THE mom of 16 kids found living in squalor may be suffering from ‘mental health issues,’ her lawyer has claimed as he seeks a psychiatric evaluation to determine if she is fit to stand trial.
Elizabeth Siders, 33, was among after police rescued the children from a filthy home in rural Ohio on June 30.
Police said the children — aged between 18 months and 18 years old — were found trapped in a 12-by-12-foot room in .
Sheriff Ryan Cain said the children appeared to be almost like “feral animals,” some unable to speak, adding, “Our livestock was kept in better conditions.”
Elizabeth was arrested alongside her husband, , 36, and his parents, Gary Siders Sr., 73, and Christina Siders, 67.
The four were each charged with 16 counts of endangering children after the rescue.
All four relatives have pleaded not guilty to all charges.
A judge previously ordered they are not allowed to contact the children or each other.
Authorities allege the kids had not been attending school and that some were suffering from severe medical neglect.
Elizabeth’s attorneys have now filed a motion asking Vinton County Judge Laina Fetherolf Rogers to order a mental health evaluation to determine whether she is competent to stand trial and face the charges against her.
Her lawyer said that after meeting with multiple times for extended periods, he observed her “demeanor, conduct and comprehension.”
The filing reads, “These interactions lead Counsel to believe that the Defendant may be suffering from significant mental health issues and that Competency may be an issue and a clear impediment to the Defendant’s ability to assist in her own defense.”
An evaluation would determine whether Elizabeth understands the charges against her and can participate in her trial.
The defense is also seeking an assessment of whether she was legally insane at the time of the alleged offenses, which could support a potential Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity plea.
Her counsel said the request was filed in good faith to examine her mental state both now and at the time of the alleged incidents.
Elizabeth appeared in court on July 1 for an initial appearance hearing and bond was set at $300,000 cash or surety.
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson previously called the scene “pure evil.”
“It really looked third world. It’s the type of thing that we’re not used to seeing here in America,” he said.
Though all the children are now safe and being cared for, officials said if they had waited another 24 hours, there may have been multiple deaths.
Police claimed the conditions had a high .
A warrant was issued the same day investigators arrived at the Ohmer Street property in connection with a parallel case involving domestic abuse and child neglect allegations.
Elizabeth’s attorney, Thomas Stolly, previously claimed they were not abusing the children and simply .
He said, “This is very clearly a case where my client and the Siders family were living in extreme poverty.
“And sometimes when you’re living in a case like that, you’re living in a home and that’s what you’ve known for years and years.
“You don’t necessarily see how bad things have gotten. You don’t necessarily see this the way that the rest of the world would.”
Last week, a Vinton County judge also ordered competency evaluations for the other three family members.
Siders Sr. was released from jail and hospitalized due to his ailing medical condition, which prosecutors feared could have bankrupted Vinton County.