A distant relative of the Ohio family arrested after 16 children were found living in conditions described as "pure evil" has revealed that he and his family have received death threats. Ronnie Fletcher, who is married to a daughter of suspects Gary Siders Sr. and Christina Siders, told FOX8 that the threats have forced his family to delete social media and live like "hermits."
Arrests and Charges
Four people were arrested following the discovery at the home in Vinton County on June 30. Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders, and Elizabeth Siders each face 16 second-degree felony charges of child endangering. The children, aged 18 months to 18 years, were found in a single 12-by-12-foot room covered in human faeces, according to Sheriff Ryan Cain.
Relative Speaks Out
Fletcher said his family had no idea about the conditions in the home and only learned of them after the arrests. "It's been awful for the people that had no idea that was going on the house that are related to this family," he said. "We've had death threats – we've been told that we need to be put in front of an execution line of guns and, you know, killed and burned."
Fletcher added that his wife is afraid to go to work, and they have seen vehicles driving by and taking photos of their house. He emphasized that if they had known, they would have intervened: "If we would have known that it was like that in that home, we would have done something about it, even if it was just to go there and take the kids ourselves or give them money."
Investigation Details
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson described the scene as "pure evil" and said some children could not speak. "Some of these children couldn't even speak," Wilson told reporters. "It was terrible. They looked like almost feral animals." One child was placed in intensive care, and two others were airlifted to trauma centres. Officials confirmed the situation was "intra-family" and not human trafficking, as had been rumoured.
The children had been isolated for nearly four years, with none enrolled in school. The oldest, an 18-year-old with developmental disabilities, could not spell her own name. The family had moved around Ohio before settling in Vinton County about four years ago, according to Wilson.
