Update on the rescue of 16 children in Ohio: Defendant’s response and long-term rehabilitation plan for the victims
The mother of 16 children rescued from a deteriorating home containing feces has rejected allegations that her children were living like “feral animals” while offering an unusual explanation for the human and animal waste discovered in the residence.
along with her husband, Gary Siders Jr, 36, and his parents, Gary Siders Sr, 73, and Christina Siders, 67, last month after authorities inspected the home and discovered 16 children – aged one to 18 –
The eldest child, an 18-year-old with developmental disabilities, was allegedly unable to write her own name, while multiple children could not speak, investigators stated. “They looked like almost feral animals,” Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson told reporters.
“It was terrible,” he added.
Nevertheless, Elizabeth’s legal representative has disputed Wilson’s characterization. “We’ve already debunked the myth that these kids were almost feral,” attorney Tommy Stolly told Chris Cuomo on the latest “Crime Time” podcast.
“The ones that were of appropriate age had social media pages. There’s evidence of that online now,” he continued. Stolly said he’s uncertain whether Wilson was actually present at the scene, as he maintained, “These kids could talk. They spoke when the police came in.”
He explained that his personal assessment draws from information provided to him by Elizabeth, which he claims “dispels a lot of the nonsense that we’ve seen about this case.
“If we’re talking about feral children, those are children who do not understand the world,” Stolly said. “If the kids can speak, I think that changes the analysis.
“This is very clearly a case where my client and the Siders family were living in extreme poverty,” Stolly added. “Sometimes … that’s what you’ve known for years and years. You don’t necessarily see how bad things have gotten.”
When pressed on some of the disturbing details surrounding the case, including the discovery of human excrement within the home, Stolly revealed that Elizabeth had offered an explanation.
Elizabeth Siders and her family were said to be living in “extreme poverty” (Image: Police)
“What she’s said to me is that with 16 kids, things could get messy fast. So, I don’t know more beyond that,” he said. All four adults taken into custody have been charged with second-degree felony child endangering.
Authorities uncovered the troubling scene after executing a search warrant at the property in Hamden, Vinton County, in connection with a public indecency case against Gary Siders Jr.
Wilson stated that the evidence in the case is “beyond comprehension.”
He disclosed that upon arrival, officers encountered a scene that, had it gone undiscovered for longer, could have been far more horrific. During a press briefing, he further stated: “I think if they would have waited another 24 hours, that there was a very high probability that we’d be dealing with a death or multiple deaths of these children.”
Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain, who characterized the scene confronting officers as “disgusting”, commented: “Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children.”
