Parents accused of imprisoning, starving, and torturing their children back in court
The couple accused of imprisoning, starving, and torturing 12 of their 13 children in their Perris home will be back in court Friday.
David Allen Turpin, 56, and Louise Turpin, 49, were last in court in June where a Riverside County judge ruled that there was sufficient evidence for them to stand trial on more than three-dozen felony charges.
The Turpins are each charged with 12 counts of torture and false imprisonment, as well as nine counts of child abuse and seven counts of cruelty to a dependent adult.
David Turpin is also charged with eight counts of perjury and an allegation of lewd acts on a child under 14 years old.
Louise Turpin is charged with one count of assault resulting in great bodily injury.
The Turpins both face 94 years to life in prison if convicted.
Tune in to KESQ & CBS Local 2 tomorrow throughout the day for up to the date information from inside the courtroom.
David and Lousie Turpin were arrested on January 14, when their 17-year-old daughter managed to escape the house and call 911.
“They chain us up if we do things we’re not supposed to,” Jordan Turpin said in a Jan. 14 conversation with a 911 dispatcher that was played in court this past June. “Sometimes, my sisters wake up and start crying (because of the pain). I called you so you can help my sisters.”
Deputies investigated the home and found “several children shackled to their beds with chains and padlocks in dark and foul-smelling surroundings.” Deputies said the children appeared to be “malnourished and very dirty.”
Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said in January the Turpin Children were allowed to shower only once a year.
D.A.’s office Investigator Wade Walsvick testified that all but one of the victims were severely malnourished, with the average weight deficit at 32 pounds.
Walsvick testified that the oldest son, 25-year-old Joshua, revealed to him victim how he and his siblings were locked inside cages if their parents became angry with them. There were alleged beatings with paddles, “hitting on the face, slapping, pushing and being thrown across the room or to
the ground,” the witness said.
Walsvick also testified that Jordan told him that when she was 12, her father yanked off her pants and sat her naked on his lap, trying to kiss her until her mother started into the living room, at which point he released her and told her she would be in trouble for divulging what happened.
The children, whose ages range from 2 to 29, are in the care of county Child Protective Services and Adult Protective Services staff. Most of them were hospitalized in January for treatment of malnourishment and other disorders, but they have since been released and placed in undisclosed residential facilities, according to county officials. Only the youngest appeared to be in good health.
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