Prosecutors have warned that Elizabeth Siders, 33, could face new felony charges and may flee if her bond is reduced.
Elizabeth Siders, 33, is currently held on $300,000 bond in Vinton County, Ohio, after she and three relatives were arrested for allegedly keeping 16 children in a 12-foot by 12-foot room covered in human waste. Her husband Gary Siders Jr., 36, and in-laws Gary Siders Sr., 73, and Christina Siders, 67, face the same 16 counts of felony child endangerment. All four have entered not guilty pleas.
Elizabeth Siders filed a motion requesting her bond be lowered, citing her lack of criminal history, what her attorney called “extreme poverty,” and her willingness to wear a GPS tracker and comply with court instructions. Her attorney wrote that she “does not have the means to post any money as a bond.”
Prosecutors fired back with a motion opposing the reduction, writing: “The Defendant has serious new felony charges that will be considered by the Grand Jury.” They argued that Siders is “a potential risk to the victims in this case” as well as being a flight risk.
In a striking addition, prosecutors noted that Siders may also be at risk herself and needs to have her competency evaluated, stating: “She is at personal risk until her competency is known.”
Thomas Stolly, Elizabeth Siders’ defense attorney, filed a separate motion on August 4 in Vinton County Common Pleas Court calling for a mental health assessment to determine whether she is fit to stand trial. The motion stated that the 33-year-old “may be suffering from significant mental health issues.”
It continued: “Counsel believes that the Defendant’s significant mental health issues would not only affect whether she is competent to stand trial, but would also have affected her ability to understand the wrongfulness of her conduct… Such that the Defendant would not have fully understood the consequences of her actions at the time of the alleged offenses, should such actions have actually constituted criminal conduct.”
Stolly spoke with WSYX ABC 6 about his first meeting with his client, sharing: “I met a woman who was timid and who was exhausted. It looked like she had been crying quite a bit. She looked distraught.”
When asked whether Elizabeth is also a victim in the case, he replied: “I don’t think she would classify herself as a victim,” He added that the initial coverage of conditions at the Siders’ home is “not the whole story.”
In the viral moment that brought the case to national attention, authorities discovered 16 children ranging in age from 18 months to 18 years during a June 30 search warrant execution at the family’s home in Hamden, a village of fewer than 1,000 people about 60 miles southeast of Columbus. Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said investigators were confronted by scenes that were difficult even for seasoned officers to process, describing “conditions you cannot even imagine people being in, let alone children being in.” Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said the home was littered with human feces and that investigators believe the children had been confined to the small room for nearly four years, adding that “most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children.” Some of the children “couldn’t even speak” and “looked like almost feral animals,” Wilson said. Two children were so severely injured they were airlifted to Level I trauma centers. Neighbors told police they had no idea children were living there, and authorities noted there was no outward sign of their presence.
The family had moved around southeastern Ohio and potentially Wisconsin before settling in Vinton County about four years ago. Public records show Elizabeth Russell, then 15, married Gary Siders Jr., then 19, in Mason County, West Virginia in March 2008. Court records indicate the oldest identified child was born in May 2008. The family had ties to Gallia County, and records from this year showed Gary Jr. And Elizabeth were listed as parents with a local school there. Elizabeth Siders prematurely delivered conjoined twins, Faith Lee and Bailey Lee Siders, who died an hour after birth; they were joined at the chest, face-to-face, according to birth certificates obtained by WCMH.
All four defendants waived their right to a preliminary hearing, sending the case to a grand jury to decide whether to indict. On that same day, Gary Sr.’s legal team requested his $300,000 bail be waived, arguing the 73-year-old has “significant health issues” and “very limited mobility.” His attorney, Dorian Keith Baum, said Gary Sr. “has denied any and all allegations against him” and has “a vested interest… To clear his name.” Baum also raised concerns about Gary Sr.’s competency to stand trial. Gary Sr. Was subsequently transported to OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital in Athens, and his bond was changed to a recognizance bond, meaning he does not have to pay money upfront but must wear a GPS monitor if released from hospital.
The 16 children remain in the custody of the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services.
The case will next go before a grand jury in Vinton County to determine whether to indict the four accused family members on the existing charges and any additional charges prosecutors have indicated are forthcoming.