A judge in Vinton County, Ohio, has found Gary Siders Sr., 73, mentally incompetent to stand trial on 16 counts of child endangerment. The Vinton County Prosecutor's office did not object to the court's decision, which accepted the findings of a mental evaluation report.
Siders appeared in court in a wheelchair. His attorney stated that Siders' mental health has been declining for years and is "not restorable," adding that Siders "doesn't fully understand or appreciate what's going on."
The charges stem from the discovery of 16 grandchildren living in deplorable conditions in a rural southern Ohio home on June 30. The children, ranging in age from 18 months to 18 years, were reportedly confined to a small room. Some were described as "feral" and unable to speak, with varying medical conditions.
Investigators said the children were not enrolled in school, and the family had moved frequently over the past two decades. Neighbors reported never having seen the children.
Gary Siders Sr.'s wife, Christina Siders, and his son and daughter-in-law, Gary Siders Jr. and Elizabeth Siders (the children's mother), have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Court records indicate that Elizabeth Siders was 15 years old when she married Gary Siders Jr., then 18, in West Virginia in 2008, with parental consent.