OHIO “HOUSE OF HORR0RS” CASE TAKES A DARK TURN — ONE HAUNTING QUESTION REMAINS UNANSWERED AS ATTENTION TURNS TO THE GRANDMOTHER OF THE 16 CHILDREN – News
OHIO “HOUSE OF HORR0RS” CASE TAKES A DARK TURN — ONE HAUNTING QUESTION REMAINS UNANSWERED AS ATTENTION TURNS TO THE GRANDMOTHER OF THE 16 CHILDREN
A motion has been filed on behalf of Christina Siders, the grandmother of the 16 children found in near ‘feral’ conditions in a run down home in Hamden, Ohio.
The house was cordoned off by police (Image: WSYX ABC 6)
Fresh details have emerged in the shocking Ohio ‘house of horrors’ case, leaving one eerie question still unanswered.
Police searched the house in Hamden, a village about 75 miles south of Columbus, and found 16 children living Four adults were arrested, including the children’s parents – Gary Siders Jr, 36, and Elizabeth Siders, 33 – and their grandparents – 73-year-old Gary Siders Sr and his 67-year-old wife, Christina Siders.
They have all but have pleaded not guilty, with their respective lawyers playing down their alleged roles in the “deplorable” conditions the children were kept. The children ranged from ages 1.5 to 18 and included both boys and girls, officials said. Several were in serious conditions when found, and two had to be flown to level one trauma centers because of their injuries.
Elizabeth, Christina and Gary Siders Jr. all remain in jail on $300,000 bonds. Gary Siders Sr. had his bond reduced as he receives treatment for a serious medical condition.
Now, a motion filed on behalf of Christina Siders claims she was the “only adult in the home” who was looking after the family.
“Defendant paid for rent, utilities and other necessities in the home,” the motion says. “Despite her own medical conditions, Defendant was also tasked with caring for her husband and his significant medical needs and physical limitations.”
A new motion has been filed on behalf of Christina Siders (Image: Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail)
But the motion leaves a glaring omission – how did Christina pay for these necessities?
It also didn’t elaborate about her health conditions, leaving questions about what she was facing as she allegedly was left to care for the family.
Unfortunately, finding answers to these questions has been made all the more difficult by a gag order issued in Christina Siders’ case that prevents her attorney from providing more information.
Neighbors of the house in Hamden, Ohio, were shocked when the case came to light
“The nature and circumstances of the crimes charged, despite initial hyperbolic statements by officials and excessive public speculation and media coverage, involve no evidence that the alleged acts involved violence, physical harm, weapons or an ongoing threat to public safety,” the motion says.
“The available facts indicate that the charges pertain to allegations that Defendant, along with her husband, permitted her son, her daughter-in-law and their children to reside in her home,” the motion says.
“There is no evidence that Defendant participated in any acts of abuse causing serious physical harm to any of the alleged victims,” the motion claims.
The 16 children were discovered living in the tiny home (Image: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Her lawyer is now asking the judge for a reduced bond to allow her to live close to family members.
The motion also claimed that the police first went to the property to serve a misdemeanor warrant for Gary Siders Jr. He also faces four misdemeanor counts of public indecency.
During the arrests, investigators were unable to access certain areas of the residence due to the volume of trash present, with the children residing there appearing “almost feral,” according to Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson.
Clockwise starting at top left, Gary Siders Sr., Christine Siders, Elizabeth Siders and Gary Siders Jr.
The removal of all 16 siblings from their home instantly more than doubled the number of children in temporary custody across Vinton County — a significant challenge for a county of roughly 12,600 residents that operates on the smallest budget of Ohio’s 88 counties.
The Siders children ranged in age from 18 months to 18 years, with some described as “feral” and unable to communicate verbally. Authorities alleged the children had been confined to an approximately 12-foot-by-12-foot room for several years, with varying medical conditions reported.