Dad accused in Ohio 'house of horrors' case could avoid trial after lawyer files new request
Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing
The father accused in the Ohio ‘house of horrors’ case might avoid standing trial after his lawyer submitted a new request.
Gary Siders Jr., 38, was arrested alongside his wife Elizabeth, 33, and his parents Gary Siders Sr., 73, and Christine, 67, on 30 June after cops were dispatched to the family’s home on an unrelated warrant for Siders Jr.
Inside, officials said they found 16 children, aged between 18 months and 18-years-old, living in ‘disgusting’ conditions.
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During a news conference on 1 July, Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said: “Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children. It was just a disgusting scene.”
Attorney General Andy Wilson said the children were in such bad condition they looked ‘like almost feral animals’.
Since the arrests, the four adults are now each facing 16 counts of child endangerment.
However, a lawyer for Siders Jr. has filed a motion with the court suggesting that his client may not be fit to stand trial.
In the filing, which has been obtained by PEOPLE, lawyer R. Lee Roberts wrote: “Defendant’s competency to stand trial has been raised, and the documents at issue concern Defendant’s present mental condition and request for psychiatric examination.”
Roberts also requested that he be allowed to file supporting documents requesting an evaluation under seal because they ‘contain highly sensitive mental-health information, or information directly reflecting [Siders Jr’s] psychiatric condition’.
The request to keep the documents out of the public eye was made just one day after Judge Laina Fetherolf Rogers signed a gag order on what can be reported about Christine Siders.
The order means prosecutors, investigators, lawyers, court staff and other representatives involved in Christina Siders' case are now barred from publicly discussing evidence, discovery material or other details that aren't already part of the public record.
Official court documents seen by The Columbus Dispatch state that the order was approved in order 'to ensure the integrity of the judicial process' and protect the right to a 'fair and impartial trial by an untainted jury pool.'
Earlier this month, the judge already approved a similar request for Gary Siders Jr, but Christina Siders' gag order is clearer about who is prohibited from speaking publicly.
After being charged, the Siders were originally held on $300,000 (£224,482) cash bonds
But on 8 July, it was reported that Gary Siders Sr. had been released on a recognisance bond following a medical emergency which resulted in him having to be hospitalised.
Elizabeth’s lawyer Tommy Stolly has filed a motion to have Elizabeth’s $300,000 modified to a recognisance bond, saying she cannot afford to pay it.
Elizabeth Sider's lawyer says his client is not 'pure evil'
In interviews, Stolly has pushed back against some of the claims made against his client - specifically that she is ‘pure evil’.
"My client’s first question to me when I walked into the jail and introduced myself was about her kids," Stolly said.
"She asked if her children were OK, she asked if I knew where they were, and she asked when she’d be able to see them again.
"I thought it was telling that her first concern was not, ‘When can I get out of jail,’ but was, ‘Are my children OK?'"
He went on to say that he saw ‘no malice’ in his client.
"Evil requires malice, and I did not see any malice in Elizabeth," Stolly said.
"I think that this is more so a case of isolation than a case of evil, and I think that there’s an important distinction there.”
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.
19 October 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.
The kids were allegedly absent for the entirety of the 2021-2022 academic year.
January 2022
The truancy cases against the Siders family are closed because they could not be located or served, according to court records reviewed by WCHS.
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.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth also asks to be released from prison and her bond changed to a recognizance bond. Stolly says: "The Defendant maintains that her principal desire [is] to reunite with her children; she understands that reunification of any sort is an impossibility if she does not appear before this Court."
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.
14 July 2026
Judge Laina Fetherolf Rogers signs a gag order on information relating to Gary Siders Jr. This means that attorneys and public officials are prohibited from talking about the case against him to the press. Gary Jr's lawyer Lee Roberts said it was necessary to ensure he had a fair trial.
16 July 2026
Christina Siders' attorney also applies for a gag order.
Topics: US News
Claire Reid