Credit: Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail / Alamy
Wild Twist Emerges In ‘House Of Horror’ Where 16 Children Were ‘Left To Rot’
A chilling new twist has emerged in the ‘House of Horrors,’ where 16 ‘almost feral’ children were recently rescued in Ohio.
ReEarlier this month, shockwaves were sent across the country after it was reported that 16 children, aged between 18 months and 18 years, had been found living under horrific conditions.
Dubbed the ‘House of Horror,’ authorities found the youngsters living in a single 12-foot by 12-foot room, which was covered in human faeces and urine and contained highly dangerous levels of bacteria and filth.
Children found to be ‘almost feral’
According to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, some of the children were found to be ‘almost feral’ due to the fact they had been so isolated from the outside world.
Authorities say many of the children were unable to speak normally and spell or write their own names.
Many of the children showed significant development delays and had little to no social skills and had very little understanding of nornal interation.
However, officials have stressed that the use of the word ‘feral’ is not to dehumanize the children.
In fact it is the opposite, as it highlights the extreme neglect and isolation these children have suffered, the Guardian reports.
“Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children,” Vinton county sheriff Ryan Cain said in a news conference, adding: “Just a disgusting scene.”
Upon discovering the children and the conditions in which they were living, authorities quickly realized they had stumbled across a medical emergency.
Seven of the children were taken to hospitals across Ohio, two were flown to trauma centers and at least one child was considered to be in a critical condition.
Officials said some of the children may not have survived if they were forced to live in the home any longer.
One of the many concerning aspects of the case is that no one seems to have realized the family had flown completely under the radar.
Many of the children had never attended school or received any medical care. They were mostly hidden from public view and were largely absent from government records.
Parents and grandparents arrested
Four family members have been arrested, including 33-year-old Elizabeth Siders and her husband, Gary Siders Jr, 36, who are believed to be the children’s parents.
Gary Siders Sr, 73, and 66-year-old Christina Siders, who are parents of Gary Siders Jr, and believed to be grandparents of the children, were also arrested.
Each of the family members has been charged with 16 counts of second-degree felony child endangerment and all four have pleaded not guilty.
Their bond has been set at $300,000 each and they all face decades in prison if convicted on all counts, People reports.
The ‘House of Horrors’ was an accidental discovery when authorities obtained a search warrant, after Gary Siders Jr was arrested over four charges of public indecency.
Attorney Thomas Stolly, who is representing Elizabeth, said his client married her husband when she was just 15 after leaving high school.
He told ABC 6 that all children found inside the home were biologically hers and Gary’s, and said all children had been born in hospitals in the local area.
A disturbing new twist on the case
While multiple media reports have claimed Elizabeth gave birth to a total of 20 children, beginning at the age of just 13, it has now been confirmed she previously gave birth to conjoined twins.
On November 20, 2022, the now-33-year-old delivered daughters Bailey Lee and Faith Lee Siders at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, according to state vital statistics records obtained by local outlet WOWK 13.
Sadly, the twins were born at just 24 weeks gestation with a condition known as thoracopagus, which involves their faces and chests becoming fused together in the womb, making the conjoined.
Both babies died later the same day, with their cause of death recorded as natural causes.
A family member who is married to one of the older Sider couple’s adult daughters, said Elizabeth ‘did not have a very good home life’ when she and Gary got together.
“She escaped to Lynn [Christina] and Gary’s house, which was, back then a normal American home,” Ronnie Fletcher said.
Meanwhile, LA Mag reports that a man claiming to be Elizabeth’s brother has taken to social media to claim his sister had been ‘indoctrinated’ by the Sider family.
He said he had only recently reconnected with his sister after 15 years apart and suggested ‘the state knows something’.
Following the arrest, Elizabeth just wanted to know if her children were okay, according to her attorney.
“She asked if her children were okay, she asked if I knew where they were, and she asked when she’d be able to see them again,” Stolly said, adding that she was ‘crying and exhausted’ but didn’t ask if she could leave jail.
If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, contact your local child protection services or the police immediately. If you’re a child experiencing abuse, or you’re affected by the issues raised in this story, support is available.
In the US, you can contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline on (800) 422-4453 or visit childhelphotline.org for confidential support.
In the UK, you can contact the Samaritans free on 116 123 for confidential support at any time.
Related Article: Horrifying New Details From ‘House Of Horrors’ Where 16 Kids Were Found In Appalling Conditions Revealed
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