Elizabeth Siders Gave Birth to Conjoined Twin Girls Who Died About an Hour Later, Records Show
Birth and death records have revealed a heartbreaking detail in the history of Elizabeth Siders, the Ohio mother currently facing child-endangerment charges involving her 16 surviving children.
Siders gave birth to conjoined twin daughters at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus on November 20, 2022, according to NBC4. The girls, identified in birth and death certificates as Faith Lee Siders and Bailey Lee Siders, were delivered at an estimated 24 weeks of pregnancy and died approximately one hour later.
The twins’ deaths were classified as natural, and their death certificates reportedly list the cause as respiratory failure due to thoracopagus conjoined twinning and extreme prematurity.
Thoracopagus twins are joined face-to-face at the chest. According to the Mayo Clinic, twins connected this way often share a heart and may also share a liver or part of the upper intestine.
Conjoined twins face a high risk of serious medical complications. They are also more likely to be born prematurely, and one or both babies may be stillborn or die shortly after birth. The outcome depends partly on where the twins are connected and which organs they share.
The twins’ deaths are not part of the criminal case
The Ohio Attorney General’s Office said investigators discovered the children while executing court-authorized search warrants at the Ohmer Street home. All four adults were charged with 16 counts each of endangering children, all second-degree felonies. They have pleaded not guilty.
The children were removed from the residence and placed in state custody. According to the attorney general’s July 1 update, they were initially taken to hospitals for evaluation. Some were treated and released, while others were transferred for higher levels of medical care and remained hospitalized in serious condition at that time. More recent reporting says all 16 children are now safe and receiving care.
Authorities have described the case as involving prolonged and extreme neglect and abuse. Those allegations have not yet been proven in court, and attorneys representing members of the family have urged the public not to reach conclusions before the evidence is presented.
Records identify 18 Siders children
ABC6 Investigates reviewed 15 birth certificates covering the 16 surviving children, as well as the two death certificates for Faith and Bailey. All of the records reportedly list Elizabeth Siders and Gary Siders Jr. as the parents.
Together, the records identify 18 children born to the couple over a period of less than 17 years.
They also show that Faith and Bailey were one of four sets of twins born to Elizabeth. Another set was born in February 2022, approximately nine months before the conjoined girls. Elizabeth subsequently gave birth to twins in January 2024 and again in January 2025.
Elizabeth was 15 when she married Gary, who was then 18, in West Virginia in March 2008. Their marriage license included parental consent and approval from a circuit court judge. Records indicate their first child was born shortly afterward, while Elizabeth was still 15.
