A 73-year-old Ohio man, Gary Siders Sr., has been deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial. This decision was made by a judge in Vinton County who reviewed an evaluation report. Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer raised no objections. Siders appeared in court in a wheelchair, and his attorney, Dorian Baum, indicated Siders’ mental health has deteriorated to “not restorable” levels over several years.
Baum stated, “It’s not a surprise to any of us that he’s not been found competent at this point. He doesn’t fully understand or appreciate what’s going on.” Siders faced charges for 16 counts of child endangerment following the discovery of his grandchildren living in poor conditions in Hamden, Ohio on June 30. These children were found during a search warrant execution unrelated to the initial investigation.
Authorities revealed the minors lived largely confined to a small room, enduring unsanitary conditions. The children were not enrolled in school, and the family frequently relocated over the past two decades. Neighbors reportedly had no sightings of the children. Hamden’s home became subject to closure with police tape, following the removal of the minors and arrest of four adults on July 1, 2026. Among those arrested were Siders’ wife, Christina, his son, Gary Siders Jr., and daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Siders—who is the mother to the children—and all pleaded not guilty.
The children, aged 18 months to 18 years, showed signs of neglect with some described as “feral” and unable to speak properly. Their medical conditions varied significantly. “Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children,” Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain mentioned during a news briefing on July 2. He described the setting as “extremely high presence of bacterial and human feces.” Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson affirmed, stating the children resembled feral animals, and mentioned the oldest child’s inability to spell her name.
Wilson stressed the importance of securing safe, therapeutic environments for the children and holding responsible parties accountable for their actions. The suspects were noted for effectively concealing the children from public view. Records disclose that Elizabeth Siders carried pregnancies almost annually following her and Gary Siders Jr.’s wedding in West Virginia at 15 and 18 years of age, respectively.