the early stages of this criminal case,” Stolly told WBNS-TV on Thursday (9 July). "And so that's one of the reasons that it's important to push back against language like that.
"And it's important to remember that Elizabeth and the rest of the Siders family are innocent until proven guilty."
Explaining his issue with comparing the children to 'feral animals', he went on: "When you use language like 'feral' kids, you're imagining people that have been isolated away from human contact.
"People who have never interacted with any sort of social media, with the internet, with humans outside of their own home, or even humans in general, who completely lack the ability to use language.
"There's nothing to suggest that that is the case here.
"And in fact, we've seen some things to contradict that."
Stolly also alleged that there is 'no indication that the kids were not free to move about the home', saying: "There's no indication from my conversations with my client that the kids were not allowed to go outside."
LADbible has reached out to the Vinton County Sheriff’s Office for comment.
Stolly previously said that he 'does not see any malice' in Elizabeth, while urging people to remember there is 'a real human component' at the heart of this tragic case.
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
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.
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.
2022
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said the Siders family moved to Vinton County, again in southeast Ohio, around this time.
23 and 27 May 2026
A criminal complaint against Gary Siders Jr accused him of ‘recklessly exposing his private parts’ on two occasions on these dates.
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.
Topics: Parenting, US News, True Crime
Olivia Burke