Gary Siders Sr. ruled incompetent to stand trial in Ohio child endangerment case

A Vinton County judge has ruled Gary Siders Sr., 73, mentally incompetent to stand trial in connection with a case involving 16 grandchildren found living in squalid conditions in Hamden, Ohio. The judge accepted findings from a mental health evaluation, a decision that Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer did not contest.

Siders faces 16 counts of child endangerment. His attorney, Dorian Baum, stated that Siders’ mental health has been declining for years and is “not restorable,” noting that the defendant does not fully understand the legal proceedings. The defense has previously sought an evaluation for a possible insanity defense.

The children, ranging in age from 18 months to 18 years, were rescued on June 30 from a rural home. Authorities described the living conditions as deplorable, noting the children were largely confined to a small room and were not enrolled in school.

Other family members, including Siders’ wife Christina Siders, his son Gary Siders Jr., and daughter-in-law Elizabeth Siders, have pleaded not guilty to various charges. Competency hearings for the other three defendants have not yet been scheduled.