Ohio
Siders’ Ohio house of horrors: locals react to ‘den of evil’
Sixteen ‘almost feral’ children. Aged 18 months to 18 years. Hidden from sight in an Ohio house of horrors.
Until now.
It’s a situation difficult to fathom: Investigators found 16 kids living inside a 1,300-square-foot home in Vinton County, Ohio, confined in a 12-by-12 bedroom investigators say was covered in human waste. Gary Siders Jr., Elizabeth Siders, Gary Siders Sr., and Christina Siders were arrested on Tuesday, June 30th, and remain in jail after waiving their preliminary hearings today, Tuesday, July 7th.
Investigative reporter Anne Emerson goes beyond the headlines to understand the human impact in the developing Siders child abuse case. How did children live under these conditions for so long? We wanted to hear from the local community affected by this horrific story.
In this episode of Criminally Obsessed, we hear from those voices – from Captain Jeremiah Griffith who was a first responder to the shocking scene, to local Vinton County Pastor James Dimel who describes the community’s support of children who were trapped in a ‘den of evil’. Law enforcement and locals share their shock at the horror lurking in their own community. And Attorney Thomas Stolly, who represents Elizabeth Siders, says the case is more complicated than many believe, urging the public to remember that his client is presumed innocent.
Today, we react in real time to what we know so far in this developing story, and offer multiple perspectives of those closest to this case.
Subscribe to Criminally Obsessed for continuing coverage of the Siders investigation, true crime updates, courtroom developments, and exclusive interviews with the real people impacted by these cases.
Ohio
Four Things to Know About Oregon’s Biggest Regular Season Test vs. Ohio State
The Oregon Ducks’ 2026 season is getting closer to opening at Autzen Stadium, and the Ducks have some of the loftiest expectations surrounding the program in recent memory. The Ducks faced their toughest test in the regular season last season when the eventual national champion Indiana Hoosiers visited Autzen Stadium, and faced their toughest test of the 2024 season when the eventual national champion Ohio State Buckeyes visited Eugene.
Oregon Ducks Will Face Hostile Crowd in Columbus, Ohio.
With the start of the season around the corner, there is one game on the Ducks ‘ regular-season slate that stands out as their biggest test of the year.
Perhaps Oregon’s biggest test of the 2026 season won’t be at Autzen Stadium but rather on the road. The Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes on November 7 in Columbus at the Horseshoe for what promises to be another all-time classic. Ducks coach Dan Lanning is 1-1 in his career against Ohio State, defeating them in Eugene in 2024 before falling to Buckeyes coach Ryan Day’s side on January 1, 2025, at the Rose Bowl.
In terms of a game being a “test,” the Buckeyes in Columbus will certainly present one. At the late stages of the season, if the Ducks or Buckeyes both have one loss heading into the matchup, the loser of the game could potentially see their College Football hopes scattered to the wind.
Oregon Defensive Coordinator Chris Hampton Will Have to Slow Down Ohio State Stars
Eug 031623 Uo Spring Fb 06 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The Buckeyes’ offense could very well be the biggest test new Oregon defensive coordinator Chris Hampton will see all season, as he will be tasked with coming up with a game plan to stop not only Heisman Trophy hopeful quarterback Julian Sayin, but arguably the best wide receiver in all of college football in Jeremiah Smith.
The Ducks should have the advantage in the trenches as far as the defensive line in nearly every game this season, with the entire starting defensive line having chosen to come back to Eugene for another season.
Oregon Ducks Quarterback Dante Moore Will Have to Have Poise
Ducks quarterback Dante Moore will face a massive test in his own right. The Horseshoe is routinely one of the toughest places to play, and Moore will have to call back on his calm demeanor in the Ducks’ win over Penn State in Happy Valley to put in a respectable performance away at Ohio State.
Dan Lanning Will Have Massive Test Game Planning for Julian Sayin
Perhaps the biggest test in the Ducks’ late regular-season game against the Buckeyes will be for coach Dan Lanning. Lanning has shown that he can game plan well against teams coached by Day, evidenced by the Ducks’ win over the Buckeyes back in 2024, but he will have to do it on the road this time. Lanning has also been prone to big losses in critical stages, with his two losses last year against the Hoosiers and the blowout loss to the Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl Game two seasons ago.
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Ohio
Car crashes into fitness center in Warren
WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) — Police are investigating after a car crashed into a popular fitness center in Warren.
Just before 10 p.m., a car drove into the Planet Fitness on Elm Road. The car has since been removed from the building.
Bystanders tell our crew on scene that two people were taken away by ambulance.
Warren’s Police Department is investigating the cause of the crash.
Alex Sorrells contributed to this report.
Ohio
Veteran Officer Among 4 Dead in Ohio Shooting
A nighttime call about a break-in in small-town Ohio ended with four people dead, including a police sergeant and a 13-year-old girl. Authorities say officers arrived around 9:30pm Sunday in Rittman, about 20 miles west of Akron, and were immediately met with gunfire, the Canton Repository reports. Sgt. Scott Ries, a 10-year veteran of the Rittman Police Department and a former Wayne County deputy sheriff, was fatally shot while responding to what officials described as a disturbance call.
- Four other officers—three Medina County sheriff’s deputies and a Hinckley Police Department officer—were injured, the AP reports. Two were hospitalized in stable condition and two were treated at the scene. A Wayne County K-9, Vick, was badly injured.
The suspected shooter, 38-year-old Brandon Fazekas, died from a wound consistent with suicide, the coroner said. The Wayne County coroner identified the other victims as the suspect’s ex-partner and her daughter, WKYC reports. The coroner said 43-year-old Christine McWilliams and her 13-year-old daughter, McKinley, were both killed in what appear to be homicides. Rittman is a town of around 6,100 people on the border between Wayne and Medina counties.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is leading the probe. In a statement, the city of Rittman praised Reis, 54, for his “honor and courage” and “enduring commitment to protecting others.” “Our hearts are broken with this unimaginable loss,” the city said.
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