Horror in Plain Sight: The Twisted Tale of the Turpin Family
In January 2018, police made a horrifying discovery in Perris, California. Inside a filthy house, numerous children were being imprisoned and starved by their own parents
Background
When police arrived at the home of the Turpin family in Perris, California, they were shocked by what they found. Besides the human waste, filthy garbage, and dead animals, they found chains, starving children, and a level of cruelty that passed all understanding.
Having been alerted by one of the children who had escaped confinement, authorities discovered a house of horrors. The ensuing investigation would reveal one of the most severe and disturbing cases of child abuse and neglect in recent memory.
The Turpin Family
In 1985, 23-year-old David Allen Turpin married 16-year-old Louise Anna Robinette in Pearisburg, Virginia. Soon after their wedding, the West Virginia natives relocated to Fort Worth, Texas, where Turpin, a graduate of Virginia Tech, worked as an engineer for defense companies like Lockheed Martin, earning a good living.
Between 1988 and 2015, the couple had ten daughters and three sons. The Turpins presented themselves as a large, devout Christian family, often appearing in family photos dressed in matching outfits, which gave the impression of a wholesome family. The Turpins homeschooled their children and were active in their local community and church networks.
Warning Signs
Despite their outward appearance, there were subtle but serious warning signs. When the family lived in Texas, a neighbor reported that the blinds were always drawn, the lights stayed on all night, and the children rarely played outside or left the house. During one Christmas, eight new children’s bicycles appeared in their yard; however, they remained there unused.
In 1999, the family moved to Rio Vista, Texas, about 50 miles south of Fort Worth. The Turpins began isolating themselves, both physically and emotionally, from their extended relatives.
Louise’s sister, Teresa Robinette, recalled that she used to speak to her nieces and nephews on video calls, but over time, she saw them less and was eventually barred entirely.
In 2010, the Turpin family moved once again, this time to the city of Perris in Riverside County, Southern California. The move further isolated the family, and neighbors later recalled seeing the children walking in circles late at night inside their home.
Imprisoned
Inside the Turpin family’s house in Perris, the children were rarely allowed outside. Toys and everyday comforts were withheld from them. They ate very little, while David and Louise would place pies, lasagna, and other food in front of them and not allow them to touch it.
If they disobeyed, they were beaten, chained, or denied food for days. Because of the lack of calories and medical care, some of the older siblings suffered muscle wasting, neuropathy (nerve damage), and other health problems that stunted their growth.
Hygiene was almost non-existent. The children were rarely allowed to bathe. Many had never seen a dentist or received routine medical care for years. The home also contained hundreds of journals that the children had written, which later helped investigators understand the depth and longevity of the abuse.
The Turpins used a mix of physical restraint, fear, and strict household rules to keep the children obedient. At times, children were shackled or padlocked to beds or furniture as punishment.
They also manipulated everyday reality to maintain control. Sleep schedules were reversed so the children slept by day and were awake at night, reducing the chance of anyone noticing them.
Many common life skills were forbidden or simply never taught in their home. Some couldn’t read well or even spell their own names, and several didn’t know basic words like “medication” or what a police officer was.
They were completely isolated from the outside world. The system of control was both physical and psychological, leaving the children fearful of even thinking about escape.
The Escape
In January 2018, 17-year-old Jordan Turpin made a brave choice. Years of abuse, starvation, and watching her siblings suffer had built up inside her. The tipping point came when she overheard her parents discussing a planned move to Oklahoma.
After finding one of her parents’ old cell phones, Jordan began planning her escape. She practiced speaking out loud, rehearsing what she would say if she ever got to call for help. She even took photos of her chained siblings and the rooms, as evidence.
On January 14, 2018, just before dawn, Jordan and a younger sister unlocked a window, climbed out, and ran down the street. While her sister became frightened and went back inside, Jordan pressed on alone.
She had never been outside alone in her life. It was cold, and she didn’t know exactly where she was going, but she kept moving. At 5:49 a.m., she finally dialed 911. Her voice trembled as she told the dispatcher, “I just ran away from home… My parents are abusive. They abuse us. And my two little sisters right now are chained up.”
The call lasted about 20 minutes. She struggled to describe her location, not knowing the address. Deputies later said she sounded so young and uncertain that at first, they thought it might be a prank call. But the desperation in her voice convinced them it was real. Her phone’s GPS helped authorities locate her.
Within minutes, Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the area. They found Jordan walking alone on the street, looking frail and frightened. She showed them the pictures of her chained sisters and the rooms. That evidence immediately confirmed her story.
House of Horrors
Deputies rushed to the Turpin home on Muir Woods Road, just minutes away. When they arrived, David and Louise Turpin seemed calm and confused by the sudden police presence. The deputies stated they were there for a welfare check and entered the house.
Inside, officers found rooms with urine and feces soaked into carpets, dirt, dead animals, and rotting food. Later, they found 12 siblings, ranging in age from 2 to 29, many of them thin, pale, and clearly malnourished.
Three were chained to their beds. The officers could hardly believe what they were seeing. One deputy described the smell as “the worst he had ever encountered.” The children spoke softly, some barely able to form sentences.
David and Louise Turpin were placed under arrest, and Paramedics were called immediately. The siblings were rushed to local hospitals for food, water, and medical care. One by one, they began to learn that they were safe for the first time in their lives, all thanks to Jordan’s bravery.
Physical and Emotional Trauma
Years of neglect had taken both a physical and emotional toll on the Turpin children. Some of the siblings were so underweight that officers mistook adult children for young teenagers. Medical examinations later showed that the 29-year-old weighed just 82 pounds, and a 12-year-old’s arm was the size of a four-month-old baby. Their growth had been stunted by starvation and lack of medical care.
Doctors described what they saw as the result of long-term neglect. Many of the children had muscle atrophy as their limbs were weak from lack of movement. Some couldn’t walk properly at first. Most were anemic and dehydrated. A few had heart damage due to prolonged malnutrition. Experts said it could take years for their bodies to recover, and some effects might be permanent.
Psychologists who evaluated them said the Turpins’ control created a constant state of fear. They lived with trauma that shaped every aspect of their behavior. Loud noises, bright lights, or even being offered food initially caused panic because these were things they had learned to fear. Some developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety.
Plea Deal
Following their arrests, prosecutors charged the Turpins with a long list of serious crimes. The case file included 12 counts of torture, 12 counts of false imprisonment, seven counts of abuse of a dependent adult, and six counts of child abuse. Bail was set at $12 million for David and $9 million for Louise.
They were also charged with perjury related to school attendance affidavits, and remained in custody while the investigation continued. Rather than go to a lengthy jury trial, both David and Louise Turpin changed their pleas. On February 22, 2019, they pleaded guilty to multiple felony counts, including one count of torture, several counts of false imprisonment, and cruelty to dependent adults and children.
On April 19, 2019, Superior Court Judge Bernard J. Schwartz sentenced each parent to 25 years to life with the possibility of parole. The judge noted the extreme nature of the crimes and said the only reason the sentence was not longer was that the parents had pleaded guilty, which spared the children the trauma of a public trial.
The case drew intense national and international attention and quickly became a national wake-up call about abuse, neglect, and missed opportunities to intervene.
More Abuse
After law enforcement rescued the Turpin siblings from their parents’ home on January 14, 2018, six of them were placed in a foster home run by Marcelino, Rosa, and Lennys Olguin. But instead of stability, some of them say they suffered further abuse.
According to lawsuits filed by the siblings in July 2022, the Olguins physically and emotionally abused them by hitting them with sandals, pulling their hair, hitting them with belts, and making demeaning threats.
The lawsuits claim the children were made to sit in a circle and recount in detail the horrors that they had experienced while living with their biological parents. One Turpin child later said the experience “felt like going back into another cage, just in a different shape.”
Even more disturbingly, court records say some of them were sexually abused by the foster father. Marcelino Olguin pleaded guilty in September 2024 to multiple counts, including lewd acts on a child. He was sentenced to seven years in state prison. His wife, Rosa, and daughter, Lennys, each received four years of probation.
Investigation and Reforms
The claims against the foster family prompted a broader look at how Riverside County and its child welfare system handled the Turpin siblings. An independent review was launched in October 2021, led by former federal judge Stephen Larson, to examine its practices.
The results of that investigation, released in March 2022, were harsh. The report concluded that the social services system failed the Turpin children in many ways. Among the problems were understaffed social worker units, a lack of follow-up on abuse reports, and placements made without enough scrutiny.
In response, Riverside County hired hundreds more social workers and began restructuring how they place children, especially those with complex histories of trauma.
Aftermath
Jordan Turpin, whose courageous 911 call triggered the rescue, has continued to speak publicly about her journey. She has been open about how difficult it was, even after they left their parents’ home, saying that the trauma was not something you just walk away from.
By 2021, Jordan had earned her high school diploma and later started taking college courses. She learned to drive, made friends, and became active on social media. Her bravery in speaking publicly, including an emotional interview on ABC’s 20/20, inspired millions. She described her healing as “slow, but worth fighting for every day.”
The Turpin case remains one of the most disturbing child-abuse stories in modern American history, not just because of how extreme the cruelty was, but because it happened in plain sight for years without anyone stepping in.
Their experience sparked national conversations about reform and showed that real protection for vulnerable children requires attention, accountability, and a community that refuses to look away when they perceive something is wrong.
Sources:
Kaloi, Stephanie. “Turpin Family: What to Know about the ‘house of Horrors’ and Where the Siblings Are Now.” People.com, 21 Nov. 2024, https://people.com/where-are-turpin-family-siblings-now-8379490
Alvarez, Izzy. “Foster Parents of Several Turpin Siblings Sentenced on Child Abuse Charges.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 2024, https://abcnews.go.com/US/foster-parents-turpin-siblings-sentenced-child-abuse-charges/story?id=114930469
“Prosecutors Have Revealed the Horrifying Conditions the Turpin Siblings Were Allegedly Subjected to by Their Parents.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 19 Jan. 2018, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/turpin-family-children-parents-what-happened-do-conditions-house-torture-abuse-imprisonment-a8166991.html
Kristine, Phillips. “Captive Turpin Siblings Often Marched in Circles in Their House at Night, Former Neighbor Says.” NDTV, 25 Jan. 2018, https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/captive-turpin-siblings-often-marched-in-circles-in-their-house-at-night-former-neighbor-says-1804443