Hidden True Crime - DISTURBING Details Emerge as 16 Kids Rescued From Ohio House of Horrors | Siders Family Full Story

Episode Date: July 9, 2026

Sixteen children were allegedly hidden from the outside world for years inside a tiny Ohio home investigators say was filled with human waste, garbage, insects, and conditions they described as "third world." Authorities say some of the children couldn't communicate, one was fighting for their life, and neighbors had no idea they were there. But the deeper this investigation goes, the more disturbing it becomes. In this episode, Lauren Matthias breaks down the newly released court documents, timeline, family history, criminal charges, and evidence behind one of the most shocking child investigations in recent memory. Was this simply extreme neglect—or the result of decades of grooming, coercive control, isolation, and generational abuse? We'll separate verified facts from online rumors, examine what investigators have confirmed, explore the unanswered questions surrounding Elizabeth Siders and the Siders family, and explain why prosecutors believe this case may be even darker than it first appeared. Sponsor: ASPCA: To explore coverage, visit https://www.aspcapetinsurance.com/HIDDEN. For terms and conditions visit https://www.aspcapetinsurance.com/more-info/state-documents-and-sample-policies/. About Hidden True Crime What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling. Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash hidden-true crime for free shipping and 365-day returns, quince.com slash hidden true crime. This is pure evil. What we saw down here today is pure evil. Yeah, that is how Vinton County, Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson, described a case that is currently blowing up online, 16 children, kept from society for so many years. But what we have unearthed in our deep dive is unlike anything I have ever seen.

Stick with me. The village of Hamden isn't the kind of place that usually makes national headlines. In fact, if you've never heard of the village of Hamden before, you're not alone. Hamden is this tiny village in southeastern Ohio, and its population, get this, is roughly 700 to 1,000 people. So it's tucked away in Vinton County, and it's also described as one of the poorest counties in the state of Ohio. This is the kind of town, though, where people do know each other. It's quiet. It's small. One neighbor even said, nothing happens here. And that's again, exactly why this case has left people completely stunned, because despite this small population

for approximately four years, 20 people in this town of 700 were living inside this modest five-room house on Omer Street, four adults, and 16 children, 20 people, and somehow almost nobody knew. The house itself wasn't huge, according to county property records. We checked it out. It measures about 1,336 square feet on the main floor with another 515 square feet in a base five rooms, one bathroom. One bathroom, 20 people. Remember when we thought one bathroom was crazy for the Brady Bunch? Try one bathroom for 20 people. But investigators are also saying that most of the children weren't even using the entire house. Instead, authorities believe

they spent much of the last four years inside a room, all children measuring approximately 12 feet by 12 feet. That's about the size of a small bedroom, right? 16 children. 16 children in a small bedroom. When people first heard that children had been confined to one room, many of us, including myself, immediately pictured something similar to other notorious child cases involving maybe physical constraints, chains, cages. I think a lot of us thought of the Turpin family situation. Is this the next Turpin case? I will say, however, right now, Sheriff Ryan Kane has said that they did not locate any cages inside the home, and they believe the children were kept inside that room through other means, and those means have not yet been fully explained.

If you've seen some of the stuff on the media, social media, there were pictures that the kids were in cages, that they were taped shut, their mouths, whatever. The problem with social media is you don't have to be telling the truth. You don't have to be saying things it's accurate. I don't understand why people put stuff like this on. It's not truthful. It's not accurate, but I can't stop it. And all I can do is shrug my shoulders and say, why are we doing this to this, particularly to these victims, because they're going to be tarnished by this for a long part of their lives. Authorities have intentionally withheld some details.

Makes sense while they continue interviewing witnesses and gather evidence. But even without those answers, even without them, the conditions. Investigators described finding on June 30, 26, paint a horrifying picture. And what's even more shocking is that a lot of. enforcement, they weren't even looking for children that day before they found 16 of them. And before we get into the detail so of what they uncovered, I do want to go over the main players in this case, the four adults living in the home, a house of horrors, and how they're related to one another, because this sets the stage for everything else. And I think it's most

important to start with Elizabeth. Elizabeth was born. Elizabeth Russell in 1993, two parents Brian and Lori Russell. And by all accounts from people who knew her family, she had what appeared to be a fairly normal childhood. She went to school, she did cheerleading, had friends, siblings, and lived what seemed like a typical life for a young girl growing up. But according to numerous people who have come forward online, everything changed. Everything changed when Elizabeth was just 13 years old. And those accounts claim that Elizabeth became pregnant by another teenage boy around that time. And somewhere in the middle of that incredibly difficult chapter in her life, being a young,

pregnant child, barely a teen. I realize that a 13-year-old is a teen. But let's be honest, a 13-year-old is also a 13-year-old as a child. And another person entered the picture around this time, an older teen, who was around 16 years old at the time. and his name was Gary Siders Jr. And Gary became a presence in Elizabeth's life during this very traumatic period, being a pregnant 13-year-old. Gary Jr. reportedly lived only a few houses away from Elizabeth. And again, according to people familiar with the family, the two began a relationship.

Gary Jr. eventually stepped into the role of father figure for Elizabeth's unborn child. Now, before we go any further, I do want to be very clear. about something. Much of what we're about to discuss regarding Elizabeth's teenage years comes from family members and people who claim to know the family personally. Some of these details have been repeated by multiple individuals, but they have not all been independently confirmed by law enforcement or verified. So as always, it's important to separate what's been officially verified from what is being alleged. With that disclaimer out of the way, if these accounts are accurate, if the situation becomes incredibly concerning.

And to be honest, I haven't been able to find any information regarding what happened to Elizabeth's first alleged child, the one she was pregnant with at 13. But according to multiple people, around this time, Elizabeth began running away from home to spend time with Gary Jr. and his family down the street. And that family, it included Gary, of course, Gary's parents, Gary's parents are Christina Lynn and Gary's Cider's senior.

as well as four older sisters. Elizabeth's parents reportedly contacted law enforcement multiple times trying to get their daughter to come back home. But according to these accounts, each time officers checked on Elizabeth, they were allegedly told that she was safe and there wasn't much that they could do. And if that's true, you can only imagine how frustrating and heartbreaking that must have been for Elizabeth's parents. Because from their perspective, they were.

weren't just dealing with a rebellious teenager who was running away. They were watching their young daughters slowly disappear from their lives. One account that's been circulating online comes from someone claiming to know the family personally. And they say that when Elizabeth was only 15 years old, Gary Jr. and his mother, Christina Lynn, allegedly gave Elizabeth's mother an ultimatum. Lily Bell has become such a big part of our team that it is hard to remember what work looked like before she came along. Around here, she's our head of HR, which mostly means greeting everyone who walks through the door, supervising recordings, and making sure that nobody stays stressed for too long. She has this way of making even the busiest days a little better. We absolutely

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This is a paid advertising. insurance is underwritten by either independent American insurance company or United States Fire Insurance Company. And produced by PTZ Insurance Agency Limited, the ASPCA is not an insurer and is not engaged in the business of insurance. They claim that they reportedly told Elizabeth's mom that if she refused to sign paperwork, allowing Elizabeth to emancipate herself from her parents, they would simply take Elizabeth out of the state.

and Elizabeth's mother would never see her daughter or her grandchildren again. Again, that's an allegation made by someone claiming to have firsthand knowledge, but if that's truly what happened, Elizabeth's mom may have felt like she had no really good options left if she wanted to remain in her daughter's life. As this person described it, she was backed into a corner. Elizabeth's mom was back into this corner, didn't know what to do. And if the emancipation of a 15-year-old sounds concerning, and like maybe it shouldn't even be legal in most circumstances or situations, 15 is so young, that's because it's essentially severing the rights of the parents and allowing

someone barely a teen to be completely responsible for themselves. 15 years old, you're not alone. Ohio law did not even allow the emancipation of a 15-year-old under Elizabeth's specific circumstances. So, according to these reports, Elizabeth was taken across state lines into West Virginia where it could be pulled off. Paperwork was signed that legally severed Elizabeth from her family. Now, whether Elizabeth fully understood the long-term consequences or if she felt pressured into this, I'm going to go with the latter because, again, 15 years old before the age of consent. Those are questions. We're still working to find answers to, but, you know, take a while guess, 15. But what we do know is what happened next. So, this is what we do know now because of court records. Court records do confirm that Gary Siders

Jr. and Elizabeth Russell were legally married in Mason County, West Virginia. And at the time of this wedding. Gary Jr. was 18 years old, an adult, and had completed the ninth grade. Elizabeth was just 15 years old and had completed the eighth grade. All four parents signed the marriage certificate. Gary Sr. and Christina signed for Gary Jr. And Brian and Lori Russell, they signed for their 15-year-old daughter, Elizabeth. And just two months later, the now adult, Gary Jr. and 15-year-old Elizabeth, welcome. their first biological child together. And from there, the family continue to grow and grow and grow. Here's the most complete verified timeline people have been able to piece together so far.

There are still a lot of gaps, again, because authorities have not publicly identified every county or every address where the family lived over the years. But investigators do believe that the Sider's family have been living throughout multiple Ohio counties dating back to at least 2008 and even Wisconsin at one point. Wisconsin. Yeah, what's especially important is that investigators say the family appears to have been intentionally avoiding creating the kinds of records that most families generate without even thinking about it. Medical records, school enrollment, government documentation, the kinds of records that leave a paper trail that just sort of naturally happen in any family. It takes effort to not leave that paper trail. And so it sounds like this family was making that effort because there is very little paper trail of those things.

According to investigators, many of those records, they simply just don't exist. And during those years, Elizabeth continued giving birth to child after child. Like almost every year, CS was born on May 30th, 2008. ZS was born August 17th, 2009. and then another child also labeled CS March 13th, 2011. According to Elizabeth's family, it was around that time in 2011.

That was one of the last times they ever saw her in person. For more than 15 years, her family never got to watch her children, their grandchildren, grow up. They never attended birthday parties, celebrated holidays together. Didn't do that. Did not stop by to just say hello. They say that the only updates they ever. received came from Gary Jr.'s sister Linda. So apparently, every so often, Linda would reportedly walk into the place where Elizabeth's mother worked and then just casually mentioned

something like, hey, by the way, Elizabeth, your daughter had another baby. Her mother's response, according to family members, was always, I hope I get to meet them someday. Sadly, according to everything we've learned, so far, that day never came. The children continue to arrive. almost every year. KS was born March 28th, 2012, BS on May 8th, 2013, GS on September 2, 2014, and LS on May 25th, 2016. Are you tired? I am. Like, it makes me panic, just reading these birth dates. And then another BS was born on October 26th, 2017. J.S. on October 27th, 2019. On September 29th, 2020, by 2022, the growing family relocated to the modest house on Omar Street in Hamden, Ohio. And at the time, nobody in the neighborhood could have imagined what investigators would have eventually discover inside that very home, a true house of horse.

On February 10th, 2022, Elizabeth gave birth to 20. twins, NS, and SS. Later that same year, same year, another pregnancy ended in tragedy. Premature twin girls, Bailey and Faith were reportedly born conjoined, conjoined at the chest. They tragically died shortly after birth on November 20, 2022. And today's small memorial plaques honoring Bailey and Faith sit not far from the family's home. Heartbreaking. But despite this loss, the family continued growing. Twins BS and WS were born on January 4th,

2024. And then another set of twins, IS and IS arrived on January 21st, 2025. Now, twins every year, yeah, I'm panicking. Still, I'm sweating. I can't imagine these birthdays and these children. By this point, Elizabeth had spent nearly her entire adult life pregnant and her entire teen life pregnant, recovering from pregnancy and caring for newborns, watching them tragically pass away, too, those two twins, Bailey and Faith. And when you actually stop and calculate it, she gave birth approximately every year or two for nearly two decades. It is so hard for me even imagine the physical and emotional toll that would take on a person since she was a little girl, let's be honest, a little girl, a child. And then just a few months before everything unraveled

in the summer of 2026, according to Elizabeth's family, Gary Jr. and Elizabeth unexpectedly showed up at her mother's house. Yeah, Elizabeth's mother's house decided to show up. It was the first time her mother had seen her daughter in years. But the visit reportedly wasn't at all what she had hoped it would be. Gary Jr. reportedly did almost all of the talking, not Elizabeth. Elizabeth barely spoke at all. I'm not surprised. Her mother has since said that Gary Jr. told her they had recently lost another baby, and then they left. That would be the last time Elizabeth's mother would ever see her daughter before this case exploded just a few months later to today. So how did investigators even end up at this house in the first place? Because that's one of the biggest.

questions I had when I learned about this case. And the answer is actually, it's a little more complicated than originally thought. According to court documents, Gary Sider's Jr. was already facing four misdemeanor counts of public indecency stemming from incidents that occurred on May 23rd and May 27th, May 29th, and May 31st of this year. Okay. Class Act. The alleged conduct all reportedly took place at the family's home on Omar Street. The charging documents state, quote, Gary Siders did recklessly expose his private part under circumstances in which his conduct was likely to be viewed by and affront others who are in Gary Sider's physical proximity

who are not members of his household, end quote. Okay. Now, naturally, once those charges became public, people started trying to fill in the blank. I know many of you did. We certainly have been trying to fill in the blanks. One rumor that's been circulating all over social media claims, social media claims, that those charges involved Gary Jr. repeatedly urinating off the front porch where neighbors could see him. I mean, they do only have one bathroom. So I mean, but as of right now, law enforcement has never confirmed. That's what happened. So social media rumors at this time. and the idea that, again, one bathroom, what are you going to do? Anyway, while that rumor could

eventually turn out to be true or fault, at this point, it's just a rumor. What we do know is that because of these allegations, though, an arrest warrant was requested on June 29th, and that warrant was served the very next day. But here's where the story takes another turn. At the same time, deputies were serving that arrest warrant. Investigators were also executing search warrants connected to what officials have described as a completely separate investigation involving allegations of domestic abuse and child neglect. So those search warrants, those remain sealed. We're working on getting them here at Hidden True Crime, but they remain sealed and that detail is really important because when this story first broke, a lot of people assume deputies, they just simply showed up

to arrest Gary Jr. on the public indecency charges, right? That they stumbled across the children in this room at that point and then uncovered everything by accident after going there to arrest Gary Jr. for the indecency. But investigators have since made it clear that wasn't necessarily the case. There was already another investigation underway. They've actually referred to it as a parallel investigation. And authorities had apparently developed enough information to obtain search warrants for the home itself before they even walked through. the front door, which is fascinating to me. Again, it's sealed as to why, but they had enough for a search warrant. So exactly what information they had, who contacted investigators, or how

long this separate parallel investigation had been going on are all questions that are still unanswered that many of you have asked and we're asking to. But that's where we are right now. Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson was asked directly whether the public indecency investigation was what ultimately led investigators to the House. He declined to answer. Sheriff Ryan Kane also declined to comment and the prosecutor did the same. And that silence. Silence often speaks louder than words in many cases that silence may tell us something. When multiple agencies all refuse to answer the exact same question, it's usually because because releasing that information

could compromise an active investigation. So whatever investigators knew before June 30th, they're clearly not ready to share it publicly. But what they discovered, once they entered this house, this home, ultimately changed everything. According to investigators, 16 children found inside what has been described as a dilapidated house, Authorities believe many of them had spent much of the last four years confined to a single room while living in what officials have called deplorable conditions.

And when prosecutors began describing what they saw, even experienced investigators struggle to find the words. Yeah. The children were allegedly living surrounded by human waste, feces, garbage was piled throughout the home. Benton County prosecutor William Archer said that when investigators entered the room where the children were being kept, it looked like, quote, a third world country with children squatting on the floor and having what he described as vacant looks in their eyes. That actually is one of the most heartbreaking quotes to me in this whole story. Seeing children squatting with vacant looks in their eyes, like completely absent empty. detached. So heartbreaking. It really, it's not that different than those old commercials you see of like kids in Africa, like just where they're covered in bugs and squatting and and had that like distant look in their eyes. It's terrible. I mean, it is absolutely terrible. Remember that 80s music video. We are the world. We are the children. I think that's essentially what they're referring to there.

regardless of how people feel about that comparison. It does give you an idea of just how shocking the conditions were, at least to investigators and what they're trying to describe and explain. Officials say they had to put on masks before entering the home because of the overwhelming conditions inside. And as they made their way through the residence, they reportedly encountered towering piles of garbage. In fact, investigators said some parts of the home couldn't even be accessed because the debris

was stacked so high. Archer also said something that really puts into perspective just how isolated these children allegedly were. He said that the oldest child, despite legally being an adult, and let's talk about this, not just being legally an adult, being much older than his mother was when she gave birth to him. But despite this oldest child, being an adult, they were developmentally still functioning as a minor. So according to Archer, she couldn't even spell her own name, this oldest child, the female. She could not even spell her own name. Okay. And the first victim, it shows that they are 18 years old. Why is that in a child endangerment charge? Yeah, I think that's good. Good question. The young person's mental capacity, she is, we believe, developmentally disabled. Um,

couldn't even spell her name at 18 and so she is developmentally still a minor. Is it possible that that might be due to educational neglect and not developmental delays? You don't go to school, you can be educated. So when we hear that, it sounds like these children were deprived of not just an education, but also just basic interaction with the outside world. several of the children were immediately transported to hospitals because of the severity of their conditions. Officials say that seven children were taken to hospitals in Columbus. Two of them had to be airlifted by helicopter to level one trauma centers. And one child was reportedly in critical

condition when first responders arrived. According to investigators, that child had to be intubated and was literally on the verge of death. Authorities have called this crime almost in indescribable. Andy Wilson described it as one of the worst scenes that he has ever witnessed. He also said the children were almost like feral animals. That's a quote, quote, almost like feral animals. Some of these children could even speak. Yeah. So, I mean, we're talking, this is, this is, this is, this is very, it was terrible. I mean, they, they really, they looked, it looked like almost feral animals. It was, it was terrible. That's a word we heard in our other most recent video about Casper O'Brien, Farrell.

I really don't know how I feel about using that word to describe human beings. But I guess it's the only word that feels fitting in these types of situations when investigators see it. You know, it's interesting. It feels dehumanizing. And yet we have had two cases back to back where investigators don't know how to describe anything else. but seeing a child and calling them feral. You know, I wonder if investigators are speechless. They have also both said,

we've never seen anything like this and then refer to children as feral. And so it just makes me wonder if they simply have no other way to express this. Again, it's not a word I necessarily value. Again, it feels a little dehumanizing. yet here we have had two stories back to back. I just find it interesting where they have used that word.

So I'm listening. I'm listening. So far, the public has only gotten brief glimpses of the scene through news footage, filmed outside of the property, but investigators have spent days combing through the mountains of trash, debris, human waste, and other evidence as they try to determine exactly how these children were living and what happened inside that house. Officials have also revealed several more disturbing details about the home's condition. first responders apparently almost fell through parts of the floor. Yeah, remember that 500-foot

basement? Well, they almost fell through parts of the floor, which suggests that a section of the house had rotted away. Cockroaches and other insects infested the home. Human waste was reportedly throughout the residence, and nearly every official who has spoken publicly has mentioned the smell. One officer said during the press conference that even after leaving the scene, he still could not get the smell off of himself. That was an odor so overwhelming that it lingered on their clothes and in their noses long after walking away. I didn't actually go into the room where the kids were. I just looked through through the door. That was yesterday. I can still smell. I can't get the smell. I cannot get the smell off of me or away from me right now. We were just talking about that a little while ago.

And these children were allegedly living in that environment every single day with that vacant stare. Again, that's what I find most heartbreaking about this, a vacant, disassociated stare. That'll tell you so much. They're living in this every single day. Investigators continue piecing together what happened here. And throughout all of this, attention has also turned to the property itself, according to Vinton County Property Records, the Omer Street Home is part of a trust belonging to a Hamden woman who actually passed away in April of 2025. This is a plot twist. So there has not currently been any confirmed connection between that woman and the Siders family. However, records from the Hamden Village Water Department reportedly list Christina Lynn Siders as the customer responsible for the home's water at sewer.

and trash services, the property taxes appear to have remained current, and the most recent payment was made in February in the amount of $960.88. Investigators also observe multiple window air conditioning units attached to the home. However, American electric power, they declined to comment on whether the residence was receiving electricity. And then another detail that after everything else we'd learned wasn't necessarily surprising, but the Vinton County School District, they did confirm there is absolutely no record, zip zero record of any of these children ever being enrolled as students. So that raises questions. How does an entire group of children seemingly disappear from the systems that are designed to protect them without anyone realizing they're gone or perhaps that they were even there in the first place?

How is it even possible? We do have their birth dates, right? Well, We're slowly learning that there actually were some small interactions with the outside world. Just not enough for anyone to report the children's conditions, apparently, which is really unfortunate, very unfortunate. A local pizza shop has actually come forward and said that they routinely delivered food to the Omar Street House. But according to employees, family members would always just come outside to meet them so they never saw what was going on inside. Employees at a local dollar general have also begun speaking

publicly and said that members of the family were regular customers. According to one employee, they frequently purchased items like bottled water, vegetable oil, and sugar. We spoke with an employee of the Hamden Dollar General, and she says that the ciders would come in every night at 945, right before the store closed at 10. She said that they would buy water and vegetable oil every night. That was it. Sometimes they would buy sugar and then sometimes they would also buy diapers as well. And she also said that the smell that the attorney general said that he smelled when he entered the house was pungent as soon as they entered into the store.

She said that the employees also tried to donate clothes and deodorant and other hygiene products to help out this family. and they gave them to the ciders, but realized that they were never, ever used. So occasionally they were accompanied by children also at this dollar store, yeah, but there's one detail every employee seems to remember. The smell, just like the investigators, the smell. Workers said the family had an incredibly strong odor that lingered inside the store long after they had left. According to employees, community members even offered the family clothing and high

hygiene products over the years. That's how strong the smell was. Like, oh, maybe they need to help them. But there was never any indication that those items were ever actually used. Regardless, based on what investigators say they found inside the home and the condition of the children, all four adults have been arrested. Of course. Thank goodness. Gary Slyders Jr., age 36, Gary Seiders Sr. age 73. Christina Lynn Siders, age 67, and Elizabeth Siders, a mother to 16 children yet only 33 years old. They have each been charged with 16 counts of second degree felony. Child endangerment involving serious physical harm.

And prosecutors have already indicated that additional charges could still be filed as this investigation continues. All four defendants entered pleas of not. guilty and the judge, Judge Rogers, originally set bond at $300,000 for each defendant. These are cash or surety bonds. However, the judge also has since modified Gary Sr. bond after new information was presented regarding his health. Let's talk about what we were told. Gary Sider, Sr. Apparently, he fell at the original arraignment. After the arraignment was done, he fell. They took him to the hospital. They started running some tests. found out that he had a serious medical condition.

Now they wouldn't tell us what it was for HIPAA reasons, but the county had to make a choice. Because he's in lockup, the county would have to pay for all of his health care. So what did they do? They went ahead and released him on a personal reconnaissance bond, meaning he's free to go,

but he's at the hospital. Now, if he ever does leave the hospital, they were told that he has to be fitted with a GPS monitor. He's not Scott free. He is still facing all the charges. on those kids. So with a cash bond, the full amount is paid directly to the court. With a surety bond, which was another option he had before it was switched, a bail bond company guarantees the amount

in exchange for a non-refundable fee. That's where a bail bondman comes in. But if the defendant fails to appear in court, the bond can be forfeited and additional financial consequences may follow. A recognizance bond, however, it does not require the defendant. It does not require Gary senior to pay money up front. So instead, the court releases the defendant, Gary, based on their promise to appear for all required court dates, comply with any conditions of release. And if they violate those conditions or fail to appear, the court can revoke the bond, issue a warrant for their arrest, and impose financial penalties. So if any of the other defendants post-bond, they'll be required to wear GPS ankle monitors as well and have also been ordered

to have absolutely no contact, no contact with one another as co-defendants. So these four adults that have been living together for decades can have absolutely no contact with one another and no contact whatsoever with any of the 16 children. Right? So they are completely alone. Each individual count carries a potential prison sentence ranging from two to eight years with a maximum of 12 years under certain circumstances. So when you multiply that across all 16 counts,

because again, 16 children, 16 counts, they could each theoretically face up to 192 years in prison if convicted and sentenced consecutively. Now, like in almost every major criminal case, the defense attorneys are pushing back. Gary Seider's senior's attorney, Dorian Baum, has already raised concerns, about his client's competency.

Baum said that he had not yet had the opportunity to fully meet with Gary Sr. Because of the Fourth of July holiday, but after observing him during the arraignment, he said that he immediately had concerns. He told reporters, and this is what he told reporters, quote, just by looking at him, my first impression is I have concerns about his competence. Ouch. I have concerns about his mental health. I have concerns about his ability to assist in his own defense, end quote.

Bob also criticized the way officials have publicly described the case. He said, quote, you have sort of the state apparatus attempting to in some ways try this case in the court of public opinion using hyperbolic and extreme language to describe this without, again, allowing us to even have the opportunity to view any of the evidence ahead of time, end quote. Attorneys representing Christina Siders and Gary Sider's Jr. have declined request for comment, but Elizabeth's attorney has since spoken out as well. which we're going to get to in just a minute. That quote, though, hyperbolic and extreme language, Baum mentioned, well, that brings us to another aspect of this case that's creating a lot of discussion online.

Again, that word feral. And investigators alleging that the children could not communicate well, if at all, and that the oldest child couldn't even spell her own name. Again, some people online and even members of Elizabeth's family think there may be more to the story. Several social media users claim that they've identified TikTok and Snapchat accounts that they believe belonged to some of the oldest Siders children. Yeah. According to those claims, five of the oldest children may have had multiple TikTok accounts with dozens of videos posted over the last several years. And at least two Snapchat accounts have also been linked online.

And I want to say, again, that law enforcement has not confirmed these accounts. Okay. But if they do belong to the oldest children, it would suggest that at least some of them know how to write, operate smartphones, create videos, and interact online. Now, again, that doesn't necessarily contradict everything investigators have said. It's entirely possible that some other children function differently than others. And I have seen some discourse online saying that things may have deteriorated in the home a lot more in recent years, meaning the older children may be more capable than the younger ones. Regardless, Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said,

investigators believe the adults were extremely successful at keeping the children hidden. As he put it, quote, they were pretty adept at keeping these kids out of sight and away from investigators' eyes. He added that it appears almost no one outside the family even knew the children existed. And when you hear from neighbors,

we can see why he'd think that. Joseph Stewart, who had lived on Omer Street for six years, said, quote, it's a sad situation, and that he had absolutely no idea 16 children were living just a few houses away. He described the neighborhood again as quiet, never saw any children outside. Another neighbor, PD Angels, echo the same thoughts. He also said he had never seen children around the property and was stunned when the allegations became public. Another Vinton County resident, Josh O'Dell, described the house as looking abandoned. He said, quote, it was a shock because we had never seen or heard anything from that house.

I had never seen a child in that yard, end quote. Even Hemden Mayor Mike Nary said the allegations caught him completely off guard. Neri explained that he would occasionally stop by the property for routine village matters, like checking on overgrown grass or reading the water meter, and even then, he said he usually only ever saw an older woman outside. I think that would be Christina. Nothing that made him suspect 16 children were living there. Another Hamden resident, Carissa Gonzalez,

she said that she would occasionally see Gary Jr. and Elizabeth around town, but she never imagined what investigators now allege was happening behind closed doors. She said, quote, you wouldn't suspect that they had 16 kids living there, That's just something crazy to me. I'm still trying to process it. It's definitely weird being so close, end quote. Meanwhile, investigators say their primary focus right now is the children. Andy Wilson said the state's top priority is to make sure each child receives the physical,

mental, and emotional care they desperately need and that officials are working to place them in loving, caring homes. He also acknowledged that one of the biggest challenges investigators face is the fact that from their perspective, the children have extremely limited communication skills, if any at all. I mean, I've definitely thought of this too. How do you even place 16 children in this situation that they've been in? We're also hearing reports that since the arrest, Elizabeth has placed a phone call to her mother from jail. Yeah. And that call reportedly lasted, though, only about three minutes. Elizabeth apparently told her mom that she didn't really understand what was happening or why she was there.

Then she asked if someone bond her out and her mother's response was reportedly, Baby, I don't have $300,000. A few moments later, the call ended. That leads us to one of the main arguments going on about this case, whether Elizabeth herself was a victim or if she was a willing participant. and what investigators say happened inside that home. There seems to be two camps online, one who thinks that Elizabeth experienced decades of control and isolation

and this other camp who thinks Elizabeth made her own choices to live with the ciders and knew that the situation her children were in was wrong. Her family at least seems to believe that Elizabeth is every bit as much a victim as the 16 children, according to her family. So according to them, Elizabeth was groomed. beginning around the age of 13, not just by Gary Jr., but by the entire Siders family. They believe Christina Lynn Siders was the true mastermind, the person who allegedly controlled access to Elizabeth, the person who always answered the door whenever family members

tried to visit. And remember, Gary Sr.'s attorney said, just by looking at my client, he doesn't look, you know, like he's fully there. So people are saying that Christina is the person, the true mastermind. We'll find out soon. But that's what we're hearing. That Christina was the one that handled the conversations, the one who, according to relatives, slowly isolated Elizabeth from everyone who loved her until communication stopped altogether.

And Elizabeth's family does believe that Elizabeth was manipulated, controlled, and effectively trapped for nearly 20. years. A teenager, a young teenager, who over time became a woman whose entire world revolved around one family and pregnancy after pregnancy after pregnancy, which makes her very dependent. I'll just say that. Elizabeth was only 15 years old when she married Gary Jr. From that point forward, she spent almost her entire adult life, either pregnant, recovering from childbirth or raising children or mourning children who died. Her family reportedly believes that wasn't necessarily her choice. So now whether investigators ultimately reach that same conclusion, that remains to be seen. I think the best thing that's happening right now, actually,

is that all four co-defendants cannot talk to one another and they cannot talk to the victims. I think that's how investigators are going to learn a lot. But it's certainly, though, one of these major questions that they're going to have to answer and that I think that we're all very curious about. I know many of you have mentioned your curiosity about this. I am wondering so much more about Elizabeth. Elizabeth, I think, holds a lot of answers. There's also been another allegation that surfaced during a live stream with a guest who claimed to be a family member. According to that relative, the oldest daughter believed to be named Chloe, the 18-year-old at prosecuting Peter say has significant intellectual disabilities and could not write her own name, that she

could be pregnant. If so, wow. The family member went even further alleging that they believe the father may be someone inside that home. I would agree with that. That would make a sense if they're isolated in one room. Again, to be clear, law enforcement has not confirmed any of that information and they have not yet alleged that any sexual abuse involving the children took place. They actually said they were still looking into that. However, if there is any truth to those allegations, that's another, another addition to this story that would kind of show the cycle of abuse continuing on and on, and that it could have continued for God knows how long if the children had not been rescued.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth's attorney Thomas Stolley has begun offering his own perspective on his client, Elizabeth, and his comments actually sound much closer to what Elizabeth's family has been saying than to the picture painted by prosecutors. So Stolley, Elizabeth's attorney, said the very first conversation he had with Elizabeth

left an impression on him. He said, quote, my client's first question to me when I walked into the jail and introduced myself was about her kids. She asked if her children were okay. She asked that they knew where they were. And she asked when she'd be able to see them again, end quote. He did continue. He continued.

And he said, quote, I thought it was telling that her first concern was not when can I get out of jail, but are my children okay? Interesting. Now, of course, defense attorneys are advocates for their clients. That's literally their job to give their clients the best case possible to advocate for them. And he's also pushed back against the idea that Elizabeth should immediately be viewed as evil. He said, quote, I think that this is more so a case of isolation than a case of evil. And I think that there's an important distinction there, because if that's all you know,

And you have to think someone at 15 years old doesn't know a whole lot about being an adult, about being a mother, about being a wife. And that's been your worldview for the past 17 or 18 years. You get shaped by that, end quote. And I actually think that's a really thought-provoking comment to consider. If someone is isolated from the outside world for nearly 20 years, possibly controlled, manipulated, and had every, relationship filtered through the same small group of people, could that have compromised their

ability to make independent decisions? Now, that doesn't automatically excuse criminal behavior, but it may help explain how something like this could happen. Stali also addressed whether he viewed Elizabeth as a victim herself. And interestingly, he said she didn't present herself that way. He said that it's still far too early to know exactly what was happening inside that home. The person that I met with, though, is not someone who comes across as pure you. Do you think that she's a victim in any of this? She would not, I don't think she would classify herself as a victim. That was, I asked her that question in a couple roundabout ways.

And she did not have a typical victim-minded mindset when answering. She did say that she misses her kids. And that's one of the things that shocked me was the first question that she asked me was, are the kids okay? When can I see the kids? And do you know anything about where they are? As he put a quote, while the headlines may be sensational,

there's a real human component to this. And so I would ask people to give this process time to play out, end quote. I think that's kind of where this case stands right now. Investigators believe these four adults subjected 16 children to horrific neglect. And Elizabeth's family believes that she herself was one of the victims. Of course, just remember, they signed that marriage certificate when she was 15. I do struggle with that. But nonetheless, right now, we really don't know for sure what Elizabeth's culpability might be. But what we do know is that 16 children are now out of that house for the first time. time in years. Investigators are only just beginning to unravel what they believe happened behind

those walls, those 12 foot by 12 foot walls for all of this time. If the allegations from Elizabeth's family are true, we're going to continue to try to confirm and verify and validate a lot of the rumors. If these allegations from Elizabeth's family are true, she entered this environment when she was 13, a child, she clearly has not lived a normal life at all. It's not hard to understand why some people believe she may have been groomed, manipulated, and psychologically controlled over the course of nearly two decades. But at the same time, many people argue that regardless of what happened to Elizabeth, as a teenager, at some point she also became an adult, an adult who lived that home every single day and from her own upbringing would have known that her children

needed medical care. She was a mother who maybe would have known that they needed to go to school or to play outside. They shouldn't have been living surrounded by garbage and human waste and certainly should not have reached adulthood without being able to spell their own first name if that allegation is true. There are basic responsibilities that don't simply disappear because someone has experienced trauma themselves. But again, but again, perhaps someone else was controlling the entire situation. Some people have pointed to that person likely mean Gary Jr., the husband and all this, right? The 18-year-old, the married, the 15-year-old. There's also speculation about whether Gary Sr. And Christina Lynn's ages may have played a role. And some have even suggested that they may have

experienced cognitive decline in recent years or even conditions like dementia that affected their awareness of what was happening around them. For example, there's this post, okay, from a woman named Kimberly Caldwell, who says that she's a family member. And her post reads, quote, y'all, I just know my Aunt Lenny and Uncle Gary can't be in their right state of mind because they would have never allowed them kids to live like that. I'm starting to believe they both do have dementia. I keep watching the court videos and it's like they have no clue what's going on. Like I agree with Uncle Gary's lawyer. They need to check them to and make sure they aren't victims to. I just feel in my heart that Bob, who's Gary Jr., was abusing them. I just fill it into them

all Bob's life. He could do no wrong. He was their baby. And I feel in my heart something is wrong with them. And that's why they were living like that. And I think the marks on Uncle Gary's wrist is because he was tied down. I wish people that were close to them would have gotten them. I'll help. It breaks my heart seeing those two like that because I know in my heart that's not them. And if I'm proven wrong, then yes, they deserve to be punished. I just know that's not them and not something they would allow. I grew up with their kids and we were always there and the house would be clean. If you didn't know her, you wouldn't understand her heart, especially for kids. I honestly don't know what to think. I just can't stop watching that court video. I can tell they are in their right state of mind. They are lost.

Don't get me wrong. If it's proven they are in their right state of mind and they allowed it, then they do need to be punished for it just like the parents. I pray those babies are all getting loved on and shown love. They are the number one victims in this, but I do feel they're going to be more than 16 victims. I know I will probably get some hate and that's okay. everyone has their own opinions, end quote. I appreciated a Facebook post. Fair. And it is interesting that one thing that Facebook post mentioned

was that Gary Jr. was sort of everything to his parents. Remember, he had four older sisters, and then he was born, the only son, Gary, Gary Jr., named after his dad, and now he's been living with his parents and his teen bride for decades. It is an interesting situation, say the least. So, I mean, Gary Sr.'s own attorney said that he has concerns about his competency and mental health after observing him.

But again, until more information becomes available, we can't really just assume that they had no clue what was going on. They were two adults in a house with 16 children and two adults that certainly would have known better. So another thing I've seen continuously brought up in this case and other cases like it is how there are no systems in places to make it so that children can't just kind of fly under the radar like this. We just barely covered Caspar O'Brien. And now we're covering this, you know? Because based on everything that's been reported so far it appears that these children,

they were born in hospital, 16 of them, meaning they would have birth certificates and would likely have social security numbers. So how does a child go from being born in a hospital, giving a social security number, right, having a birth certificate to seemingly disappearing from every other system that's supposed to protect them? 16 kids. In 2026, we have intercontract connected databases for almost everything. I mean, you walk outside and you're like, someone's going to like have facial recognition glasses and record me. Our phones give us hardly any privacy anymore, right?

So why isn't there some type of system the flags when a child reaches school age but has never been enrolled in public or private school, been registered for homeschooling, or has essentially vanished from every public. public record. I mean, you think there should be an easy way of using AI or something that can flag children who were born in a hospital and then never heard from again, right? Especially since this isn't the first time we've had a conversation about cases like this. Another prime example is the Turpin case. That case shocked the world. And even the case we just covered, again,

about Casper O'Brien. Every time one of these cases comes to light, people, people ask how it could possibly happen. And every time we talk about the gaps and the changes that we hope can be made, yet it keeps happening and more frequently, it seems, children should not be able to just disappear in modern America. Researchers who have studied coercive control, family isolation, and abusive family systems have found that extreme isolation can fundamentally reshape how people perceive the world. Remember those vacant stairs? That is a fundamental reshaping of a brain and how these human beings are perceiving their world. When someone's entire reality is controlled by a very small group, outside relationships are cut off.

Information from the outside world limited. Things that would seem shocking or unacceptable to most people can slowly become normal inside that environment. And that's one of the reasons experts often describe abusive family systems as existing almost like their own isolated little cult with their own rules and their own version of reality. Children raised in those environments may not realize anything is wrong because they've never experienced anything different. And adults who enter those environments young, particularly during adolescence like Elizabeth, when their identities are still developing, when they've already experienced trauma after an alleged

pregnancy as a 13-year-old, they can also become deeply conditioned over time. None of this excuses abuse or neglect, though. And there has to be accountability here. But understanding how these situations even develop is one of the only ways we can hopefully prevent future tragedies. In this situation, one, if not more of the children were on the verge of the children. of death. So the question really needs to be, how do we keep it from happening again? For now, investigators are continuing to interview witnesses and have asked anyone who knows this family to come

forward with any information. They're also reviewing years of evidence and most importantly focusing on the 16 children who are finally out of that house of horror. Their recovery will likely take years, likely their entire lives, they will never fully recover. They're alive, but they are harmed for life. Some of the physical wounds may heal much sooner than the emotional ones, in other words. And many of the answers the public wants may not come until this case reaches trial. Answers about what really happened inside that home and why. And about whether Elizabeth was primarily a victim, a perpetrator, or both. Because you can't. You can't can be both. We always hope that every one of these cases will be the last of its kind,

and that changes will be made to prevent another family from slipping through the cracks. That's something else will have to wait and see. But I'll leave you with words Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson used during the press conference. He said, justice will be served for these children. And for their sake, Let's hope. He's right.