What to Know
Emergency responders in Hamden, Ohio, walked into a home on June 30, 2026, that they will likely never forget. Inside, police found 16 children, all birthed by the same woman, living in a small room covered in filth.
Officers arrested their parents, 33-year-old Elizabeth Siders and 36-year-old Gary Siders Jr., along with grandparents Gary Siders Sr., 73, and Christina Siders, 67. Each adult faces 16 counts of child endangerment. As details continue to emerge, the story becomes increasingly sad and equally horrifying.
Inside the Siders Home: What Authorities Found in Vinton County
The squalid home in rural Vinton County was one of the worst sights law enforcement had ever seen. During a news conference, Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said the family lived like no one he’d ever known before.
“I think all of us throughout our careers in public safety and criminal justice have been in pretty bad scenes as far as conditions. This was probably the worst scene as far as the deplorable conditions.”
Wilson added that the smell was so noxious he couldn’t stop thinking about it or get the odor off his body. The home was allegedly filled with trash, human waste, and bugs. Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said he’d seen livestock living in better conditions that these children.
Who Are Elizabeth Siders, Gary Siders Jr., and the Adults Charged
According to court documents obtained by WSYX, Elizabeth Siders and Gary Siders Jr. married in West Virginia in 2008 when she was just 15 and he was 18. She reportedly gave birth to the first victim in the current case just two months later. Elizabeth Siders delivered her second child at age 16. A West Virginia family law attorney told the news outlet at the time that all Elizabeth Siders needed to marry at 15 was her parents’ consent. The couple lived with Gary Siders Sr. and Christina Siders for an undetermined period, but the family allegedly moved numerous times.
Per NBC 4, Gary Siders Jr. also faces four charges of indecent exposure, two from an incident on May 23 and one each for incidents on May 27 and May 29, 2026. The incidents reportedly involved people outside of the family’s home.
None of the 16 Siders Children Had Ever Been Enrolled in School
According to court documents obtained by WOWK, the children ages 18, 16, 15, 14, 13, 11, 9, 8, 6, 5, 4 (twins), and 20 months (twins)never attended school.
“Some of these children couldn’t even speak,” Wilson said. “This is terrible. They really, they looked like almost feral animals; it was terrible. So when we’re talking reading, writing and education, we’re talking a whole other level of expectations here. It’s hard enough just to get these kids to be able to – the 18-year-old can’t spell her name.”
Siders Family Members Say They Didn’t Know the Extent of What Was Happening
Ronnie Fletcher, Gary Siders Sr. and Christina Siders’ son-in-law claim he and his wife nor the couple’s other three daughters had any idea what was happening in the home. He told WOWK he learned about the allegations during the news conference like the rest of the community.
“Horrified. Worried about the kids. It’s hard to explain the action when you’re distant family,” Fletcher said. “‘What can I do to help?’ That was the original reaction to it.”
He added that although he and his family is not close to the Siders involved or the situation, the general public doesn’t understand that and wants to blame him and his wife.
“It’s been awful for the people that had no idea that was going on in the house that are related to this family,” Fletcher said. “I mean, we’ve had death threats – we’ve been told that we need to be put in front of an execution line of guns and, you know, killed and burned. I mean, it’s been bad.”
Charges, Bond, and What the Siders Family Faces in Court
Following their June 30 arrest, the Siders adults initially faced 16 counts each of endangering children based on “prolonged and extreme interfamilial neglect and abuse,” per WBNS. Each appeared in court on July 1 and pleaded not guilty to the charges. The court assigned each adult a public defender. A judge set their individual bonds at $300,000.
Gary Siders Sr. was taken to a hospital on July 8 following a serious medical episode. A Vinton County judge ordered an evaluation to determine whether he is competent to stand trial or not guilty by reason of insanity, WBNS reported. A judge granted Gary Siders Sr. a recognizance bond due to the cost of his medical expense could potentially bankrupt the county if he remained in the Vinton County Jail.
New Details in the Siders Case Continue to Emerge
According to birth and death certificates, Elizabeth Siders gave birth to conjoined twins, Faith and Bailey Siders on November 20, 2022 at 24-weeks gestation. The babies died an hour later, per WBNS. Her attorney, Tommy Stolley, confirmed she’s the mother of all 16 children found in the home. He’s investigating whether his client may have been a victim herself.
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