New detail raises eerie unanswered question about ‘house of horrors’ where 16 ‘feral’ kids were found
The Ohio 'house of horrors' case has taken another shocking turn with one eerie question remaining unanswered.
Four family members were arrested last month on suspicion of keeping 16 children aged between 18 months and 18 years in a 12-by-12 foot room for four years.
Mum-of-16 Elizabeth Siders, 33, was arrested on 30 June along with her husband, Gary Siders Jr, 36, and his parents, Gary Siders, 73, and Christina Siders, 67 - they have all plead not guilty to 16 counts of child neglect.
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said the kids were like 'feral animals', and called the property in Hamden 'one of the worst environments' he had ever seen during his career.
Advert
Elizabeth, Christina and Gary Siders Jr. are currently in jail on $300,000 bonds, while Gary Siders Sr’s bond has been reduced as he receives treatment for a serious medical condition.
Christina Siders' lawyer files new motion
The lawyer of Christina Siders has now claimed that she was the ‘only adult in the home’ who was looking after the family, according to a filed motion.
"Defendant paid for rent, utilities and other necessities in the home," the motion says.
"Despite her own medical conditions, Defendant was also tasked with caring for her husband and his significant medical needs and physical limitations."
How did Christina pay for everything?
The all important question is how did the grandma pay for everything if she was the only adult looking after the children.
A gag order prevents this question from being answered, as it means her lawyer is unable to provide more information.
Her lawyer, however, has issued a request for a reduced bond to allow her to live close to family members.
“The nature and circumstances of the crimes charged, despite initial hyperbolic statements by officials and excessive public speculation and media coverage, involve no evidence that the alleged acts involved violence, physical harm, weapons or an ongoing threat to public safety,” the motion adds.
“The available facts indicate that the charges pertain to allegations that Defendant, along with her husband, permitted her son, her daughter-in-law and their children to reside in her home.
“There is no evidence that Defendant participated in any acts of abuse causing serious physical harm to any of the alleged victims.”
The lawyer representing Elizabeth Siders has also disputed the accuracy of Attorney General Wilson’s comments about the children and the home they were living in.
“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.
"We're still at the early stages of this criminal case,” Stolly added. "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.”
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 Kandra Roberts also applies for a gag order.
28 July 2026
Roberts asks for Christina to be released on a recognizance bond, making new claims about the Siders' household.
Roberts writes in court documents that Christina 'was the only adult in the home who had long been providing for all the other adults and all the children residing in her home'.
She continues: "Despite her own medical conditions, Defendant was also tasked with caring for her husband and his significant medical needs and physical limitations."
It's unclear how Christina earned money to provide for the family.
29 July 2026
Judge Laina Rogers approves requests for Gary Jr and Christina to undergo competency evaluations. These will determine if they understand the charges brought against them and are fit to stand trial.
Anish Vij