Authorities in Ohio have arrested and charged four family members after discovering 16 children living in severe neglect in a rural home. The suspects include the parents, Gary Siders Jr., 36, and Elizabeth Siders, 33, as well as the grandparents, Gary Siders Sr., 73, and Christina Siders, 67.

All four individuals face charges of second-degree felony child endangering following an investigation in Vinton County.

Law enforcement officials found the boys and girls, who range in age from 18 months to 18 years, inside a small, dilapidated house in the village of Hamden. Investigators stated that the property lacked basic sanitation and showed clear signs of human waste. Several of the children required immediate medical attention upon their rescue and were transported to nearby hospitals.

The investigation indicates that the family had been highly mobile, moving across different parts of the state before arriving in Vinton County roughly four years ago. The children were kept entirely out of the education system, with none of them enrolled in school. The oldest child, an 18-year-old with developmental disabilities, was unable to spell her own name.

Severely restricted living conditions

Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain described the residence as "disgusting" and noted that the conditions showed signs of human excrement. He stated that investigators believe the 16 children were restricted to a single 12ft by 12ft room for the majority of the four years they spent at the property. The isolation severely impacted their development, leaving some of the youth completely non-verbal and others with very limited speech capabilities.

"Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children," Cain stated during a news conference detailing the rescue operation, per Sky News.

Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson expressed shock over the situation, noting that the conditions "really looked third world" and adding that "It's just almost beyond comprehension." Wilson explained that the family managed to keep the children hidden from the community for years, using a home that was owned by a trust.

"Some of these children couldn't even speak," Wilson said regarding the state of the youth. "It was terrible. They looked like almost feral animals. It was terrible."

Gary Siders Sr., 73, and the others face 17 total counts of child endangering. Credit: Vinton County Sheriff’s Office

Medical emergencies and legal proceedings

The children were immediately removed from the home and taken to the hospital for evaluations. While some have been examined and released into protective custody, others required urgent medical interventions. According to state officials, one child was placed in intensive care, and two others had to be flown to trauma centers due to the severity of their injuries.

The four defendants made their first court appearance in Vinton County via a video link from the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail. During the hearing, the judge entered not guilty pleas on behalf of all four family members.

The court set a bond of $300,000 for each defendant. As part of their bail conditions, the judge issued a strict order barring the parents and grandparents from having any contact with the children or with each other while the legal process moves forward.

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After 16 children, some with severe injuries, were rescued from a home full of excrement, four people, believed to be their parents and grandparents, have been charged with 17 counts of child endangerment.

The children, aged between one-and-a-half and 18, were discovered inside a crumbling house by the Vinton County Sheriff's Office in Ohio on Tuesday, June 30, and were described to be "kept in worse conditions than livestock”.

Law enforcement officers described the scene as “pure evil”, while Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson told a news conference they were found in “Conditions you cannot even imagine people being in, let alone children being in.”

Tragically, he added, “Some of these children couldn’t even speak.”

The property the children were found in was falling apart. Credit: Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson

Some of the children were completely mute

The area the children were held captive in for “most of the last four years” was reportedly no larger than 12 by 12 feet and had a high presence of human excrement.

The house they were found in, which is believed to belong to a deceased owner, was in such terrible condition that the children were “literally about to fall through the floor”, according to Wilson.

Heartbreakingly, the children had suffered such “serious physical harm” that two had to be flown to specialist trauma centres, while another seven were taken to Columbus Hospitals, with one admitted to the ICU and intubated.

Although the neglected brood were only thought to have been held in the decrepit Ohio property for four years, it is presumed that they had been mistreated and kept captive for the majority of their short lives, as the 18-year-old could not spell her own name and many of the others were completely mute.

Gary Siders Sr., 73, and the others face 17 total counts of child endangerment. Credit: Vinton County Sheriff’s Office

Neighbours had no idea what was going on

According to WBNS, neighbours told authorities that they were completely unaware of any children living in the home and believed that the adults who were keeping them captive were not locals and appeared to be travelling.

The neglected children were only discovered by local law enforcement while investigating another crime entirely.

While officials have not yet commented on the relationship between the children, they did confirm it was not a case of human trafficking, and the four adults responsible for their neglect have been cited as parents and grandparents, so it is assumed that they are a large group of siblings.

Since their arrest on Tuesday, Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders of Hamden, Ohio, entered not guilty pleas at a digital hearing.

Each sickening adult faces a minimum of two to eight years and a maximum of 12 years in prison for each of the 17 charges.

Featured image credit: Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson

A neighbor who lived just a few houses away from the Ohio home where 16 children were discovered living in horrific conditions has revealed he had no idea they were there.

Authorities say the children, who ranged in age from 18 months to 18 years old, had been living in a dilapidated home in Hamden, Ohio, surrounded by human waste and confined to a single room for much of the past four years. Officials said some of the children were unable to speak, while one 18-year-old with developmental disabilities could not even write her own name.

The children's parents, Gary Siders Jr. and Christina Siders, along with grandparents Gary Siders Sr. and Elizabeth Siders, have each been charged with felony child endangering. A judge entered not guilty pleas on their behalf Wednesday and set bond at $300,000 each. They have not yet been assigned attorneys.

Neighbor says he never saw the children

Neighbor Joseph Stewart, 60, said he was stunned after learning what authorities had uncovered just three houses away.

"I saw no kids at all" since the family moved into the home, Stewart told The Associated Press, explaining that he could clearly see the house and yard whenever he passed by.

"It's a sad situation," he added, describing the area as."

The property sits along a road beside a steep railroad embankment. While neighboring homes are separated by trees and thick brush, the house itself is visible from the road.

On Wednesday, the home's doors and windows were left open as investigators continued their work. Trash could be seen inside, while the yard contained piles of discarded items, including tires, a high chair, two broken bicycles, a plastic play table, a beach pail, and two infant carriers.

Officials describe horrifying conditions

Authorities discovered the children Tuesday while serving a search warrant connected to an unrelated investigation, according to Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson.

"We didn't know there were going to be 16 kids there," Wilson said.

Officials said the children were not enrolled in school and appeared to have been hidden from public view for years.

"These folks were pretty good at hiding these kids," Wilson said.

Investigators are also reviewing whether the family had ever been reported to children's services agencies.

Gary Siders Sr., 73, and the others face 17 total counts of child endangering. Credit: Vinton County Sheriff’s Office

Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said the children had apparently spent most of their time inside a room measuring roughly 12 feet by 12 feet. Although investigators did not find cages inside the home, Cain described what deputies encountered as shocking.

"Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children," Cain said. "Just a disgusting scene."

Wilson also described the children's appearance after they were rescued.

"They looked like almost feral animals," Wilson said. "It was terrible."

Seven children were transported to hospitals in Columbus, while two others were flown by helicopter. Officials said one child was in critical condition Tuesday, while several others were admitted for treatment. All 16 children are now in the temporary custody of the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services.

Vinton County Prosecuting Attorney William Archer said the four adults face second-degree felony child endangering charges because the allegations involve "serious physical harm."

Officials said the children are all members of the same family, although authorities have not disclosed the exact relationship between each child.

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Three Amish children were miraculously saved after they were heard crying while trapped in the remains of the Kentucky tornado aftermath, Washington Post reports.

The children lived with their parents in a double-wide trailer, but tragically the deadly tornado swept through their home and nearby surroundings.

The surviving children lost both parents, and two siblings: Marilyn, age seven, and Daniel, age four.

The current death toll from the tornadoes is over 90 deaths counted across five states.

At a press conference Monday morning, Governor Andy Beshear confirmed 64 dead, but revised that number later in the day.

The state has 74 deaths, and 105 people unaccounted for. Beshear estimates the state's total death count could reach 80 people or higher.

Per BBC News, Governor Andy Beshear stated that the number could go up in what he has referred to as the most severe set of tornadoes in Kentucky history.

The death toll from the extreme weather could ultimately exceed 100 people, Beshear said during a press conference on Saturday morning.

"This is going to be some of the worst tornado damage that we've seen in a long time," Beshear said. "This is likely to be the most severe tornado outbreak in our state's history."

The disaster has so far seen at least 30 deadly tornadoes sweep through the Mississippi Valley.

President Joe Biden promised to get federal help to the areas affected as soon as possible after declaring an emergency and ordering assistance for the Kentucky town ravaged by the tornado.

"All that I know is that the intensity of the weather across the board has some impact as a consequence of the warming of the planet and the climate change," he said.

"The specific impact on these specific storms, I can't say at this point. I'm going to be asking the EPA and others to take a look," Biden added.

What's more, Biden promised that he would visit Kentucky but at a point where he and his team wouldn't be "in the way".

Beshear said at a briefing midday on Saturday the death toll was now "north of 70" and that "it may in fact end up exceeding 100 before the day is done."

At least 84 people were reported dead by Saturday evening. In addition to the 70 in Kentucky, six more are dead in Illinois, four in Tennessee, and two each in Arkansas and Missouri.

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A grandmother's chilling note was discovered after she allegedly poisoned her daughter and four grandchildren before taking her own life.

The bodies of 64-year-old Amy Steadman, her daughter Sarah Myers, 44, and Myers' four children were found inside an apartment in Mechanicville on Tuesday after a concerned neighbor requested a welfare check.

Mechanicville Police Chief William Rabbitt said officers were called after neighbors reported not seeing Steadman for some time.

"When officers were unable to make contact with Ms. Steadman, building management was contacted and access to the apartment was obtained. Upon entering the residence, officers located six deceased individuals," Rabbitt said, per The Mirror.

Authorities later identified the victims as Myers and her children, Harper Harmon, 13, Hudson Harmon, 11, and 10-year-old twins Gavin and Gracelynn Harmon.

A mother and her four children are believed to have been poisoned by their grandmother. Credit: Sarah Myers/Facebook

Neighbor noticed a 'smell of death'

Police believe the family had been dead for an "extended period of time," with investigators initially struggling to identify the victims because of the condition of their remains.

Neighbor Stephanie Sweeney said she became worried after not hearing from the family for nearly two weeks. She said that she noticed a foul odor coming from the apartment.

"I noticed the smell of death," Sweeney said, recalling that flies had gathered around the windows and air conditioner.

She contacted police for a welfare check at around 6:20PM on Tuesday.

"I knew immediately, so I just called, I had to," she said.

Police say a grandmother is believed to have poisoned her daughter and four grandchildren before taking her own life. Credit: Facebook

Handwritten note recovered from the apartment

Although the investigation remains ongoing, Rabbitt said evidence collected at the scene points to Steadman being responsible for the deaths.

Investigators recovered evidence "to indicate intentional poisoning," including "numerous prescription and over-the-counter medications."

Police also revealed that one of the children "suffered fatal sharp force injuries," though authorities have not disclosed which child.

Officials said they have found nothing to suggest anyone from outside the family was involved and believe everything happened inside the apartment.

The contents of the handwritten note have not been released.

Police awaiting final autopsy results

Law enforcement said the causes and manners of death for all six victims remain pending while investigators await toxicology reports, final autopsy findings, and the medical examiner's conclusions.

"We understand the public's desire to identify someone to hold responsible. However, it is important that this investigation be completed thoroughly and professionally before final conclusions are reached," Rabbitt said. "There remains no threat to the public."

The police chief also confirmed the children were homeschooled rather than enrolled in public school.

"Mechanicville is a close-knit city. Many residents knew the family involved, have children and grandchildren of their own, or simply cannot comprehend the loss of six lives under such heartbreaking circumstances," he added.

The family had been involved in a custody dispute

As investigators continue working to determine what happened, social media posts offer a glimpse into the family's life before the tragedy.

Myers regularly posted photos celebrating her children and once referred to herself as "mama bear" alongside a cartoon image featuring each of them.

Steadman also frequently posted about her grandchildren, writing in one post: "Any day with a grandchild in my arms, on my lap, in my home, or on my mind is an amazing day!"

The family had also been dealing with a lengthy custody dispute between Myers and her ex-husband, Brady Harmon.

According to court records, Harmon filed for divorce in March 2020, with the case concluding two months ago. Myers was awarded sole physical custody, while the former couple shared joint legal custody.

Harmon was ordered to pay $500 per week in child support and was granted scheduled visitation during the summer months.

Less than two months later, he filed an emergency motion seeking to enforce the custody order, while records show Myers had been ordered to appear in court on June 29, 2026, in potential contempt proceedings.

Public records reviewed did not show any criminal history for Harmon.

Police are cleaning out the apartment where the horrific incident took place. Credit : WNYT News Channel 13 Albany

Father says reunion with children was days away

Harmon revealed that he had not seen his children since 2019 but had recently reached an agreement that would have allowed them to spend the summer together.

"I went from I’m seeing my kids to I’ll never see my kids again," he said. "Hope to hell. Things happen, but nothing like this."

He said police have not told him how his children died and added that he does not know who could be responsible.

The custody agreement would have allowed the children to stay with him in Utah from July 1 until September 1.

Now, the distraught father says he plans to bury them there. "I want them as far away as possible from their mother," he said.

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