Ohio grandfather of 16 children living in filth incompetent to stand trial
A man whose 16 grandchildren were discovered living in squalid conditions at a rural southern Ohio home is found mentally incompetent to stand trial.
A 73-year-old grandfather of 16 children, discovered living in deplorable conditions in a dilapidated home in southern Ohio, has been deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial. The children, aged from 18 months to 18 years, had been confined to a 3.5-square-meter room for approximately four years, suffering from appalling living conditions.
The children were not enrolled in school, and the family had evaded leaving any paper trail, including birth certificates. All family members, including the children's parents and grandmother, have been charged with 16 counts of felony child endangerment. Gary Siders Sr., the grandfather, was found mentally incompetent to stand trial on Wednesday.
His attorney stated that his mental health had been declining for years and was not restorable. The family, who had moved around southern Ohio over the past two decades, pleaded not guilty to the charges. Neighbors were unaware of children residing at the house, with one resident expressing disbelief at the situation. The children have since been placed in temporary state custody.
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