Second home connected to Ohio family accused of endangering 16 children found as neighbors recall disturbing conditions

Authorities investigating the Ohio family accused of endangering 16 children have uncovered another property linked to them, raising fresh questions about the conditions the children may have lived in before they were rescued. The second home is located about 6.2 miles from the Hamden, Ohio, property where the children were found earlier this month.

Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders, Gary Siders Jr., and Elizabeth Siders were arrested and charged with second-degree felony child endangerment after officials discovered what first responders described as extremely disturbing conditions at the Hamden home. According to The Tab, Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said investigators found extensive bacterial contamination along with human waste throughout the property.

Officials later confirmed that the family had previously lived at a home in nearby Gallia County between 2020 and 2024 before relocating to Hamden. While authorities have not said exactly when the family moved, property records show the Gallia County home was purchased by a new owner in May, leaving behind another location that has since drawn attention.

The deeper this story goes, the harder those living conditions are to comprehend

Neighbor Melissa Edmonds said she had only limited contact with the Siders family while they lived in Gallia County. She recalled that her nephew played with some of the children during the summer of 2021 or 2022, and her sister-in-law mentioned the children had interacted with her own kids. However, beyond those encounters, the families never developed a relationship.

The allegations have also drawn attention to other recent child-abuse investigations involving disturbing living conditions. In one Florida case, authorities said a teen with special needs allegedly chained to a fence was discovered at a home during a welfare investigation.

After the family moved out, the home appeared mostly abandoned and remained in poor condition, Edmonds said. Bruce Gullick, who later carried out renovation work at the property, described an overwhelming odor inside that was difficult to tolerate. He also said he discovered children’s clothing hidden in the attic, making it appear that someone had been living there.

Gullick said the home was covered in both human and pet waste, descriptions that closely matched what investigators later reported finding at the Hamden property. Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson previously said the smell inside the Hamden home lingered with him after his visit, adding that the conditions were difficult to imagine anyone living in, especially children.

Records reviewed by reporters, including Elizabeth Siders’ birthing records, indicate the family moved several times over the years. Addresses connected to Hamden, Gallia County, and Chippewa County appeared at different points when she gave birth in hospitals. Officials have not disclosed how many homes the family occupied altogether or provided a complete timeline of those moves.

The discovery of a second neglected property has only added more questions as investigators continue piecing together the family’s living history.