Mother of 16 Children Rescued from Abusive Conditions Had Conjoined Twins
The mother of 16 children, who were rescued from a dire living situation, has a tragic history that includes giving birth to conjoined twins who passed away shortly after birth. This information comes from newly obtained state records.
Elizabeth Siders, 33, had twins Bailey Lee and Faith Lee Siders on November 20, 2022, at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. The twins were born at just 24 weeks and were conjoined at the chest. Unfortunately, they died from natural causes just hours after birth.
Last Tuesday, Elizabeth’s parents, Gary Siders Jr. and Christina Siders, along with her grandparents, Gary Siders Sr. and Christina Siders, were arrested at their Vinton County home. Authorities reportedly found the couple’s 16 children, aged 1 to 18, living in cramped, unsanitary conditions within a small room.
For at least four years, the children have had to endure filthy living arrangements described as “horrific” by officials. They noted the conditions were so grim that even local livestock were said to be better taken care of. Shockingly, it appears the children have never been to school and some struggle to communicate at all.
In fact, the oldest child, an 18-year-old, is reportedly developmentally disabled and cannot write his name. After their rescue, the children were taken to hospitals throughout Ohio, with some reportedly in critical condition. At least one needed to be intubated.
Ronnie Fletcher, the children’s uncle, expressed his disbelief at the extent of the situation, noting that even the family wasn’t aware of how many children Elizabeth and Gary had. He mentioned they believed there were only about 10 kids in the family until news of the arrests revealed the staggering number. He described the family’s reaction as one of fear and concern for the children.
Fletcher also recounted Elizabeth’s troubled home life, explaining how she left home as a teenager to live with Gary Jr. after they married in 2008 when she was just 15 and he was 18. Their first child, a girl now 18, was born shortly after their marriage. The ages of the other children are 16, 15, 14, 13, 11, 10, 8, 6, and 5, and include twins aged 4, 2, and 1, according to court documents.
On Wednesday, the four charged individuals pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of child endangerment, with a judge setting their bail at $300,000 each. They have waived their preliminary hearing, which is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. If found guilty, each could face up to 192 years in prison.
