Before the 16 children were removed from the Ohio “House of Horrors” on Omar Street in Hamden, the Siders family left a long trail of red flags across the region.
They moved between at least four different addresses in Gallia County before crossing into Vinton County. Neighbors and local workers remember a family that that was rarely seen outside.
Trashed Homes and Red Flags
A former neighbor on Honeysuckle Drive in Cheshire remembered seeing about nine kids around 2020 or 2021. He said they mostly stayed indoors.
A worker at a nearby store recalled seeing Gary Siders Jr. come in regularly. He didn’t buy groceries for his large family. She recalled him regularly buying scratch-off lottery tickets rather than groceries. She said he even handed her a 10-dollar tip once.
The condition of that Cheshire residence left a lasting impression on those who cleaned it. The man who renovated the house told ABC 6 in Columbus that the rooms were filled with urine as well as human and animal feces.
He also found the attic packed with children’s clothing. It looked as though someone was living up there among the rafters.
CPS Contact and Constant Moves
Other stops in Gallia County tell a similar story of frequent moves. Police records show records show the family also lived briefly on Garfield Avenue and another property used back in 2008 when the couple had their first child.
They spent several years on Poplar Church Road in Bidwell between 2009 and 2014. Gallia County Children’s Protective Services had contact with the family during these years, according to several reports. Shortly after those contacts, the family packed up and moved one county north.
Media outlets quickly dubbed the Hamden property a “House of Horrors” as details of the squalor came to light. Now, as the legal case unfolds, the parents and grandparents face serious child endangerment charges. Yet, the defense offers a very different picture.
The Defense Argument
Defense attorney Tommy Stolly, representing mom Elizabeth Siders, rejected the idea that the kids were living like wild animals. He said the family suffered from extreme poverty rather than any criminal intent.
He noted that the older children had cell phones and access to social media, directly challenging claims from authorities that some of the children were non-verbal.
Evaluations and Custody Battles
Meanwhile, the male figures in the family are facing mental health checks. Court filings show Gary Siders Jr. asked for a competency evaluation to see if he can stand trial in the “House of Horrors” case, effectively freezing his court proceedings for now.
Fox 17 reported that Gary Siders Sr. is undergoing similar competency proceedings, while grandmother Christina Siders also faces child endangerment charges.
Custody Updates
Despite arguments from the defense, the parents face significant legal hurdles in keeping their family together. On Law&Crime’s Crime Fix, Angenette Levy discussed what a possible link to the original warrant could mean.
Her guest was Mark Pete Meyer, a retired former assistant chief prosecutor from the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office in Cincinnati, Ohio.
It could mean that there is an element of a sexual nature. And that could explain why the county seeks permanent custody of the kids.
He added, “It’s a very unique situation to seek permanent custody because the main goal of children protective services is to reunite the kids with the parents…it tells me it had to be a horrible situation.”
NewsNation also noted that getting the children back will be nearly impossible, even if Elizabeth Siders beats her criminal charges in court.
Forensic Nurse Rachel Fischer told the outlet, “These children deserve specialized, trauma-informed forensic interviews conducted by trained professionals, along with comprehensive medical, developmental and psychological evaluations.”
Severe Neglect
Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer told commissioners the county wants permanent custody of all 16 kids. In Ohio, severe neglect creates high legal hurdles for parents trying to regain custody.
The case continues to move through the courts as local agencies care for the children in therapeutic foster homes.
For now, investigators work through the various electronic devices while they continue their investigation, and the parents remain behind bars during the mental state evaluation.
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