VINTON COUNTY, Ohio — A man and woman charged in a Vinton County child endangerment where 16 children were rescued from what authorities described as deplorable conditions had conjoined twins who died from natural causes shortly after birth in 2022, records show.
Gary Siders Jr. and Elizabeth Siders are each charged with 16 counts of child endangerment. Gary Siders Sr. and Christina Siders are facing the same charges.
The 16 children were rescued from a home on Ohmer Street on June 30. Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson described the case as “pure evil.”
Birth and death certificates show that Elizabeth gave birth to conjoined twins, Faith and Bailey Siders, on Nov. 20, 2022, but died an hour later at Riverside Methodist Hospital. They were approximately 24 weeks old.
The death certificates list the cause of death as respiratory failure due to thoracopagus conjoined twinning and extreme prematurity. Thoracopagus twins are joined face-to-face from the chest to the upper abdomen, according to the National Library of Medicine. The agency says thoracopagus twins typically share a heart and often have complex congenital heart defects.
Elizabeth’s attorney, Tommy Stolley, said on Monday that it is his understanding that she is the mother to all 16 children, who range in age from 18 months to 18 years old. Elizabeth was 15 years old in 2008 when she wed Gary Jr., who was 18 years old, according to a West Virginia marriage record. The first of the sixteen children was born two months later.
All of the children were medically evaluated and some were hospitalized in serious condition, according to Wilson.
All four Siders family members are being held on a $300,000 bond, though attorneys for Elizabeth and Gary Sr. have requested lower bonds.
The case has garnered national attention as some questions remain unanswered.
Vinton County court records show that Gary Jr. faced four counts of public indecency from four separate incidents in May. It’s unclear whether the public indecency investigation led investigators to the home.
The South Central Ohio Job & Family Services has received support from community members in and around Vinton County on how they can support the children. The agency is working to establish a trust and ensure donations end up in the right hands.
