New Twist: Another member of the Siders family has been released after the family’s father was set free
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Records obtained by NBC4 offer a clearer picture of the Siders family’s life across nearly two decades, up until four adults were charged and 16 children were rescued from a Vinton County home.
Gary Siders, 73, Christina Siders, 66, Gary Siders II, 36, and Elizabeth Siders, 33, were arrested, and each was charged with 16 counts of endangering children. Officials said 16 children were rescued from the home and had allegedly been isolated in a 12-by-12 room. Attorney General Andy Wilson said one or more of the children may have died had officers not responded to the home when they did.
The case sparked numerous questions online, including curiosity about the family’s past and how the children were not noticed sooner. NBC4 obtained public records to compile a timeline of where the Siders said they were living from the birth of the first child to the adults’ arrest on June 30. See previous coverage in the video player above.
2008
At age 15, marriage records show Elizabeth Siders married then-18-year-old Gary Siders Jr. Although the couple lived on the same street in Gallipolis, records show they went across the state border to Mason County, West Virginia, to wed at the courthouse in March 2008. At the time of their marriage, Elizabeth had an eighth-grade education and Gary Jr. had a ninth-grade education.
Two months later, she gave birth to their first child. Birth records show the girl was born in Ohio at a Gallia County hospital. Records show Elizabeth had moved into the Gallipolis home Gary Jr. was living in when the two were wed.
2009 through 2016
In August 2009, Elizabeth and Gary Jr. had their second daughter in a Gallia County hospital, according to birth records. Records show the couple moved to a rural Gallia County home about 15 miles north of Gallipolis by the time of their second child’s birth.
Birth records from August 2009 through May 2016 all list the same address, indicating the Siders likely lived there for about seven years. During this period, Elizabeth gave birth to daughters in March 2011, March 2012, May 2013 and May 2016, and gave birth to a son in September 2014. All five children were born in a Gallia County hospital.
The address falls within Gallia County Local Schools. A representative for the district said they cannot comment on students’ educational records when asked if the Siders children attended the district or were listed in district homeschooling records.
2017
In January 2017, Gary Jr. was cited for driving without a booster seat, to which he pleaded guilty and paid a $165 fine. The traffic violation lists a new home in Gallipolis as his address.
In October 2017, Gary Jr. and Elizabeth had another daughter in a Gallia County hospital. Birth records list another new address in Gallia County, different from the address listed in the January 2017 traffic stop or on past birth records.
Birth records and county auditor records differ on which community the home falls under, but the address appears to be within Gallipolis City Schools. Gallipolis’ superintendent said the district had no records pertaining to the Siders children, but if they had, they would be protected by student privacy laws.
2019 and 2020
In October 2019, Elizabeth gave birth to a son in a Gallia County hospital. Birth records reflect another new address just outside of Gallipolis.
In September 2020, Elizabeth gave birth to another daughter in a Gallia County hospital. Birth records reflect a new home in Cheshire, about seven miles up the Ohio River from Gallipolis.
2022
Court records indicate two of the 16 rescued children were twins born on the same day in February 2022. However, NBC4 was only able to obtain a birth certificate for one of the two, a boy born at a hospital in Gallia County.
The address listed on this birth certificate is in Bloomer, Wisconsin. Property records list the address as a miscellaneous agricultural property without a residential structure.
In November 2022, birth and death records show Elizabeth gave birth to conjoined twins Faith Lee and Bailey Lee Siders at 24 weeks in a Columbus hospital. Records show the twins died of natural causes within an hour of being born. Birth records for Faith and Bailey Siders list the same Cheshire, Ohio, address as the birth record in September 2020.
2024 and 2025
In January 2024, Elizabeth gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, in an Athens County hospital. Records list the same Cheshire, Ohio, address on their birth records. The home is also in the Gallia County school district.
One year later, in January 2025, Elizabeth gave birth to twin boys in an Athens County hospital. Birth records list a new address for the family, this time in Hamden, a community of about 700 in Vinton County. Vinton County schools said they did not have enrollment or homeschooling records related to the Siders’ children, but would not be able to provide information if they did.
2026
In May 2026, Gary Jr. allegedly exposed himself on four dates to victims not within his household at his home on Ohmer Street in Hamden. The warrant for the case was issued on June 30, the same day officers arrested the four Siders adults. Officers said they initially came to the house for a “parallel case” involving allegations of domestic abuse and child neglect, but unrelated to the current case.
Also on June 30, law enforcement removed 16 children from the same Ohmer Street home. Wilson said seven of the children spent the night in the hospital, and two were flown to trauma centers. As of July 8, Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer said all of the children are safe and being cared for.
On July 7, Gary Siders Sr. was hospitalized in Athens County after a fall. In the hospital, Archer said medical staff identified a “serious” medical condition requiring specialized care. Archer said Siders Sr. was released on a recognizance bond with GPS tracking so the county did not have to cover his hospital costs, and he will be evaluated to see if he is competent enough to stand trial. The other three Siders adults remain in jail.
