Grandad of 16 rescued kids has been released, and the reason would have ‘bankrupted’ the county

Gary Siders Sr, the grandfather of the 16 kids who were rescued in Ohio, has been released for a reason that would have ultimately “bankrupted” Vinton County.

Alongside his wife, Christine Siders, his son, Gary Siders Jr, and his daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Siders, Gary Sr was arrested and charged with second-degree felony child endangerment last week. When police went to the property to arrest Gary Jr on unrelated charges, they found 16 kids in “deplorable” conditions. Most could barely talk; there were bugs everywhere, and the smell still haunts first responders.

Credit: WSYX

At a press conference on Wednesday, Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer said that Gary Siders Sr had a fall when police transported him. During medical intervention, it became clear that the grandfather had a whole host of medical issues. He was released on a recognisance bond, taken to a nearby hospital and then a specialist facility that could deal with the specific medical issues he’s facing.

“The community is not at risk because of this bond,” the County Prosecutor said, stating that the grandfather would have to wear GPS monitoring if released into the public after medical attention.

The decision ultimately came down to money. When convicted criminals require medical attention, it falls to the federal government, but when someone is in the middle of the legal process, it falls to the individual counties to cough up funds.

“Based on the information that we were provided, his medical care could potentially bankrupt Vinton County,” he added. “We were not going to put that burden also on our local taxpayers, so it was agreed that we would do a recognisance bond.”

Gary Siders Sr might not take part in the trial

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All of the Siders family have now recieved legal representation, with Gary Siders Sr’s lawyer, Dorian Baum, suggesting he might not be competent enough to stand trial. Instead, he would be found not guilty by reason of insanity.

“Just by looking at him, my first impression is that I have concerns about his competence. I have concerns about his mental health. I have concerns about his ability to assist in his own defence. These are all things that are bedrock, bedrock conditions you need to move forward in any case,” he argued.

“So my first initial talking with him essentially is going to be, you know, is this a person who we need to evaluate for whether or not he’s competent to stand trial? Is this a person who is potentially not guilty by reason of insanity or any of the other possible defences?”

At the press conference on Wednesday, William Archer confirmed that Dorian had filed to declare the grandfather incompetent.

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Featured image credit: 10TV/Southern Ohio Regional Jail