Newly released state records have disclosed that Elizabeth Siders, the mother of 16 children rescued from a squalid Ohio home, gave birth to conjoined twins who died the same day in 2022. The children were found living in conditions described as worse than livestock, with authorities alleging intrafamily abuse and possible incest.
Conjoined twins born in 2022
According to records obtained by the Express, Elizabeth Siders gave birth to daughters Bailey Lee and Faith Lee Siders at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, in 2022. The twins were born with thoracopagus, a condition where their faces and chests were conjoined. They tragically died later that day.
The shocking revelation comes after authorities rescued 16 children, aged 18 months to 18 years, from a dilapidated property in Hamden, Ohio, a tiny township with a population under 1,000, located about 60 miles southeast of Columbus.
Children lived in 'pure evil' conditions
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson described the conditions as 'pure evil,' stating the children existed in 'conditions you cannot even imagine people being in, let alone children being in.' The children were crammed into a three-and-a-half square metre space covered in human waste, and investigators said they had suffered for four years.
Several children were unable to speak, and an 18-year-old found at the property could not write her own name. Wilson remarked: 'It was terrible. They looked like almost feral animals.'
Four adults face charges
Four adults—Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders, and Elizabeth Siders—believed to be the parents and grandparents, have been arrested. Each faces 17 counts of endangering children, a second-degree felony. Prosecutor William Archer said the carers caused 'serious physical harm' and vowed to prosecute 'to the fullest extent of the law.'
Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain expressed horror: 'Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children.' Seven children were transferred to hospitals in Columbus, with two requiring emergency airlift. One child remained in critical condition as of Tuesday, while others undergo medical treatment.
Investigation ongoing
Officials refused to detail exact family connections but confirmed this is not a human trafficking case. Detectives believe the Siders family has been moving across multiple Ohio counties since 2008 to avoid creating medical and governmental records. They are investigating whether the family had prior contact with children's services.
'These folks were pretty good at hiding these kids,' Wilson said. The four accused appeared at Vinton County Court of Common Pleas on Wednesday morning and are being held on $300,000 bail.
