16yo who ‘looked like feral animals’ lived among human feces in a tiny Ohio House. Then the sheriff checks the rooms: ‘Pure evil’
The walls knew more
A crowded home can look chaotic without necessarily being dangerous. What deputies allegedly found inside one tiny Ohio house, however, went far beyond ordinary mess.
Children have been found living in horrific conditions behind otherwise ordinary-looking homes. This time, authorities say there were 16 of them under one roof. Some were reportedly in such poor condition that getting them medical attention became the immediate priority.
According to the Daily Mail, authorities discovered the children while executing a search warrant at a home in Hamden, Ohio. They ranged in age from 18 months to 18 years. Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson later described what investigators encountered inside with two words: “pure evil.”
Things were worse beyond the front door
Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said the children were allegedly living around garbage and human waste, with human feces littering the home. Investigators also discovered a small room where they believe some of the children had been kept for nearly four years. “Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children,” Cain said.
The children’s physical condition reportedly reflected just how serious the situation had become. Several were in serious condition when authorities found them, while two had to be flown to Level I trauma centers because of their injuries.
Wilson said investigators were initially more focused on getting the children to hospitals than assessing their emotional state. Some of them, he added, could not even speak.
“It was terrible. They looked like almost feral animals. It was terrible,” Wilson said.
The discovery came during an ongoing investigation by the Vinton County Sheriff’s Office. Officials have not publicly detailed what initially led investigators to the property or what prompted the search warrant. Hamden itself is a small village of fewer than 1,000 residents, located roughly 60 miles southeast of Columbus.
Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders, and Elizabeth Siders were arrested. Authorities identified the four as parents and grandparents, and each reportedly faces 17 counts of endangering children, a second-degree felony.
Prosecuting Attorney William Archer said the felony charges were filed because the adults were allegedly responsible for causing “serious physical harm.” Officials have not disclosed exactly how all 16 children are related. They did clarify that investigators do not believe the case involved human trafficking.
There is also uncertainty surrounding where the family had been before authorities reached the Hamden property. Officials said the four adults were not locals and appeared to have been traveling.
Investigators now believe the Siders lived in multiple Ohio counties beginning in 2008 while avoiding the creation of medical or government records. That lack of documentation has made piecing together the family’s history more difficult.
Terri Siders, a relative, told NBC News that she had not heard from them in at least eight years. Although she knew Gary Siders Jr. had children, she said she had never met them and did not realize how many there were. “I knew they had a lot of kids through family talking years ago, but there’s no way I thought they had that many kids,” she recalled.
The four adults were arraigned in Vinton County Court of Common Pleas and remained jailed on $300,000 bond. As the investigation continues, authorities are also focused on getting the children the care they need after being removed from the property.
“Our children deserve better from their parents, guardians, and custodians,” Archer said. “No child should endure these kinds of conditions.” He added that his office would do everything in its power to ensure the children receive care while prosecutors pursue the case “to the fullest extent of the law.”
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