VINTON COUNTY, Ohio — The lawyer wey dey represent one of the four pipo wey police charge for Hamden child endangerment case don talk say im first meeting with im client show different picture from wetin investigators describe.
Thomas Stolly, wey dey represent Elizabeth Siders, meet her for Vinton County Jail on Thursday, just days after authorities remove 16 children from one house for Ohmer Street and charge four adults with multiple felony counts of child endangerment.
The case don draw statewide attention after Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson describe the condition inside the house as ‘pure evil.’
‘I can tell you this is pure evil. Wetin we see down here today na pure evil,’ Wilson talk during Wednesday news conference.
Stolly say those comments shape im expectations before he meet im client.
‘At one point, the term pure evil was used to describe Elizabeth and the home. At another point, there was comment say livestock been treated better. So I really no know wetin I dey walk into,’ Stolly talk.
After spending about one and half hour to speak with Siders, Stolly say he come out with different first impression.
‘The person wey I meet no be somebody wey come across as pure evil. Evil require malice, and the person wey I see there, Elizabeth, she no get that for her eyes, at least from this initial meeting,’ he talk.
According to Stolly, Siders appear timid, exhausted and emotionally drained after her arrest. He also say he ask if she see herself as victim for any way.
‘I ask her that question for couple roundabout ways, and she no get typical victim-minded mindset when answering,’ Stolly talk.
Instead, Stolly say Siders first concern center on her children.
‘The first question wey she ask me na, “Are the kids okay? When I fit see the kids? You know anything about where dem dey?” He say those questions stand out to him.
‘Usually when people dey jail, dem dey ask, “You fit get me out of here? When I fit get out?” So I think that one dey telling,’ Stolly talk.
Authorities allege 16 children, ranging from about 18 months to 8 years old, dey live inside deplorable conditions for the house. Officials say two children be flown to hospitals, while several others dey serious condition when dem remove dem.
One Dollar General employee wey tell ABC 6 say she frequently see members of the family describe the children appearance before the arrests.
‘The children dem all very thin, very very thin, ghost white, no get weight for their body, and dem get their hair over dem face, like to block out the outside world,’ the employee talk.
Elizabeth Siders, Gary Siders Sr., Gary Siders Jr., and Christina Siders don each be charged with multiple felony counts of child endangerment.
Stolly emphasize say the criminal case remain for im earliest stages and say investigators initial descriptions no tell the whole story.
‘A lot of the snapshots wey come out for media and for press conferences based on those initial perceptions. That no be the whole story,’ he talk.
He urge the public to allow the legal process to play out.
‘First impressions really dey matter. When we get language like pure evil, e dey important to combat that language and say innocent until proven guilty. Because that na wetin Elizabeth be,’ Stolly talk.
Stolly say he expect the case to take time as attorneys review evidence and continue dem investigation.
‘We still dey very early for this case,’ he talk. ‘There go be more information wey go come out, and some of e fit bring a lot of this into context.’
