An Ohio mother accused of keeping her 16 children in filthy, feces-stained conditions inside what authorities described as a horrifying home has asked the court to order a mental health evaluation to determine whether she is competent to face trial.
Elizabeth Siders, 33, may be “suffering from mental health issues” that could raise questions about her competency and potentially hinder her ability to help prepare her own defense, her attorney, Thomas Stolly, argued in a newly filed motion, according to FOX8.
Stolly also stated that Siders’ mental condition may have affected whether she was able to understand the alleged wrongdoing of her actions at the time the offenses were said to have occurred.
Should the request be granted, officials at the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail, where Siders is currently being held, would have 30 days to arrange for a psychiatric evaluation.
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Siders, her husband, 37-year-old Gary Siders Jr., along with her mother-in-law, Christina Siders, 67, and father-in-law, Gary Siders, 73, were arrested in June after law enforcement went to their Vinton County, Ohio, residence and discovered children police said appeared to be “almost feral animals.”
Investigators said the children, whose ages ranged from 18 months to 18 years, were living in deplorable conditions in a cramped 12-by-12 room. Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson later characterized the scene as “pure evil.”
Each of the suspects is facing 16 counts tied to the disturbing child abuse allegations.
Christina Siders and Gary Siders Jr. were approved for evaluations last week, while Gary Siders Sr. has been released from custody following an unexpected medical emergency.
Elizabeth recently looked sheepish and horrified as she was searched by officers at Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail last month, attempting to abscond a mysterious mark on her arm, according to video obtained by Plunder True Crime.
