In a shocking discovery in Ohio, 16 children were found living in deplorable conditions, prompting a relative of the accused family members to break their silence.
Ronnie Fletcher, married to one of the adult children of Gary Siders Sr. and Christina Siders, expressed disbelief to WOWK, explaining that the family was unaware of the appalling situation where the children were found living among filth and overcrowding.
“Had we known about the conditions in that house,” Fletcher insisted, “we would have taken action ourselves, whether that meant bringing the kids to live with us or providing financial help.”
What Are the Allegations Against the Siders Family?
The parents, Gary Sr., Christina, along with Gary Siders Jr. and Elizabeth Siders, are facing serious legal charges. Authorities have charged them with 16 counts of child endangerment following the discovery of the children, aged 18 months to 18 years, in squalor inside a Vinton County residence. According to a statement from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, all four family members have pleaded not guilty.
At a July 1 press conference streamed by WBNS, Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain painted a grim picture of the living conditions, comparing it unfavorably even to that of livestock. “The presence of bacteria and human feces was high,” he said, describing the scene as “just a disgusting sight.”
Officials described the children, who were not attending school, as having limited speech abilities and spending most of the last four years inside a 12 by 12 room. According to Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson, who also spoke at the press conference, the children looked “almost feral.”
Siders Family Relative Reports Getting Death Threats
Fletcher—who described having a “distant” relationship with the family—said he was “horrified” to learn about the conditions and worried for the children.
“We did not really know what was going on there,” he told WOWK. “The last time we heard from them, we gave them a car, and that’s probably close to a year ago now.”
He added that the family had kept them at “arm’s length” and he hadn’t been sure how many children had been living at the home.
“We knew they didn’t go to a school,” he said, “but we was always told they was being homeschooled.”
In the aftermath of the arrests, Fletcher said his family has faced intense public scrutiny.
“It’s been awful for the people that had no idea that was going on the house that are related to this family,” he told the outlet. “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.”
Fletcher said his family is now living as “hermits” and his wife is afraid to go to work as a result of the threats.
“So all this is taking money off our table,” he said, “because we can’t live our normal lives because the way these people are trying to treat us on something we didn’t have nothing to do with.”
Elizabeth Siders’ Attorney Says She is Mother to All 16 Children
In the days after the arrest, new details are emerging about the Siders family.
Elizabeth’s attorney Tommy Stolly told WBNS that it’s believed that Elizabeth is the mother of all 16 children.
She wed Gary Jr. in 2008 at the age of 15 and gave birth to her first child just two months later, the outlet reported.
“At this point in time, we are still not sure, at least at my office, whether my client is a victim herself or not,” Stolly told the outlet. “I have previously stated she does not characterize herself as a victim, but the investigation from the prosecutor’s office and my office is still ongoing.”
He described his client as being in shock about the arrest.
Oxygen reached out to Stolly, but did not receive an immediate reply. Oxygen also reached out to Gary Jr.’s attorney R. Lee Roberts Jr., who declined to comment on the allegations or teen marriage.
Ohio vital statistic records obtained by WOWK, also show that Elizabeth gave birth prematurely at 24 weeks to conjoined twins at a Columbus hospital on Nov. 20, 2022.
The girls—named Bailey Lee and Faith Lee Siders—were conjoined with thoracopagus, the most common form of conjoined twins which results in them being joined at the face, chest and upper abdomen, per the records. Their parents were listed as Elizabeth and Gary Siders Jr.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by Oxygen, none of the charges the couple is now facing are connected to any children born the same date as the conjoined twins, who died of natural causes.
Though the four family members were initially facing 17 charges, a spokesperson for the Ohio Attorney General’s Office confirmed to Oxygen that they were each arraigned on 16 counts.
All four are currently being held on $300,000 bond, prosecutors said.