{{short description|Abuse case in California}} {{Use American English|date=March 2019}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}} {{Infobox event | image = {{nowrap|150px 156px}} | image_alt = | caption = David Allen Turpin and Louise Ann Turpin, who pleaded guilty to torturing their children, among other crimes | time = | duration = 1988–2018 | venue = | location = Perris, California, U.S. | coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LON|region:XXXX_type:event|display=inline,title}} --> | also_known_as = | theme = | cause = | motive = | get = | first_reporter = | participants = | outcome = | inquiries = | inquest = | arrests = | suspects = | accused = | convicted = David Allen Turpin and Louise Ann Turpin | charges = Torture, false imprisonment, abuse of a dependent adult, child abuse | trial = | verdict = Guilty | convictions = | sentence = Life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 25 years<ref name="Metz"/> | litigation = }} The '''Turpin case''' involved the abuse of children and dependent adults by their biological parents, '''David''' and '''Louise Turpin''' of Perris, California, US. The ages of the 13 victims ranged from 2 to 29 years old. On January 14, 2018, one of the daughters, then-17-year-old Jordan Turpin, escaped and called local police, who then raided the residence and discovered disturbing evidence. Given the number of dependents involved, the degree of abuse, and its protracted nature, occurring over decades, the story garnered significant national and international attention. Experts in family abuse considered the case to be extraordinary for many reasons.
In February 2019, both Turpin parents pleaded guilty on 14 felony counts, including abuse of a dependent adult, child abuse, torture, and false imprisonment.<ref name="bbc">{{cite web |date=February 22, 2019 |title=Turpin captivity case: California parents admit torture |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47339255 |access-date=February 27, 2019 |work=BBC News }}</ref> In April, they were sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 25 years.<ref name="Metz">{{cite news |url=https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/politics/2019/04/19/parole-reform-for-elderly-could-free-turpin-from-california-prison-system/3486791002/ |title=Parole reform gives older Californians, including David and Louise Turpin, hope for early release |newspaper=The Desert Sun |first=Sam |last=Metz |date=April 19, 2019 |access-date=January 31, 2023}}</ref><ref name=Hartocollis/>
== Background == David Allen Turpin (born October 17, 1961) was formerly a computer engineer who graduated from Virginia Tech<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bernstein |first1=Sharon |last2=Kenning |first2=Chris |date=January 17, 2018 |title=California parents accused of starving, shackling children tried to seem normal |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/california-hostages-parents-idINKBN1F60I4 |work=Reuters}}</ref> and had worked for Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.<ref>{{cite web |last=Taxin |first=Amy |date=February 22, 2019 |title=California parents of 13 plead guilty to torture, abuse |url=http://kmph.com/news/local/california-parents-of-13-plead-guilty-to-torture-abuse-02-22-2019-234809417 |access-date=April 20, 2019 |publisher=KMPH}}</ref><ref name="KABC Grandparents">{{cite news |last1=Powell |first1=Amy |date=January 16, 2018 |title=Grandparents say 'God called' on Perris couple to have so many children |work=ABC7 |publisher=KABC |location=Perris, California |url=http://abc7.com/grandparents-say-god-called-on-perris-couple-to-have-so-many-children/2950254/ |access-date=January 18, 2018}}</ref> He met his wife, Louise Ann ({{née}} Robinette, born May 24, 1968),<ref name="NBC torture house"/> at Princeton High School in Princeton, West Virginia.<ref name="WaPo how">{{cite news |last1=Schmidt |first1=Samantha |last2=Bever |first2=Lindsey |date=January 16, 2018 |title=How a malnourished teen escaped a house full of chains and freed her 12 siblings |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/01/15/police-rescue-13-siblings-from-california-house-parents-charged-with-torture/ |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=January 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119005906/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/01/15/police-rescue-13-siblings-from-california-house-parents-charged-with-torture/ |archive-date=January 19, 2018}}</ref> The couple married in Pearisburg, Virginia, in 1985, when David was 23 years old and Louise was 16 years old.<ref name="Balsamo"/>
The Turpins originally identified as Pentecostal Christians, and as part of their beliefs, the couple had numerous children because "God called on them" to do so.<ref name= "KABC Grandparents"/><ref name= "WaPo how"/> They had ten daughters and three sons between 1988 and 2015. The couple later left the church and it is claimed by a relative (Teresa Robinette) that the couple experimented with other lifestyles, including witchcraft and swinging.<ref name="Today">{{cite web |last1=Freydkin |first1=Donna |title=Louise Turpin's sister: Louise and David are dead to me |url=https://www.today.com/news/louise-turpin-s-sister-louise-and-david-are-dead-me-t121546 |website=Today.com |access-date=February 1, 2018 |language=en |date=January 23, 2018 |quote=She tells Megyn Kelly that she hopes her 13 nieces and nephews can one day lead a happy and normal existence. 'I hope to put my arm around them and tell them they have a family that is not deranged.'}}</ref><ref name="DesertSunSwingers">{{cite news |url=https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/crime_courts/2018/01/22/david-and-louise-turpin-were-wannabe-swingers-relative-says/1055569001/ |title=Perris parents accused of torturing their 13 children attempted to have multiple sex partners, relative says |agency=Associated Press |date=January 22, 2018 |newspaper=The Desert Sun |access-date=January 23, 2018}}</ref>
== Abuse ==
=== Texas === The Turpin family lived in Fort Worth, Texas, until 1999, when they moved to Rio Vista, Texas. In 2007, the Turpin parents moved 10 of their children into an isolated trailer on their property. David and Louise took the two youngest and left the rest of the children to fend for themselves, bringing groceries on a weekly basis but not enough to feed everybody.<ref name="abcturpin">{{cite web |last1=Ng |first1=Christina |last2=Scott |first2=Tess |last3=Nunes |first3=Acacia |last4=Mezerski |first4=Brian |last5=Effron |first5=Lauren |date=November 18, 2021 |title=Turpin sisters describe living in 'house of horrors': 'I thought I was going to die' |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/turpin-sisters-describe-living-house-horrors-thought-die/story?id=81236211 |accessdate= |website=ABC News }}</ref> One of their daughters, Jordan Turpin, aged six years at the time, stated there was "a lot of starving", and she had resorted to eating "ketchup or mustard or ice".<ref name="abcturpin"/> After the family left the Rio Vista property in 2010,<ref name="FWST North Texas ties">{{cite news |last1=Ramirez |first1=Domingo Jr. |title=California couple accused of torturing their children had North Texas ties |url=http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/fort-worth/article194876984.html |access-date=January 18, 2018 |work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |date=January 16, 2018 |location=Fort Worth}}</ref> neighbors found feces and beds with ropes tied to them, along with dead dogs and piles of garbage.<ref name="ftworth">{{cite news |last1=Hennessy-Fiske |first1=Molly |last2=Esquivel |first2=Paloma |title=Dead dogs, filth and ropes tied to beds: Inside the Turpins' home in Texas before they moved to Perris |url=http://latimes.com/local/lanow/la-na-perris-texas-20180120-story.html |access-date=January 22, 2018 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=January 21, 2018}}</ref>
=== California === In 2014, the Turpins moved to Perris, California.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rokos |first=Brian |date=May 18, 2018 |title=Turpins' 7 adult children never received education, prosecutor alleges |url=https://www.pressenterprise.com/turpins-7-adult-children-never-received-education-prosecutor-alleges/ |accessdate= |website=Press Enterprise }}</ref> Neighbors reported that the children were silent unless spoken to, "like children whose only defense was to be invisible"; would skip rather than walk; and appeared malnourished and pale.<ref name="WaPo how" />
One of Louise's sisters later said that David and Louise refused to let her see the children, and another sister said she had been concerned about the children's weight, but Louise's aunt said the family pictures posted on Facebook had made her think that "they were one big happy family."<ref name="CNN aunts">{{cite news |last1=Yan |first1=Holly |date=January 18, 2018 |title=Aunts of 13 captive children reveal years of secrecy and concerns |publisher=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/17/us/turpin-relatives-interviews/index.html |access-date=January 18, 2018 |accessdate=}}</ref>
David and Louise had been planning to move the family to Oklahoma at the time of their arrest.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.recordgazette.net/news/county-district-attorney-is-going-after-scam-artists/article_d9bf974c-9467-11e9-8a8a-9fde710db629.html |title=County District Attorney is going after scam artists |website=recordgazette.net |date=June 25, 2019 |access-date=April 5, 2020}}</ref> Jordan Turpin overheard her parents speaking about the move and decided it was time to call the police.<ref name= "mercury"/>
=== Escape and rescue === By 2018, the Turpin children had been planning to escape their parents' Perris, California, residence for more than two years. On January 14, 2018, two of the girls left the house through a window. The younger girl (age 13) became frightened and turned back, but Jordan, then 17, got some distance away and called 911 on a deactivated cell phone she had brought with her.<ref>{{cite web |last=Shapiro |first=Emily |date=January 18, 2018 |title=Horrific new details emerge in case of 13 captive siblings |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/13-captive-siblings-forced-shower-year-strangled-subject/story?id=52431816 |access-date=January 19, 2018 |website=ABC News}}</ref><ref name="BBC case Jan 16">{{cite news |title=Turpin case: Shackled California siblings 'victims of torture' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42709489 |access-date=January 19, 2018 |work=BBC News |date=January 16, 2018}}</ref> She told the dispatcher that she and her siblings were being abused by their parents and that the smell in the house was so bad sometimes she could barely breathe. She stated that two of her sisters and one of her brothers were currently chained to their beds.<ref name="mercury">{{cite web |title='The only word I know to call it is hell': Turpin sisters share the details of California family's house of horror |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/11/20/the-only-word-i-know-to-call-it-is-hell-turpin-sisters-share-the-details-of-california-familys-house-of-horror/ |website=The Mercury News |date=November 20, 2021}}</ref> When the first police officer arrived, Jordan showed him photos of conditions inside the house.<ref name="BBC case Jan 16"/>
Deputies of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department knocked on the door, Louise and David answered, and the deputies stated they were there for a "welfare check".<ref name="BBC case Jan 16"/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Elassar |first1=Alaa |title='The only word I know to call it is hell': Turpin sisters share the details of their family's house of horror |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/20/us/turpin-sisters-interview-abc-diane-sawyer/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=November 20, 2021}}</ref> Louise was "perplexed as to why we were at that residence", said a sheriff's deputy.<ref name="KTLA perplexed">{{cite news |last1=Pamer |first1=Melissa |last2=Friel |first2=Courtney |title=Louise Turpin Was 'Perplexed' When Deputies Arrived at Perris Home Where Malnourished Children Were Shackled: Sheriff's Capt. |url=http://ktla.com/2018/01/16/louise-turpin-was-perplexed-when-deputies-arrived-at-perris-home-where-malnourished-children-were-shackled-sheriffs-capt/ |access-date=January 18, 2018 |publisher=KTLA |date=January 16, 2018}}</ref> Once inside, they encountered the stench of human excrement, decaying garbage, dead pets, and moldy food, with every surface covered in trash. Later, they found the other 12 children; one had been shackled to a bed for weeks,<ref name="mercury"/> and it appeared that two others had been shackled until just before officers arrived.<ref name="CNN Found shackled">{{cite news |last1=Park |first1=Madison |last2=Hamasaki |first2=Sonya |last3=Becker |first3=Stephanie |last4=Simon |first4=Darran |title=Found shackled and emaciated, children of torture suspects are freed |url=http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/16/us/california-turpin-13-siblings-held-captive/index.html |access-date=January 18, 2018 |publisher=CNN |date=January 18, 2018}}</ref> Children were found with bruises on their arms, appearing frail, and caked with dirt.<ref name="mercury"/> The children were so malnourished that deputies thought all 13 were under 18 years old at the time, when in fact 7 of the 13 were over 18 on January 14, 2018{{efn|Jordan Turpin was 17 at that time. On November 16, 2018, she became the 8th Turpin child to turn 18, reducing the number of minors at that time from 6 to 5.}}.<ref name="LAT Children found shackled">{{Cite web |last1=Esquivel |first1=Paloma |last2=Rubin |first2=Joel |last3=Lau |first3=Maya |date=January 16, 2018 |title=Children found shackled and malnourished in Southern California home; parents arrested |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-perris-children-shackled-20180115-story.html |access-date=July 19, 2023 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> The house contained hundreds of journals written by the children about their lives.<ref name="journals">{{cite news |last1=Kelman |first1=Brett |title=Hundreds of journals found in home with 13 captive children |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/01/19/turpin-torture-diaries/1049928001/ |access-date=January 22, 2018 |work=The Desert Sun |date=January 19, 2018}}</ref>
=== Nature of the crimes === For years, David and Louise Turpin imprisoned, beat, and strangled their children, allowing them to eat only once a day and bathe only once a year.<ref name="NBC torture house">{{cite news |last1=Moots |first1=Sumiko |last2=Arkin |first2=Daniel |last3=Siemaszko |first3=Corky |title=California torture house: 13 siblings allowed to eat once a day, shower once a year |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/california-torture-house-13-siblings-allowed-eat-once-day-shower-n838671 |access-date=January 21, 2018 |publisher=NBC News |date=January 18, 2018 |location=Perris}}</ref> The older children appeared much younger because of malnourishment; the 29-year-old (Jennifer) weighed just {{convert|82|lb|kg}}.<ref name="Balsamo">{{Cite web |last=Balsamo |first=Michael |date=January 19, 2018 |title=Things to know about California parents accused of torture |url=https://apnews.com/article/19765d2f9860463d83471a76d8b91452 |access-date=July 19, 2023 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> The 12-year-old child had an arm circumference equivalent to that of a 4-month-old baby.<ref name="abcturpin"/> Some appeared to lack basic knowledge of the world and had a limited vocabulary, for example being unfamiliar with what "medication" was (in the case of Jordan), or who police were.<ref name="Indy latest Jan 18"/>
The case is considered "extraordinary for numerous reasons", including that abuse was inflicted on multiple children (as well as dependent adults) by both parents, and the calculated and systematic nature of the abuse and torture.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bake |first=Vicky |title=How can parents torture their children? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42751715 |work=BBC News |date=January 20, 2018 |access-date=January 21, 2018 |quote=The Turpins' case is extraordinary for numerous reasons – particularly as the allegations are against two parents who had multiple children together. Prof Browne, director of the Centre for Forensic and Family Psychology at the University of Nottingham, says it is more common to see cases where there is one child and the parent or parents cannot cope, so the situation spirals out of control. Dr Bernard Gallagher, a child protection expert at the University of Huddersfield, says: "I see a lot of cases of neglect, where children are not washed or fed properly, but you don't often get cases of children being tortured, where the abuse seems calculated."}}</ref>
== Legal proceedings == The Turpins were charged with 12 counts of torture, 12 counts of false imprisonment, seven counts of abuse of a dependent adult, and six counts of child abuse; David received an additional charge of a lewd act on a child under 14.<ref name="Indy latest Jan 18">{{cite news |last1=White |first1=Jeremy B. |title=Turpin family latest news: Parents charged with torture and false imprisonment following discovery of 13 siblings |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/turpin-family-latest-charges-parents-torture-imprisonment-children-david-louise-news-updates-a8166881.html |access-date=January 18, 2018 |work=The Independent |date=January 18, 2018 |location=Riverside}}</ref> Their bail was set at $9 million for Louise Turpin and $12 million for David Turpin, and they remained in custody.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gould |first=Martin |date=January 25, 2018 |title=House of Horrors: Neighbours claim parents said their goodbyes before arrest |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/house-of-horrors-neighbours-claim-parents-said-their-goodbyes-before-arrest/3MU72LXPG7GTKURDMPTDX5PLRA/ |access-date=November 20, 2021 |website=The New Zealand Herald |language=en-NZ}}</ref><ref name="NYDN Tortured">{{cite news |last1=Cullen |first1=Terence |title=Tortured California siblings reportedly showered twice a year, ate once a day |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/tortured-siblings-showered-year-fed-day-article-1.3763757 |access-date=January 18, 2018 |work=Daily News|location=New York |date=January 18, 2018}}</ref><ref name="KTLAPamerWelchCheng">{{cite web |author=Pamer |first1=Melissa |last2=Welch |first2=Sara |last3=Cheng |first3=Kimberly |date=January 18, 2018 |title=Chained, Starved, Not Allowed to Bathe, Turpin Children 'Lack a Basic Knowledge of Life,' DA Says |url=http://ktla.com/2018/01/18/turpin-children-were-chained-as-punishment-denied-access-to-food-bathrooms-and-regular-showers-da/ |access-date=January 19, 2018 |publisher=KTLA}}</ref><ref name="YorkDispatchTaxinMelley">{{cite web |author=Taxin |first1=Amy |last2=Melley |first2=Brian |date=January 18, 2018 |title=$12M bail for 'depraved' parents charged with torturing children |url=https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/news/2018/01/18/bail-depraved-parents-charged-torturing-children/109585320/ |access-date=January 19, 2018 |work=The York Dispatch}}</ref> David was eventually charged with perjury in relation to affidavits he filed with the California Department of Education over the years, in which he asserted that his children were being educated in a private school.<ref name=perj>{{cite web |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/04/us/david-turpin-perjury-charges/index.html |title=David Turpin charged with 8 counts of perjury |first=Ralph |last=Ellis |date=May 5, 2018 |access-date=May 5, 2018 |publisher=CNN}}</ref> Louise's attorney requested Louise be placed in a pretrial diversion program for mental health treatment due to a diagnosis of histrionic personality disorder; the judge denied the request on the grounds that Turpin posed a risk to the public.<ref name="NYDN Diversion">{{cite news |last1=Dillon |first1=Nancy |title=Accused torture mom Louise Turpin diagnosed with 'histrionic personality disorder,' lawyer says, as judge denies diversion program |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny-news-louise-turpin-mental-illness-claim-20181005-story.html |access-date=April 8, 2022 |work=Daily News|location=New York |date=October 5, 2018}}</ref> {{wikinews|California court sentences parents who kept their children in captivity}} On February 22, 2019, David and Louise each changed their not-guilty pleas to guilty to one count of torture, three counts of willful child abuse, four counts of false imprisonment, and six counts of cruelty to an adult dependent.<ref>{{cite web |author=Wenzke |first=Marissa |date=February 22, 2019 |title=Turpin Case: Perris Parents Accused of Torturing, Starving Their 12 Children Plead Guilty to Charges |url=https://ktla.com/2019/02/22/turpin-case-perris-parents-accused-of-torturing-starving-their-12-children-to-appear-in-court/ |access-date=February 22, 2019 |publisher=KTLA}}</ref> Both were sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 25 years.<ref name="Metz"/> Experts believe they will never receive parole due to the severity of the crime.<ref name="Hartocollis">{{cite news |author=Hartocollis |first=Anemona |date=April 19, 2019 |title=Couple Who Tortured 12 Children in Their California Home Are Sentenced to Life |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/19/us/turpin-family.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=April 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131213029/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/19/us/turpin-family.html |archive-date=January 31, 2023}}</ref>
David was originally sent to the Mule Creek State Prison before being sent to the California State Prison, Corcoran, while Louise was originally sent to the Central California Women's Facility before being sent to the California Institution for Women, where they both remain as of 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/Details.aspx?ID=WG2970 |title=CDCR Public Inmate Locator Disclaimer}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://henrycountygov.com///mule-creek-state-prison/ |title=Mule Creek State Prison}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=McNaughtan |first=David |date=September 5, 2019 |title=Mule Creek is home to some of California's most notorious felons |url=http://www.ledger.news/news/mule-creek-is-home-to-some-of-californias-most-notorious-felons/article_74bdee8a-cf30-11e9-af4e-637e00ee7e38.html |website=Ledger Dispatch}}</ref>
==Aftermath== All the children spent two months in the hospital, after which the six minors were placed in two foster homes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/david-and-louise-turpin-court-appearance-captivity-case-today-02-23-2018-live-updates/ |title=David and Louise Turpin face new charges in captivity case |date=February 23, 2018 |access-date=February 25, 2018 |publisher=CBS News}}</ref> Physicians treated various issues, including heart damage due to lack of nutrients, cognitive impairments, and neuropathy.<ref name="mercury"/>
In October 2019, five of the younger children were fostered by an abusive family. Allegations included "hitting them in the face with sandals, pulling their hair, hitting them with a belt, and striking their heads". They alleged they were forced to eat excessively and then forced to eat "their own vomit", and the foster father was accused of "grabbing and fondling" them and "kissing them on the mouth".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rubin |first1=Olivia |last2=Ng |first2=Christina |last3=Margolin |first3=Josh |last4=Osunsami |first4=Steve |date=July 20, 2022 |title=Turpin siblings file lawsuit alleging 'severe abuse' in foster care after 2018 rescue |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/turpin-siblings-file-lawsuit-alleging-severe-abuse-foster/story?id=87087675 |access-date=September 5, 2022 |work=ABC News }}</ref>
In early 2020, the Riverside County Deputy District Attorney reported that the children were living independently, working, and going to school, and that one had graduated from college.<ref name="ITW">{{Cite web |last=Benitz |first=Samantha |date=April 8, 2020 |title=The Turpin Kids Are 'Happy' and Building New Lives 2 Years After Escaping 'House of Horrors' |url=https://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/turpin-kids-today-building-happy-new-lives-after-escape/ |website=In Touch Weekly}}</ref>
An investigation for the ABC news magazine ''20/20'' chronicled the case for the November 2021 special ''Escape from a House of Horror''. The investigation reported that some of the Turpin children were neglected by Riverside County social services, some are homeless, and none are authorized to use the hundreds of thousands of dollars donated to them.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bruggeman |first1=Lucien |last2=Rubin |first2=Olivia |last3=Mitropoulos |first3=Arielle |last4=Weiner |first4=Allison Hope |last5=Margolin |first5=Josh |date=November 19, 2021 |title=Turpin children still 'living in squalor' 4 years after 'house of horrors' rescue, despite donations |work=ABC News |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/years-rescue-turpin-children-living-squalor-donations-pledges/story?id=81254457}}</ref> The money was placed in a trust controlled by a court-appointed public guardian (Vanessa Espinoza). Joshua Turpin stated that he could not access the funds and was denied the purchase of a bicycle.<ref name="apturpin">{{cite web |title=Abused Turpin kids now 'betrayed' by social services system |url=https://apnews.com/article/california-riverside-social-services-criminal-investigations-4f839fa7f71ca6a71f108b07fe756623 |date=November 19, 2021 |access-date=September 4, 2022 |work=Associated Press News}}</ref> During an interview with Diane Sawyer for the ''20/20'' special, Jordan Turpin stated that she was released without warning from a foster home with no life skills, no plans for housing, or knowledge of how to obtain food and healthcare. According to the report, Riverside County has hired a private law firm to investigate allegations of abuse by social services.<ref name="apturpin" />
In July 2022, the Turpin siblings filed lawsuits in California's Riverside County Superior Court against the foster care agency that placed them in a home where they were allegedly subjected to further abuse and neglect. Two nearly identical lawsuits were filed, with one representing the two older siblings and the other representing the four younger siblings. Riverside County, Foster Family Network, and ChildNet Youth and Family Services were named as defendants in the lawsuit.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Dasrath |first1=Diana |last2=Stump |first2=Scott |date=July 21, 2022 |title=6 Turpin siblings file suit claiming they were 'horrifically abused' after rescue |url=https://www.today.com/news/news/6-turpin-siblings-file-suit-claiming-horrifically-abused-rescue-rcna39281 |access-date=July 22, 2022 |website=TODAY.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mark |first=Michelle |date=July 21, 2022 |title=6 of the 13 Turpin siblings held captive in 'house of horrors' have sued over 'severe abuse' in foster care |url=https://www.insider.com/6-turpin-siblings-sue-over-severe-abuse-in-foster-care-2022-7 |access-date=July 22, 2022 |website=Insider |language=en-US}}</ref>
The Riverside County sheriff's department had already been investigating the foster home, which included nine alleged victims, since early 2021.<ref name="McMillan">{{cite news |url=https://abc7.com/post/perris-foster-parents-pleads-guilty-abusing-several-turpin-children/15332152/ |title=Perris foster parents of several Turpin siblings plead guilty to child abuse |last=McMillan |first=Rob |website=ABC Eyewitness News |date=September 20, 2024 |access-date=October 18, 2024}}</ref> On September 19, 2024, three of the foster parents pleaded guilty to the charges of abuse. Marcelino Olguin pleaded guilty to three counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 14, one count of child endangerment and one count of false imprisonment, while Olguin's wife Rosa and daughter Lennys pleaded guilty to child endangerment and false imprisonment.<ref name="McMillan"/> On October 18, Marcelino was sentenced to seven years in state prison, and Rosa and Lennys were sentenced to four years of probation.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://abc7.com/post/perris-foster-parents-pleads-guilty-abusing-several-turpin-children/15441550/ |title=Perris foster parents of several Turpin siblings sentenced in child abuse case |website=ABC Eyewitness News |date=October 18, 2024 |access-date=October 18, 2024}}</ref>
==Depiction in media== * ''The Family Next Door'' by John Glatt, published by St. Martin's Press in 2019, outlines the case. * ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' S19E20 "The Book of Esther" is loosely based on the case. * ''Evil Lives Here'' S06E08 "My Twisted Sister" interviews Louise Turpin's younger sister Elizabeth Flores. * ''9-1-1'', S03E06 "Monsters" (airdate October 29, 2019) loosely based on the case. * In 2024, Jennifer Turpin, the oldest of the Turpin children, published the book ''Where Was God?'', recounting her experiences while maintaining her faith in God despite the trauma.<ref>{{cite web |title=Where Was God' by Jennifer Dawn Turpin is this week's 'GMA' Buzz Pick |url=https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/video/god-jennifer-dawn-turpin-weeks-gma-buzz-pick-108883797 |website=GMA}}</ref>
== See also == *List of long-term false imprisonment cases *2021 Munster abuse case *Fritzl case, similar case occurring a decade prior in Austria * Genie (feral child)
==Notes== {{notelist}}
== References == {{reflist}}
== Further reading == * {{cite book |last=Glatt |first=John |title=The family next door: The heartbreaking imprisonment of the thirteen Turpin siblings and their extraordinary rescue |publisher=St. Martin's |publication-place=New York |year=2020 |isbn=978-1250312303 |oclc=1112280240}}
== External links == *[https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/ceq53m28lywt/turpin-captivity-case "Turpin captivity case" topic on BBC News] *[http://www.riversidesheriff.org/press/per18-0114.asp Turpin Arrest – Riverside County Sheriff Press Release] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103070832/http://www.riversidesheriff.org/press/per18-0114.asp |date=January 3, 2019 }} *[http://www.rivcoda.org/opencms/system/galleries/download/daReleases/NEWS_RELEASE_--_DA_Hestrin_announces_charges_in_Perris_child_torture_case.pdf DA Mike Hestrin Announces Charges Filed in Perris Child Torture Case – Riverside County District Attorney News Release]
Category:2018 in California Category:Child abuse in the United States Category:Child abuse incidents and cases Category:Crimes in Riverside County, California Category:2000s crimes in Texas Category:Incidents of violence against boys Category:Incidents of violence against girls in the United States Category:January 2018 crimes in the United States Category:2010s kidnappings in the United States Category:Perris, California Category:Torture in the United States