The Ohio mother at the center of a disturbing “house of horrors” case—where authorities say her 16 children were confined in squalid conditions—is pregnant again.
Elizabeth Siders, 34, appeared in Vinton County court Monday for a competency hearing. She was arrested in June and charged with 19 counts of child endangerment, two counts of sexual battery and two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
Siders denied being pregnant when she was booked into the county jail. However, her attorney, Thomas Stolly, confirmed Monday that she is expecting another child, WOUB reported.
Stolly did not disclose the pregnancy’s due date or provide additional details.
The judge ruled Monday that Siders is competent to stand trial. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The decision came after an initial evaluation found that Siders suffers from depression and anxiety but has no documented history of mental illness, according to her attorney.
Stolly has filed a motion requesting another evaluation to determine whether Siders could be found not guilty by reason of insanity. He argued that she may have been experiencing a condition that would meet the legal standard for insanity when the alleged offenses occurred, People reported.
In the filing, Stolly said he had spent extended periods with Siders on “numerous occasions,” giving him an opportunity to observe her “demeanor, conduct, and comprehension.”
He wrote that she “may be suffering from significant mental health issues” and said her competency could hinder her ability to understand the proceedings and assist with her defense.
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Siders’ husband, Gary Siders Jr., faces the same charges and is also undergoing a competency evaluation. A hearing for him has not yet been scheduled.
About an hour before Siders’ ruling, the same judge determined that her mother-in-law, Christina Siders, was not competent to stand trial, WOUB reported.
Christina Siders’ psychological evaluation indicated that she could potentially regain competency. She will be sent to an inpatient facility for treatment.
The evaluation also identified possible signs of dementia. Her attorney is asking the court to fund an additional assessment by a specialist.
The latest rulings came weeks after the case against Christina Siders’ husband, Gary Siders Sr., was dismissed when he was found incompetent to stand trial.
Because the dismissal was issued without prejudice, prosecutors could bring the charges again in the future.
Gary Siders Sr. will remain under the court’s jurisdiction until a civil commitment proceeding is filed in county probate court.
All four adults were arrested in June. Each initially faced 16 felony counts of child endangerment after investigators said the 16 “almost feral” children—believed to be the couple’s offspring—had been confined in a 12-by-12-foot room inside a home that reeked of cat urine.
The children, ranging in age from 1 to 18, were reportedly kept mostly in the cramped room for at least four years. Authorities described the conditions as “deplorable” and “third-world.”
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