Newly released state records have disclosed that Elizabeth Siders, the mother of 16 children rescued from a house of horrors in Ohio, gave birth to conjoined twins in 2022. The twins, daughters Bailey Lee and Faith Lee Siders, were born at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus with thoracopagus, a condition where their faces and chests were conjoined, and tragically died later that day.
Children Rescued from Appalling Conditions
Sixteen children were removed from a filthy, deteriorating property in Hamden, Ohio, where they were kept in conditions described as worse than livestock. The children, aged 18 months to 18 years old, appeared “like feral animals,” according to Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson. Four adults—Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders, and Elizabeth Siders—face criminal charges, each charged with 17 counts of endangering children, a second-degree felony.
Authorities described the case as “intrafamily,” suggesting some children may have been born from incestuous relationships. Prosecutor William Archer stated the carers caused “serious physical harm.”
Living Conditions Described as 'Pure Evil'
Deputies encountered a horrifying scene: all children were confined to a crumbling structure of about three-and-a-half square meters, covered in human excrement. The conditions, endured for four years, were labeled “pure evil” by Wilson. “They looked like almost feral animals. It was terrible,” he said. Several children could not speak, and an 18-year-old could not write her name.
Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain noted, “Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children.” Seven children were taken to Columbus hospitals, with two requiring emergency airlift. One child remained in critical condition as of Tuesday.
Investigation and Legal Proceedings
Officials declined to specify all relationships among the children but confirmed the case is not human trafficking. The suspects have no local ties and are believed to have moved frequently to avoid medical and government records. “These folks were pretty good at hiding these kids,” Wilson said.
Prosecutor Archer vowed to prosecute “to the fullest extent of the law.” The four defendants appeared in Vinton County Court of Common Pleas on Wednesday morning and remain in custody on $300,000 bail. Investigators are probing whether the family had previous contact with children’s services since 2008.
Wilson emphasized addressing the children’s physical health first, while acknowledging severe psychological trauma from prolonged captivity.
