The Ohio father of 16 children rescued from what authorities described as a "house of horrors" may not be mentally fit to stand trial, his attorney stated Friday. Gary Siders Jr., 36, is one of four family members facing 16 felony counts of child endangerment.
Siders Jr.'s lawyer, R. Lee Roberts, filed a motion for leave requesting a mental competency evaluation for his client. The motion asserts that the defendant's competency to stand trial has been raised and that supporting documents contain "highly sensitive mental-health information" directly reflecting Siders Jr.'s psychiatric condition. Roberts also requested that these documents be filed under seal.
This legal maneuver follows a judge's decision to grant two gag orders in the case, one of which was requested by Roberts, to prevent Ohio officials from publicly discussing the case outside of court proceedings and filed documents.
Authorities executed a search warrant on June 30 in relation to public indecency charges against Siders Jr., which led to the discovery of the deplorable conditions in which the 16 children and four adults were living. The children, aged 18 months to 18 years, were allegedly kept in a feces-strewn 12-foot by 12-foot room, with some reportedly unable to speak. Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson described the scene as "horrific" and "pure evil," and the children as looking "almost feral animals."
Collectively, the Siders family faces 68 felony charges, with prosecutors alleging all 16 children suffered serious physical harm. Siders Jr., his wife Elizabeth Siders, 33, and his parents Gary Siders Sr., 73, and Christina "Lynn" Siders, 67, have all pleaded not guilty. They remain jailed on $300,000 bond each. If convicted, they could face a maximum sentence of up to 192 years in prison.