The Disturbing Story Of The Turpin Family And What Later Happened To The Children?

After pleading guilty to torture and years of abuse, the two monster parents were sentenced to life in prison - but what do we know about them and their rescued children?

Who are Louise Anna Turpin and David Allen Turpin?

Twisted Louise Turpin, 50, and 57-year-old David Turpin were sentenced to 25 years to life in jail for the heinous abuse and confinement of their children.

Following their arrest in January 2018, the couple admitted to torturing and holding their children captive in their Perris house in California.

After one of the 13 siblings escaped and informed police that her 12 brothers and sisters were being held captive, the couple was apprehended.

She was so thin that at first, according to the police, they mistook her for being ten years old.

According to the 17-year-old, some of her siblings were chained together and secured with padlocks.

What The Police Discovered In Their Home

About 70 miles east of Los Angeles, in Perris, the police reported finding children chained to their beds in "dark and foul-smelling surroundings" on January 14, 2018.

Deputies found what they thought were 12 youngsters inside the house, but they were astonished to find that seven of them were actually adults, according to a statement from the Riverside County Sheriff's Office.

"The victims looked quite dirty and undernourished."

While some neighbors claimed they only saw the kids at night, others told local media they had no idea there were kids living there.

The six kids were brought to the Riverside University Hospital System (RUHS) for checkups and admission to the hospital for care.

To be examined and treated, the seven adult children were brought to Corona Regional Medical Center.

Pictures that ultimately became public showed a messy yard, filthy carpeting, and scratched doors.

What Information Do We Have on Mr. and Mrs. Turpin?

Following their imprisonment, photos of the couple and their 13 children posing on various day outings surfaced.

One photo showed the couple and their children at Disneyland, all dressed in matching T-shirts.

Another showed the Turpins getting married in a Las Vegas style ceremony - complete with Elvis impersonator.

The children were strangely clustered around the couple, who were dressed in matching outfits and suits.

Each daughter had matching hairstyles, whereas their brothers all had bowl cuts.

The family was said to be big fans of Disneyland and went on holidays to the theme park.

According to CBS2 News, other residents reported seeing the children picking up trash outside their homes and digging for food in garbage cans.

On January 18, the parents appeared in court and pled not guilty to various counts of torture, child abuse, dependent adult abuse, and false imprisonment.

Mr Turpin also pleaded not guilty to performing a lewd act on a child under age 14.

Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said the children were tied to beds with ropes and then hog-tied.

While the children were starving, the Turpins ate well and tortured them by leaving apple and pumpkin pies on the kitchen counter but not allowing them to eat any of them, Hestrin claimed.

The eldest child, a 29-year-old woman, weighed only 82 pounds, while a 12-year-old weighed the same as an average seven-year-old, according to Hestrin.

According to court filings that did not include their entire names, all of the children's names begin with the letter J.

David Turpin was also charged with lying in May 2018 by a California court for claiming to manage a private school for his 13 children.

The couple pled guilty to torture and years of abuse in February 2019.

They admitted to 14 counts of cruelty to everyone but their toddler daughter, as well as imprisoning the children in a filthy residence that reeked of human waste.

The guilty pleas were important to spare the children from testifying, though they will be allowed to speak at the sentencing if they choose, said Hestrin.

What The Children Said About Their Parents

Jordan and Jennifer Turpin spoke out for the first time in an interview with Diane Sawyer. Jennifer informed Diane during the interview  "I was afraid to do one little thing wrong. If I did one little thing wrong I was going to be beaten. And not just beat, beat until I bled."

Jordan Turpin, the Turpins' eldest sister, remembered similar violence, claiming her mother once caught her secretly watching a Justin Bieber music video and choked her as punishment.

Louise and David Turpin's family has also given interviews in the past. In 2018, they told Good Morning Britain about their ordeal and how Louise had displayed no remorse.

They had to ask permission to go to the bathroom. They had to ask permission to eat.

Where Are The Tupin Children?

The Turpin siblings were placed in foster care following their parents' sentencing in 2018. While the adults in the group were only there for a short time, six of the children were put in two foster families.

The Turpin children's struggle with abuse did not end when they were rescued from David and Louise; at least one of them allegedly faced abuse later as well.  The perpetrators were later arrested.

"Some of them (The Turpin children) are living independently, living in their own apartment, and have jobs and are going to school. Some volunteer in the community. They go to church."

References:

Who are David and Louise Turpin and where are they now?

The Disturbing True Story Behind David And Louise Turpin’s “House Of Horrors”