Ohio town shocked by 16 kids found living in squalor 'right under our noses'

By — Julie Carr Smyth, Associated Press Julie Carr Smyth, Associated Press By — Rebecca Boone, Associated Press Rebecca Boone, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/ohio-town-shocked-by-16-kids-found-living-in-squalor-right-under-our-noses Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Ohio town shocked by 16 kids found living in squalor 'right under our noses' Nation Jul 3, 2026 4:55 PM EDT HAMDEN, Ohio (AP) — Just days after authorities removed 16 siblings from a squalid home and arrested their parents and grandparents, the question looms over their southern Ohio village: How could this have happened, for years, unnoticed, right here? Neighbors of the family in tiny Hamden, employees at local stores where they shopped and even the investigators who responded to the scene have been left to wonder that aloud and to themselves, and the limited information shared by investigators doesn't offer a full answer. READ MORE: 16 children rescued from Ohio home looked 'almost feral,' authorities say The children weren't enrolled in school, the family moved around over the past two decades, and neighbors said they'd never spotted the kids. The children remained mostly confined to a small room in the house, investigators said, under deplorable conditions. "Right under our noses and nobody was able to help them sooner," said Emily Collins, 27, owner of VC Farm & Floral in nearby McArthur, as she lamented how the case goes against the grain of the tight-knit community. "It's just crazy with all the wonderful things going on in our little Hallmark town and this is what puts us on the radar. It's really sad," said the mother of three, who pulled out her chalk and decorated the sidewalk in front of her shop with bright flowers and stars drawn for the Fourth of July to cheer herself up. Authorities said they had gone to the home Tuesday on an unrelated investigation and discovered the children — ages 1 1/2 to 18 years old — some of whom were unable to speak. Seven were taken to hospitals, including one who was in critical condition, investigators said. Their current conditions weren't immediately known Thursday. Child welfare officials have temporary custody of the children. Lawyers: Let the case 'play out' Four people who are the children's parents and grandparents were arrested on child endangerment charges. Gary Siders Jr., 36, Gary Siders, 73, Elizabeth Siders, 33, and Christina Siders, 67, pleaded not guilty to child endangerment. Bond was set at $300,000 each. The children's mother, Elizabeth Siders, married their father Gary Siders Jr. when she was 15, and all of the children are theirs, her attorney, Thomas Stolly, told The Associated Press. She was "crying and exhausted" when he met with her on Thursday, Stolly said. "In fact, my client's first question to me when I walked into the jail and introduced myself was about her kids. She asked if her children were OK, she ask