Ohio Mother of 16 'Almost Feral' Children Previously Gave Birth to Conjoined Twins Who Died

Elizabeth Siders, the 33-year-old mother of 16 children recently rescued from squalid conditions in Ohio, previously gave birth to conjoined twins who died hours after their premature birth, according to state vital statistics records. The twins, Bailey Lee and Faith Lee Siders, were born at 24 weeks gestation on November 20, 2022, at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. They were diagnosed with thoracopagus, a condition where the babies' chests and faces are fused. The records indicate the twins died later that same day from natural causes.

Siders and the children's father, Gary Siders Jr., along with the children's grandparents, Gary Siders Sr. and Christina Siders, were arrested on child endangerment charges. Authorities discovered the 16 children, aged 1 to 18, living in a feces-filled room measuring 12 by 12 feet. Officials described the living conditions as "deplorable" and "third-world," with local livestock reportedly living in better conditions.

The children had reportedly been isolated in the cramped room for at least four years, with no enrollment in school. Many exhibited developmental delays, with some unable to communicate or speak at all. The oldest child, an 18-year-old, is developmentally disabled and cannot write her name, according to investigators.

Following their rescue, some of the children were admitted to hospitals across Ohio, with at least two airlifted to trauma centers and one requiring intubation. An uncle of the children revealed that even some family members were unaware of the total number of children, believing the couple had around 10. He stated that the extended family was "horrified" and "worried about the kids" upon learning of the extent of the alleged abuse.

Elizabeth Siders was reportedly 15 years old when she married Gary Siders Jr., then 18, in 2008. Their oldest child was reportedly born two months after the marriage. Court records list the ages of the other children as 16, 15, 14, 13, 11, 10, 8, 6, 5, along with sets of 4-year-old, 2-year-old, and 1-year-old twins.

The four defendants pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of child endangerment. Their bail was set at $300,000 each. They waived their preliminary hearings, and if convicted, each faces a maximum sentence of up to 192 years in prison.