The so-called “House of Horrors” case in Ohio, where 16 children were found in a state described as “almost feral”, takes on a new dimension: the mother, Elizabeth Siders, was only 15 years old when she married Gary Siders Jr., then 18 years old, according to People.
Court documents confirm that this marriage was legally entered into on March 31, 2008, in Mason County, West Virginia. Both teenagers were residents of Gallia County, Ohio at the time. Two months after the wedding, the first of their sixteen children was born.
Remember that the couple was arrested on June 30, a week after the discovery of the minors, aged 18 months to 18 years, confined in a cramped room in a house in Hamden, in conditions deemed “deplorable” by the attorney general. Some children were unable to speak, including an 18-year-old woman who had developmental disabilities and could not write her own name. Seven children were transferred to Columbus hospitals, two others airlifted to trauma centers.
The authorities discovered the situation by chance, during an intervention unrelated to this case.
Gary Siders Jr.’s parents, Gary Siders Sr., 73, and Christina Siders, 67, were also arrested. All four inmates have pleaded not guilty to sixteen counts of child endangerment. Bail was set at $300,000 each. On July 7, they all waived their right to a preliminary hearing.
Elizabeth Siders’ lawyer reportedly told a local TV channel that to his knowledge, she is indeed the mother of all sixteen children. He said he was exploring the possible victimization of his client, while emphasizing that she does not consider herself a victim.
According to the attorney general, the family has moved across Ohio since 2008, carefully avoiding leaving any trace in medical or administrative records.
