How were 16 children kept hidden in one room for years, the event that shocked the US

Neighbors of the family in Hamden, Ohio, employees at local stores where they were shopping and even investigators who responded to the incident are asking themselves about it, and limited information shared by investigators does not offer a complete answer.

Children were not enrolled in school, the family had moved over the past two decades, and neighbors said they had never seen children.

The children were largely confined to a small room at home, according to investigators, under dire conditions.

“Precisely in front of our noses and nobody was able to help”, said Emily Collins, 27, resident of the village.

Authorities said they had gone home on Tuesday for an investigation and discovered children between the ages of 1 and 18 and unable to speak.

Seven were sent to hospitals, including one in critical condition.

Four people, who are parents and grandparents, were arrested on charges of endangering their children.

It is reported that Gary Siders Jr., 36, Gary Siders, 73, Elizabeth Siders, 33, and Christina Siders, 67, were declared innocent of child endangerment.

The children's mother, Elizabeth Siders, married their father, Gary Siders Jr., when she was 15, and all the children are theirs, according to her lawyer, Thomas Stolly.

In fact, the first question my client asked me when I went to jail and introduced myself was for her children. She asked me if her children were okay, asked if I knew where they were, and asked when she would be able to see” again, Stolly said.

Stolly said his client told him that all children were born in local hospitals and that she considers herself a cautious mother.

She left high school behind 11th grade.

I think this is more of a case of isolation than a case of evil, and I think there's an important difference here. Because if that's all you know and you have to think that someone aged 15 doesn't know much about being a mother, to be a woman”, Stolly said.

Another Siders family lawyer also called on people to wait before taking the trial.

“We urge the community in general, as well as anyone who might have interest in this case, take a deep breath, take a step back and let the matter dawn and the facts come to light”, Dorian Baum said.

Authorities did not disclose the nature of the next investigation that led them to Siders' house.

However, the court's data shows that an arrest warrant for Siders Jr was issued that day. on charges of obvious exposure to suspected incidents.

These people were pretty good at hiding these children”, said Wilson, the state attorney general.

The absence of children at school and the apparent lack of regular visits with medical professionals will likely have contributed to maintaining the unknown serious situation, according to Jacques Yahn, associate professor at the University of Ohio.

The children spent most of their time in a room that was approximately five feet [3.5 m] by five feet [3.5 m], according to investigators who noticed that there were dung all around them.