A forensic psychologist believes the alleged abuse uncovered inside Ohio’s “house of horrors” was driven by an “established family dynamic” – with one person acting as the catalyst.

On June 30, investigators entered a rural home in Vinton County, Ohio, where they discovered 16 children, ranging in age from 18 months to 18 years, allegedly living in conditions authorities described as “deplorable.”

Detectives believe more than half of the children had spent the previous four years confined to a single 12-foot-by-12-foot room inside the home, which was reportedly covered in dirt and feces.

Attorney General Andy Wilson described what investigators found as “pure evil,” saying the years of alleged neglect had left a devastating toll on the children.

“They looked like almost feral animals. It was terrible,” Wilson said. “I have never seen anything like what I saw today. It really looked third world. It is not something we are used to seeing in America.”

‘Cannot get the smell off of me’
“I cannot get the smell off of me,” the attorney general explained, while Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain added, “Most of their livestock was kept in better condition than their children.”

Many of the children were reportedly mute, and according to authorities, they had not been enrolled in school.

“One of the investigative challenges is that [the children] are limited. They can communicate, but it’s extremely limited, and some not at all,” the sheriff said during a news conference.

Elizabeth Siders, 33, her husband Gary Siders Jr., 36, Gary Siders Sr., 73, and Christina Siders, 77, have each been charged with 16 counts of second-degree felony child endangerment.

All four have pleaded not guilty and are being held in jail on a $300,000 bond – except for Gary Sr.

Competency questions
As the case moves forward, Gary Sr.’s own ability to stand trial has come under scrutiny.

Court records show his attorney has requested a competency evaluation while also indicating an insanity defense is being considered. The filing states there are concerns about the grandfather understanding of the legal proceedings and his ability to describe basic facts about himself.

“There’s certainly been some issues about him being able to move forward with the legal process,” Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer said, according to ABC 6.

Care could ‘bankrupt Vinton County’
Gary Sr.’s physical health has also become a factor in the case.

According to Archer, the elderly man recently fell and was taken to OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital before doctors recommended he be transferred to an undisclosed medical facility for more specialized treatment.

Because of the potential cost of that care, Judge Laina Rogers agreed to change his $300,000 cash bond to a $300,000 recognizance bond so he could receive treatment outside the county jail while being monitored by GPS.

“Based [on] the information that we were provided, his medical care could potentially bankrupt Vinton County,” Archer said in court, according to ABC 6, clarifying the type of care he needs is unknown.

“We were not going to put that burden also on our local taxpayers. It was agreed that we would do a recognizance bond, so he could get the medical treatment that the doctors say he needs and won’t cost the county that money. If he’s released from then he will then be equipped with a GPS monitor.”

‘Established family dynamic’
Despite the questions surrounding Gary Sr.’s competency, forensic psychologist John Delatorre believes investigators should not overlook the alleged role the family patriarch and his wife may have played in maintaining years of abuse.

Speaking to WSYX ABC 6, Delatorre said long-term abuse rarely continues without careful planning and an “established family dynamic.”

“The ways in which this thing gets covered up requires planning, right? It requires a sophistication in being able to avoid what would be positive resources, but also law enforcement,” he said.

According to Delatorre, that level of control is more likely to come from someone who has shaped the family’s environment over many years.

“And I think, when we think of who has those capabilities, it’s usually someone who’s been doing it for a long period of time. It’s not someone who is, you know, relatively young,” he said.

“So, we’re looking at the grandparents essentially, right? The elder Siders and his wife as essentially being the catalyst for how these abuses could, number one, begin, but also kind of maintain.”

What do you think about the psychologist pointing to Christina and Gary Siders Sr. as being the “catalysts” behind the years of alleged abuse inside the Ohio home?