THEY WERE ON AUTHORITIES’ RADAR FIVE YEARS BEFORE THE SHOCKING RESCUE 💥 OHIO ‘HOUSE OF HORRORS’ CASE TAKES ANOTHER INFURIATING TURN AS EARLY WARNING SIGNS EMERGE
THE Ohio house of horrors where 16 children were allegedly found living in squalor had already come to the attention of authorities five years before the shocking rescue.
Court records reveal officials launched a truancy case after six of the family’s children reportedly failed to attend a single day of school.
The ‘house of horrors’ where 16 children were found was on authorities’ radar years agoCredit: AP
Elizabeth Siders, 33, faces 16 felony child endangerment chargesCredit: Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail
A truancy case was dismissed in 2022 because the parents could not be locatedCredit: AP
Gary Siders II, was previously wanted on unrelated indecent exposure chargesCredit: Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail
But the case was eventually dismissed after the parents could not be found.
Elizabeth Siders, 33, her husband Gary Siders Jr., 36, and his parents, Gary Siders Sr., 73, and Christina Siders, 67, were arrested after deputies uncovered the children inside a home in Hamden, Ohio, on June 30.
Authorities have alleged more than a dozen youngsters were living in horrific conditions, with many confined to a 12-by-12-foot room.
Investigators said several children had such limited communication skills they were described as “feral.”
But newly revealed court filings obtained by NewsNation affiliate WCMH show Gallia County officials had already tried to intervene years earlier over the family’s school attendance.
Gary Jr. and Elizabeth were summoned to juvenile court after their six oldest children, who had been enrolled at Addaville Elementary School, allegedly failed to attend a single day during the 2021-2022 school year.
A truancy complaint filed on October 19, 2021, said the children had not been to school since classes began on August 25 that year.
Superintendent Phillip Kuhn confirmed August 25 marked the first day of the school year, meaning the children had already missed nearly eight weeks of lessons when the complaint was filed.
But records show the case was dismissed on January 7, 2022, because the parents could not be located and their whereabouts were unknown.
The family’s movements in the years that followed have also raised fresh questions.
Court records listed the Siders at a mailing address in Cheshire, Ohio, although one month after the truancy case was dismissed, Elizabeth reportedly gave birth at a Gallia County hospital using an address in Chippewa County, Wisconsin.
Property records identified that Wisconsin location as agricultural land with no residential building, while county officials reportedly found no record of calls or visits there.
Christina Siders (pictured) and her husband Gary Siders Sr. are the grandparents of the 16 childrenCredit: Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail
Gary Siders Sr. was also arrested and charged with 16 counts of felony child endangermentCredit: Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail
Elizabeth later used the Cheshire address again when giving birth in November 2022 and once more after delivering twins in January 2024.
In August 2023, deputies responded to a report of a smashed vehicle window at the Cheshire property, but the caller reportedly lived there and was not connected to the Siders family, suggesting they may already have moved away.
The revelations come as fresh scrutiny has fallen on how the family managed to stay largely off the radar before the children were rescued.
Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer recently revealed only the children’s grandparents were receiving state benefits before the arrests.
Authorities have previously said the children had no school records, no medical records and no previous Child Protective Services involvement before officers arrived at the property while executing a search warrant linked to unrelated allegations involving Gary Siders Jr.
Defense attorney Ben Chew suggested the family’s frequent moves may have helped them avoid scrutiny.
“The intentionality is evidenced by the frequent moving around because that does suggest they were aware of the wrongdoing, they were trying to evade that and they had the wherewithal to do that. Moving isn’t easy,” he said.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth’s attorney Thomas Stolly said his client remains desperate for answers as prosecutors continue building their case.
“She is exhausted. She is asking about the kids. And I think she is wanting some of the same answers that we’re all wanting,” Stolly said.
“She wants to know what is going on, what evidence does the state have? Because at this point, I’m able to sit and talk with her about the charges, but we can’t actually discuss evidence.”
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson, who is assisting with the investigation, has described the alleged conditions inside the property as “pure evil.”
“Some of these children couldn’t even speak,” Wilson said. “This is very, it was terrible. I mean, it looked like almost feral animals. It was terrible.”
Officials said seven of the rescued children were taken to hospitals in Columbus, with two airlifted by helicopter.
One child was initially listed in critical condition.
Investigators also alleged some children were unable to speak, while one 18-year-old could not even write her own name.
Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said: “Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children. Just a disgusting scene.”
None of the four defendants has yet been indicted, and investigators have warned the complex case is expected to take time because some of the children are unable to communicate.
