The presumed mother of 16 children removed from what authorities described as a filthy and unsafe Ohio home is now asking for the chance to see them again.
Deputies with the Vinton County Sheriff’s Office found the children on June 30 inside a small house in Hamden, a rural village of roughly 700 residents about 60 miles southeast of Columbus. Authorities said the children were discovered in a cramped 12-foot by 12-foot room where feces were present.
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson condemned the conditions inside the home, calling the scene “pure evil.” He described it as a place with “conditions you cannot even imagine people being in, let alone children being in.”
Elizabeth Siders, 33, identified as the children’s presumed mother, was arrested alongside her husband, Gary Siders Jr., 36, and her in-laws, Gary Siders Sr., 73, and Christina “Lynn” Siders, 66. Each was charged with 16 counts of endangering children, a second-degree felony.
All but Gary Siders Sr. entered not guilty pleas on July 1 and waived preliminary hearings on July 7. Siders Sr. was hospitalized after falling shortly following his arrest, according to reports.
Since being taken into custody, Elizabeth Siders has focused on one request: being reunited with her children, her attorney, J. Thomas Stolly, said in court filings.
“Through conversations with Counsel, the Defendant maintains that her principal desire (is) to reunite with her children,” Stolly wrote in a filing obtained by WCMH.
The filing added that Siders recognizes any possibility of reunification depends on her participation in the court process, stating, “She understands that reunification of any sort is an impossibility if she does not appear before this Court.”
Police rescued 16 children on June 30 from a cramped 12ft by 12ft room littered with feces in this house of horrors located in deep rural Ohio
Elizabeth Siders, the children’s presumed mother, was arrested on 16 counts of endangering children. She has been pleading to be reunited with them
Gary Siders Jr, Elizabeth’s husband, was likewise arrested and charged with 16 counts of child endangerment. He and the other defendants are all being held on $300,000 bonds
Christina Siders, 67, left, and Gary Siders Sr, 73, were also arrested. All of the defendants except Siders Sr, who was hospitalized shortly after he was arrested, have pleaded not guilty
Stolly included the detail about the mother’s desire to see her children again in order to secure a recognizance bond that would allow his client to be released from jail under strict conditions.
Stolly argued that Elizabeth has no criminal history and that there is no evidence she would be uncooperative with law enforcement.
If she were to be released, the mother would agree to wear a GPS monitor, provide the court with a stable living address and check in with a bond officer as frequently as required, Stolly said.
He further argued that the mother would not present a threat to the children because they are no longer in her care, and that Elizabeth has a vested interest in cooperating because all she ultimately wants is to clear her name and be reunited with the kids.
Stolly has also said he believes that Elizabeth is the mother of all 16 children, ranging in age from 18 months to 18 years old, who were rescued from the house of horrors.
Authorities have referred to the incident as an ‘intrafamily’ case, suggesting some youngsters may have resulted from sexual relations with relatives.
But they have not publicly elaborated on what they meant by the phrase, only emphasizing that the investigation is not a human trafficking case and that there is no ongoing danger to the wider community.
In addition to requesting his client be released on a recognizance bond, Stolly has also asked that the court lower Elizabeth’s bail, which currently stands at $300,000.
Police tape surrounds the rear of the home where various objects including car tires are scattered in the grass
One nauseating photo appeared to show a window with no glass pane, its opening blocked by piles of debris and trash
He has argued that the hefty sum is ‘excessive’ and a violation of the Eighth Amendment because the court was aware she was living ‘in a home which exhibited extreme poverty,’ and therefore could not reasonably expect her to be able to pay.
Siders Sr, Elizabeth’s father-in-law, has already had his bond changed to a recognizance bond after he was hospitalized, as Vinton County would have been responsible for paying his medical bills if he were still in the jail’s custody.
Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer said that the rural and sparsely populated county could have been bankrupted by the bills if it hadn’t updated the elderly man’s bond.
Siders Sr will be made to wear a GPS monitor if he is released from the hospital, Archer said.
Last week, the prosecutor said that all of the children are safe and being cared for but that he could not provide additional details for privacy reasons.
Shortly after the youngsters were rescued, Wilson, the Ohio attorney general, said, ‘They looked like almost feral animals. It was terrible.’
Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain echoed a similar sentiment at a news conference, describing the home as being littered with human feces and a small room where investigators believe the children were kept for nearly four years.
‘Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children,’ Cain added.
Garbage bags, cardboard boxes, and trash are seen blocking an entrance of the home
A cat looks out from a side door opening of the home where garbage is seen piled inside
Several were in serious condition when found, and two had to be flown to level one trauma centers because of their injuries.
When asked about their emotional state at a press conference, Wilson said that investigators’ primary concern upon arrival was getting the children to a hospital due to the extent of their medical conditions.
Some of the children were unable to speak and the eldest – an 18-year-old who was developmentally disabled – could not even write her name, investigators said.
Adding to the mess, court records revealed that Elizabeth was just 15 years old and seven months pregnant when she married Gary Jr, who was 18 at the time, in neighboring West Virginia in 2008.
The records state that Elizabeth’s parents, Brian Ray Russell and Lori Ann Raines, consented to the marriage, along with then-Circuit Court Judge David Nibert.
At the time, the couple lived only two houses apart in Gallia County, Ohio. Gary had completed the ninth grade, while Elizabeth had finished the eighth grade, according to the records.
The eldest child involved in the current criminal case was born just two months after the marriage.
An extended family member named Ronnie Fletcher told WOWK-TV that Elizabeth had endured a troubled upbringing before marrying into the Siders family.
The Siders have lived in multiple Ohio counties since 2008 and have avoided establishing medical or government records, investigators said
He also insisted the extended family had become estranged over the years and had no idea what investigators now allege was happening behind the doors of the home.
Investigators said that they believe the Siders have lived in multiple Ohio counties since 2008 and have avoided establishing medical or government records.
When it comes to Elizabeth’s attorney asking that her bond be reduced or that she be released on her own recognizance, a judge has yet to rule or comment on the requests.
