Elizabeth Siders, Mother Of 16 Children In The Ohio 'House Of Horrors' Case, Pleaded Not Guilty Wednesday
Elizabeth Siders, 33, appeared in Vinton County Common Pleas Court Wednesday for a hearing after her attorney requested a competency evaluation, and the morning ended with her pleading not guilty to all charges, her bond more than doubled from $250,000 to $550,000, and a court order barring any contact with her husband.
Siders is one of four family members charged following the June 30 discovery of 16 children, aged 20 months to 18 years, living in a 12-by-12 foot room in a filthy rental home in Hamden, Ohio, with floors contaminated with human feces.
Investigators said some children were near death, none attended school and most could not read or write. The Ohio attorney general characterized the case as involving "prolonged and extreme interfamilial neglect and abuse."
Siders faces 16 counts of child endangering, one for each child, plus a 17th charge with undisclosed specifics. She and her husband Gary Siders Jr. were separately indicted on sexual battery and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor charges. Both pleaded not guilty to those charges Wednesday as well.
A competency evaluation has now been ordered for all four defendants. Siders' attorney said his client has been pregnant most of her adult life and has never received appropriate postpartum care, a factor he believes is relevant to the evaluation.
The 16 children are in the custody of Vinton County's child services agency. Ohio lawmakers approved $1 million in emergency funds for their care.
If you or someone you know has experienced abuse or neglect, the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-422-4453.
