I remember being so shocked and saddened when this family’s story hit the news several years ago and it’s one that I’ve been hesitant to tell on this podcast because it is so graphic and unimaginable. What these kids (some of them adults) went through at the hands of their parents for years … it turns my stomach and brings tears to my eyes.

But their perseverance and strength is so admirable that I wanted to shine an even brighter light on their resilience. Trigger warnings ahead — this episode will deal with child abuse, imprisonment, and horrific neglect. Please take care while listening.

On paper (and perhaps in person), David and Louise Turpin might seem like a normal married couple raising their children — all 13 of them, 3 boys and 10 girl, (which might draw some attention in and of itself). But with a little digging it is easy to find some oddities in their relationship timeline, like the fact that they got married when he was 23 and she was just 16-years-old — they had attended the same high school (though not at the same time). 

The story goes that David convinced school employees to sign her out of school … and they fled to Texas (possibly with the intent of eloping) before being caught by police and brought back home. Surprisingly, Louise’s preacher father gave his blessing on the union and allowed the two to wed in 1984.

// SOURCES //

https://hollywoodlife.com/feature/turpin-family-parents-now-4581503/

https://www.sportskeeda.com/pop-culture/what-happened-turpin-parents-family-story-explained-escape-house-horror-takes-internet-storm

https://allthatsinteresting.com/louise-turpin

https://facts.net/turpin-family-facts/

https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/bad-behavior/turpin-house-of-horrors-timeline-of-how-13-siblings-suffered-years-of-torture-and-abuse

https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/18/us/turpin-family-conditions-inside-house/index.html

https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/crime_courts/2018/01/19/turpin-torture-diaries-hundreds-journals-found-home-13-captive-children/1048998001/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/turpin-sisters-photos-of-shackled-siblings-draw-gasps-in-court-david-louise-turpin-california/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10206015/Jordan-Turpin-opens-911-moments-escaping-house-horrors.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12022123/Foster-family-accused-abusing-five-rescued-Turpin-siblings-appear-court.html

https://nypost.com/2023/02/13/some-house-of-horrors-turpin-siblings-finding-life-impossible-after-parents-torture/