A MUM living in a faeces-filled house of horrors, where 16 feral children ran riot, was married at just 15-years-old – months before giving birth to her first child.
Elizabeth Siders, 33, tied the knot with Gary Siders Jr., in 2008 in Mason County, West Virginia.
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Elizabeth Siders married Gary Siders Jr. in 2008 Credit: Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail
The couple had 16 children in their Ohio home Credit: Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail
Just two months later, she gave birth to a baby who is now the oldest victim in an extraordinary case.
Now 18-years-old, the young adult was rescued along with 15 others from a home in Vinton County, Ohio.
Due to there being no minimum age to marry in West Virginia at the time, Siders was able to get married without her parent’s consent, family lawyer Amanda Alexander said.
“The judge absolutely could have stopped this marriage,” she said.
HOUSE OF HORRORS
Mother of 16 ‘feral’ kids had conjoined twins – as grim new details emerge
The property was in a state of disrepair Credit: WHSV
Officers said they encountered a situation of ‘pure evil’ inside Credit: WHSV
Siders also reportedly gave birth to conjoined twin girls who died of natural causes just a few hours later.
It remains unclear how many of the 16 children are Siders as authorities struggle to recover all their birth certificates.
Siders’ lawyer, Tommy Stolly, said he believes she gave birth to all 16 – who range from 17 months to 18-years-old in age.
The attorney said he is also investigating the possibility that his client is a victim herself.
“I think that there is more so a case of isolation than a case of evil, and I think that there’s an important distinction here,” he said.
“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.”
Stolley also revealed Siders left high school after the 11th grade, with family member Ronnie Fletcher telling WOWK 13 that she endured a tough upbringing.
“She did not have a very good home life when they got together, and she escaped to Lynn [Christian] and Gary’s house, which … was back then a normal American home,” he said.
Gary Siders Sr. (above) is also a suspect in the investigation Credit: Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail
Christina Siders (above) with her co-defendants face dozens of child endangerment charges Credit: Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail
Authorities claimed the home in the small town Hamden had been plagued by years of neglect.
Conditions inside the house described as “horrific” by authorities, with the situation of “pure evil” encountered by investigators, according to Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson.
Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said there was an abundance of human waste and excrement inside the home while Wilson said the children were “literally about to fall through the floor”.
Officials say the children had been kept in an area no bigger than 12 feet by 12 feet for most of the last four years.
“Most of the livestock was kept in better condition than the children,” Cain said.
A Dollar General employee in Hamden said she saw Gary and Elizabeth just one day before they were arrested.
The staff member noted the children appeared extremely thin and often had their hair covering their faces.
“The smell will never leave my mind. It was so potent,” Ariel Gutierrez said.
Siders is now one of four family members charged in the investigation, including her husband and in-laws, Gary Siders Sr. and Christina Siders.
Together they collectively face 68 child endangerment charges, with all 16 victims allegedly suffering serious physical harm, according to prosecutors.
Two of the children were even flown to level one trauma centres over their injuries, and many were found to be unable to speak.
All four have pleaded not guilty and remain in custody on a $300,000 bond.
In a shocking development, Siders Sr. was released from jail after suffering a troubling medical episode.
Upon inspection by doctors at O’Bleness Hospital in Athens, it was discovered that he suffered from a “serious medical condition” that requires urgent care.
If he is released from hospital, he will be required to carry a GPS tracker, and competency motions have been filed for him.
In the meantime, all 16 children have been removed from the disgusting home and placed under the careful protection of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
An active investigation remains ongoing, with the possibility of further charges being brought in coming weeks, prosecutors said.
