On Wednesday, Gary Siders Sr. was declared mentally incompetent to stand trial by a Vinton County judge. The judgment accepted an evaluation report detailing his mental health status. Siders, aged 73, appeared in court in a wheelchair, and the Prosecutor, William Archer, did not challenge the report.
Siders’ attorney, Dorian Baum, mentioned that his client’s mental health has been in decline for several years and is not expected to recover. Baum remarked, “It’s not surprising that he’s been found incompetent; he doesn’t fully understand or appreciate what’s happening.”
Gary Siders Sr. faced charges of child endangerment involving his 16 grandchildren, discovered under dire conditions in Hamden, Ohio, on June 30. His wife, Christina Siders, their son, Gary Siders Jr., and daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Siders, have all pleaded not guilty to related charges.
The children were found during a search connected to a different investigation. Reports indicated they were mostly confined to a small room under unsanitary conditions. Neighbors hadn’t seen the children, who hadn’t been enrolled in school for years. The family was known to move frequently.
“Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children,” said Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain during a July 2 news conference.
The children ranged from 18 months to 18 years old at the time of discovery. Some were described as “feral” and lacking basic communication skills. Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson shared that even the eldest, a teenage girl, couldn’t spell her name.
Andy Wilson emphasized the need to ensure safe placements for the kids and accountability for those responsible for their neglect. According to Wilson, the suspects managed to keep the children hidden from authorities, further complicating the situation.
The family’s history includes an early marriage between Gary Siders Jr. and Elizabeth when she was 15, with court records documenting continuous pregnancies over the years.