Newly Released Disturbing Photos Show Turpin Family Home of Horror
Authorities have released photos from inside the house of horrors where the 13 children of David Allen Turpin, 57, and Louise Anna Turpin, 49 were held captive and tortured.
The California couple was arrested and charged with torturing and endangering the children whose ages range from 2-29 after their 17-year-old daughter managed to escape the home and alert authorities.
On Thursday, Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin revealed the multitude of atrocities that allegedly took place inside the Southern California home.
WARNING: THE IMAGES BELOW CONTAIN CONTENT THAT MAY BE DISTURBING TO SOME VIEWERS. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
As reported by NBC News, the children were allegedly choked, beaten, shackled to their beds and prevented from accessing the bathroom for months at a time as punishment for acts such as “playing with water.”
Sources also revealed that the children virtually never visited physicians or received dental care, and according to Hestrin, were only allowed to shower once a year.
Recently surfaced photos of the Turpin family’s former Texas home provide a glimpse into the disturbing reality the 13 children faced.
As seen in these photos, the place was in squalor.
“This is severe, emotional and physical abuse, there is no way around that,” Hestrin stated during a news conference. “This is depraved conduct.”
“In more than 20 years as a prosecutor in Riverside County, this is one of the most disturbing cases I’ve seen,” he added. “We are fully prepared to seek justice in this case and to do so in a way that protects all of these victims from further harm.”
NBC News noted that the abuse had been occurring for 17 years, beginning when the family lived near Fort Worth, Texas.
The parent’s of David Turpin told local ABC affiliate KABC that they are “surprised and shocked” at the situation, noting that their son and daughter-in-law had 13 children because “God called on them.”
David Turpin’s parents revealed that they hadn’t seen the family in almost five years, but that they seemed to be a “happy family” the last time they visited.
Neighbors told the local news outlet they were shocked to learn that the home had 13 children inside, noting that they would see them sparingly.
“They were very pale-skinned, almost like they’d never seen the sun,” one neighbor told KABC.
The neighbor added that, “It was mostly girls. Kind of small-framed, kind of tiny. Almost looked a little malnutritioned.”
“I respected their privacy,” she said. “But now it just breaks my heart. It makes me want to cry.”
David and Louise Turpin face more than three dozen charges and could spend 94 years to life in prison. Their bail has been set at $12 million.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
