Grandfather in 'horror house' case of 16 children living like 'feral animals' issues plea after lawyer's concerns
Attorneys have been appointed to represent the four family members charged with child endangerment after 16 children were found living like ‘feral animals’ in a rural Ohio home.
Elizabeth Siders, 33, was taken into custody on 30 June alongside her husband Gary Siders Jr., 36, and his parents Gary Siders Sr., 73, Christina Siders, 67.
The four adults were charged with felony child endangerment after what the police discovered at the 'deplorable' rural property in Vinton County.
Police said the youngsters - whose ages ranged from around 18-months-old to 18-years-old - had not been enrolled in school and many were unable to speak.
Advert
A lawyer representing one of the four adults arrested in the case has issued a statement questioning his ‘competence’ and overall mental health.
Dorian Baum will represent Gary Siders Sr. and he recently spoke to 10TV, confirming he has not had a chance to meet his client yet. However he shared concerns about how his client acted during the arraignment.
Siders Sr. appeared to show difficulty answering the judge’s questions and sat with a blank stare.
“Just by looking at him, my first impression is I have concerns about his competence. I have concerns about his mental health. I have concerns about his ability to assist in his own defense. These are all things that are bedrock, bedrock conditions you need to move forward in any case," Baum said.
"So my first initial talking with him essentially is going to be, you know, is this a person who we need to evaluate for whether or not he's competent to stand trial? Is this a person who is potentially not guilty by reason of insanity or any of the other possible defenses?"
Baum also warned that the widespread media attention could complicate the case, emphasising that the Siders are innocent until proven guilty.
"With this media attention, especially in a very small county like Vinton County, it always raises the concern, are you going to be able to find a fair and impartial jury?
“Not only that, you have sort of the state apparatus attempting to, in some ways, try this case in the court of public opinion, using hyperbolic and extreme language to describe this without again, allowing us to even have an opportunity to view any of the evidence ahead of time."
It's since been revealed that Gary Sr. was transported to OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital in Athens on Wednesday (7 July).
His $300k bail has been changed to a recognizance bond, which means he doesn't have to pay the money up front.
If released from hospital, he will wear an ankle monitor.
The arrests came after authorities discovered 16 children, aged between one to 18, living in squalor in a cramped and filthy 12 feet by 12 feet space at the house.
Authorities from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Vinton County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant at the family's home in Hamden on Tuesday, 30 June.
The warrant was connected to a separate investigation and was not initially about child welfare. But while searching the property, officers found the 16 children living in what officials described as horrific, unsanitary conditions.
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.
Greg Harris