New details continue to emerge about the case of the 16 minors found living in unsanitary conditions inside a home in Vinton County, Ohio.

Ronnie Fletcher, who is married to a daughter of Gary Siders Sr. and Christina “Lynn” Siders, broke his silence to ensure that he and other family members were completely unaware of the situation that, according to authorities, was occurring inside the home.

“If we had known that the house was like this, we would have done something, even if it was taking the children or helping them financially,” he told WOWK-TV.

Fletcher said the family had been estranged from the defendants for several years and maintained that they only learned of the allegations when authorities announced the arrests.

He also assured that, after the case became public, several relatives not involved in the investigation have received threats, including their own children, a situation that led them to delete their social media accounts for fear of reprisals.

Four members of a family face 16 charges each

Authorities detained Gary Siders Sr., 73; Christina Siders, 67; Gary Siders Jr., 36; and Elizabeth Siders, 33, who each face 16 counts of child endangerment.

All four pleaded not guilty.

The judge set bail at $300,000 for each defendant, ordered that they not have contact with each other or with the minors and established that they must wear an electronic monitoring device if released.

Each count, considered a second-degree felony, could carry sentences of between two and 12 years in prison upon conviction.

Documents reveal that Elizabeth Siders married when she was 15 years old

As part of the investigation, West Virginia marriage records also came to light showing that Elizabeth Siders married Gary Siders Jr. in March 2008.

According to those documents, Elizabeth was 15 years old and approximately seven months pregnant when she obtained permission from her parents and a judge to marry Gary Jr., who was 18 years old at the time.

Records indicate that they both resided in neighboring Gallia County, Ohio, and that their first child was born just two months after their marriage.

Likewise, it was learned that Elizabeth later gave birth to conjoined twin girls, who died shortly after being born prematurely in 2022. The death certificates attribute the deaths to natural causes related to extreme prematurity, and authorities indicated that these deaths are not part of the current investigation.

Authorities continue to investigate the case

The investigation remains open and authorities have indicated that new charges could be filed as the evidence progresses.

Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson has repeatedly described the file as an “intra-familial” case, although authorities have not publicly explained the scope of that description. They have also reiterated that this is not a case of human trafficking and that there is no risk to the community.

Investigators maintain that the 16 minors, whose ages range from 18 months to 18 years, lived in extremely precarious conditions.

According to the authorities, several of the children had serious difficulties communicating, none were attending school and many were confined to a small space in the home for much of the time.

Following the operation, seven minors were taken to Columbus area hospitals, including two who required evacuation by helicopter. So far no new updates on his health have been released.

While the investigation continues, the authorities reiterated that their priority is to guarantee the recovery of the minors and determine all criminal responsibilities derived from the case.