The 16 children pulled from a feces-filled home hidden in a “hallmark” Ohio town looked like “feral animals” when they were rescued in a scene the state’s top prosecutor said smacked of “pure evil.”
The victims, ages 1-18, were taken from the deplorable house, where they spent most of the past four years living in squalor and largely confined to a cramped, 12-by-12 room that was littered with human waste, authorities explained as new details emerged in the shocking case.
The disturbing discovery ruffled neighbors, who couldn’t believe the kids were subjected to such horrific conditions “right under our noses.”
Ohio Attorney General Alan Wilson said investigators were forced to wear masks when entering the trash-stacked house — and couldn’t even reach some parts of it.
“This case continues to reveal the unimaginable conditions these children were forced to endure,” Wilson said Wednesday, according to WCMH.
“I said that what investigators encountered was pure evil, and the evidence we’ve uncovered since only reinforces that assessment.”
The children’s grandparents — Gary Sides Sr., 73, and Christina Siders, 67 — and their parents — Gary Siders Jr., 36, Elizabeth Siders , 33 — are facing a slew of charges after authorities descended on the house to conduct a search warrant for an unrelated probe and stumbled on the sickly children whom Wilson said “looked like almost feral animals.”
Heaps of trash mixed with kids’ toys were spotted from outside the property, while a wood deck and backyard had old tires, a high chair and other garbage strewn around.
The 20 family members lived in the house, which had just five rooms and one bathroom in the 1,336-square-foot layout with another 518 square feet in the basement, WCMH reported, citing Vinton County property records.
The family members shuffled around southern Ohio for more than two decades, avoiding leaving a paper trail while it appeared the children were never enrolled in local schools.
Some of the children couldn’t speak and the oldest one — the 18-year-old — is developmentally disabled and unable to write her name, according to authorities.
“Right under our noses and nobody was able to help them sooner,” said Emily Collins, 27, the owner of VC Farm & Floral in neighboring McArthur.
“It’s just crazy with all the wonderful things going on in our little Hallmark town and this is what puts us on the radar. It’s really sad.”
The Siders have all pleaded not guilty to child endangerment charges.
Elizabeth Siders, the kids’ mother, married when she was just 15, her defense lawyer Thomas Stolly told The Associated Press.
“In fact, my client’s first question to me when I walked into the jail and introduced myself was about her kids,” he said.
“She asked if her children were OK, she asked if I knew where they were, and she asked when she’d be able to see them again.”
He claimed he has not seen evidence that shows his client was “pure evil” as the state attorney general implied.
“Evil requires malice, and I did not see any malice in Elizabeth,” Stolly urged.
Stolly and a legal rep for Gary Siders Sr. urged caution as the case plays out. Attorneys for Gary Siders Jr. and Christina Siders declined comment.
With Post wires.
