MCARTHUR, Ohio (Court TV) — Prosecutors say they are seeking to file additional charges against a woman accused of abusing her 16 children, a move in response to her request for release.
Clockwise, from top left: Elizabeth Siders, Christina Siders, Gary Siders II and Gary Siders. (Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail)
Elizabeth Siders, 33, is charged along with her husband, Gary Siders II, 36, and her in-laws, Christina Siders, 67, and Gary Siders, 76, with 17 counts of endangering children after investigators said they found 16 children living in “horrific conditions” on the family’s Ohio property.
Investigators have revealed little about what they found at the Siders’ home, but described the scene as “pure evil.” The 16 children were taken to hospitals and placed in the custody of the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services.
After the arrests, a judge ordered each defendant held on $300,000 bond. Elizabeth Siders’ attorney asked for her bond to be reduced, citing her lack of criminal history, willingness to wear a GPS device and comply with any instructions, and “extreme poverty.” Her attorney wrote in the motion that his client “does not have the means to post any money as a bond, and they have been unable to post the current bond as it has been set.”
On Monday, prosecutors responded to the defense request, urging the judge to keep the bond in place. The motion notes “multiple serious pending charges” and says that Elizabeth Siders is not only a flight risk but “a potential risk to the victims in this case.” The motion also cites the defense’s recent request to have Elizabeth Siders’ competency evaluated, saying “she is at personal risk until her competency is known.”
Prosecutors signaled more charges in their motion, saying “the Defendant has serious new felony charges that will be considered by the Grand Jury,” but did not elaborate on what the charges would be.
Each defendant in the case has been ordered to undergo competency evaluations at the request of their attorneys.
