Sixteen children removed from a home filled with feces in what authorities described as a “hallmark” Ohio town appeared like “feral animals” when they were found, according to the state’s top prosecutor, who called the conditions investigators uncovered “pure evil.”
The children, ranging in age from 1 to 18, were taken from the severely neglected residence after authorities said they had spent much of the past four years living in filthy conditions, often confined to a cramped 12-by-12-foot room contaminated with human waste.
The revelation stunned nearby residents, who said they were shaken to learn that children had allegedly been suffering in such appalling circumstances “right under our noses.”
Ohio Attorney General Alan Wilson said investigators had to wear masks to enter the trash-filled home, where some areas were so obstructed they could not be accessed.
“This case continues to reveal the unimaginable conditions these children were forced to endure,” Wilson said Wednesday, according to WCMH.
“I said that what investigators encountered was pure evil, and the evidence we’ve uncovered since only reinforces that assessment.”
The children’s grandparents, Gary Sides Sr., 73, and Christina Siders, 67, along with their parents, Gary Siders Jr., 36, and Elizabeth Siders, 33, now face multiple charges. Authorities said they discovered the children while executing a search warrant tied to an unrelated investigation, finding them in a condition Wilson described as resembling “almost feral animals.”
From outside the property, piles of garbage could be seen mixed with children’s toys, while the wooden deck and backyard were cluttered with discarded tires, a high chair and other debris.
The 20 family members lived in the house, which had just five rooms and one bathroom in the 1,336-square-foot layout with another 518 square feet in the basement, WCMH reported, citing Vinton County property records.
The family members shuffled around southern Ohio for more than two decades, avoiding leaving a paper trail while it appeared the children were never enrolled in local schools.
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Some of the children couldn’t speak and the oldest one — the 18-year-old — is developmentally disabled and unable to write her name, according to authorities.
“Right under our noses and nobody was able to help them sooner,” said Emily Collins, 27, the owner of VC Farm & Floral in neighboring McArthur.
“It’s just crazy with all the wonderful things going on in our little Hallmark town and this is what puts us on the radar. It’s really sad.”
The Siders have all pleaded not guilty to child endangerment charges.
Elizabeth Siders, the kids’ mother, married when she was just 15, her defense lawyer Thomas Stolly told The Associated Press.
“In fact, my client’s first question to me when I walked into the jail and introduced myself was about her kids,” he 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.”
He claimed he has not seen evidence that shows his client was “pure evil” as the state attorney general implied.
“Evil requires malice, and I did not see any malice in Elizabeth,” Stolly urged.
Stolly and a legal rep for Gary Siders Sr. urged caution as the case plays out. Attorneys for Gary Siders Jr. and Christina Siders declined comment.
With Post wires.
