COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Thomas Stolly, the attorney representing the mother of 16 children who were rescued from a Vinton County home on June 30, knows the public has questions. Stolly said he and his client do, too.

“She is exhausted. She is asking about the kids. And I think she is wanting some of the same answers that we’re all wanting,” Stolly said. “She wants to know what is going on, what evidence does the state have? Because at this point, I’m able to sit and talk with her about the charges, but we can’t actually discuss evidence.”

Stolly is representing Elizabeth Siders, 33, one of four adults arrested on 16 counts of child endangerment after law enforcement raided her home in the village of Hamden. Stolly said he has met with Elizabeth three times but is struggling to make progress because he still has not received discovery documents, the records that detail what his client is accused of and why.

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Attorney General Andy Wilson is ᴀssisting on the case and said that seven of the 16 children were hospitalized overnight after being rescued, with two flown to trauma centers. He said the circumstances were “pure evil.”

“Some of these children couldn’t even speak,” Wilson said. “This is very, it was terrible. I mean, it looked like almost feral animals. It was terrible.”

Stolly said said the use of words like “feral” and other characterizations made by Wilson have complicated the case. Stolly said his client is innocent until proven guilty, and Wilson’s verbiage encourages “bad speculation” as people try to fill in the blanks themselves.

The lack of immediate information has led to wide-ranging speculation. On Monday, alleged pH๏τos and videos from within the home were circulated widely on social media. Stolly said any images of the interior of the home were either fake or illegally obtained, and confirmed with Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer that no images had been released.

“Those windows are boarded up for a reason. That house is part of an ongoing investigation. So anyone who’s claiming to have magic inside footage of this home is patently false,” Stolly said.

One video shared widely on social media claiming to be the interior of the home shows open windows; it is known investigators boarded up the windows to preserve evidence. The only official descriptions of the home’s interior came from prosecutors and officers, who said the children were allegedly kept in a 12-by-12 room.

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Other speculations include the extent of the abuse, with rumors online that the 16 children were bound. Stolly said there is no evidence the children were restrained.

Elizabeth and the other arrested adults — her husband, Gary Siders II, 36, and her in-laws Gary Siders I, 73, and Christina Siders, 76, — have not yet been indicted.

Stolly filed a motion to have Elizabeth released on an adjusted bond because he said there was no indication she was a risk. He said they would agree to any stipulations from the court. The motion has not received a response from prosecutors or a judge.

Elizabeth, Gary II and Christina Siders remain in a southern Ohio jail. Gary Siders I was released on a recognizance bond last week after suffering a fall, leading medical professionals to discover a severe medical condition that required hospitalization.

Gary I will also sit for a competency hearing to determine if he is fit for a possible trial. Stolly said they are evaluating possible competency concerns for Elizabeth as he said he would in any case, but will need more information. Similarly, although he said Elizabeth does not consider herself a victim, the lack of discovery makes it difficult to say many things definitively.

Both Stolly and Wilson said the case is likely to move slowly. Wilson said some the children are unable to communicate, which may elongate the investigation. Stolly said cases do not play out like true crime episodes or videos in real life, but instead take time.

“I understand it’s easy to see cases like that because they play out in a matter of minutes or a matter of episodes. This is not going to be one of those cases,” Stolly said. “There are real lives at stake here. We’re talking about my client. We’re talking about these children. There are real lives at stake here, and our justice system moves slowly.”