Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of child abuse. Reader discretion is advised.
The Turpin 13: Family Secrets Exposed documentary looks into the Turpin Family’s “house of horrors,” which first surfaced in 2018. California parents David and Louise Turpin, now serving time in prison, abused their 13 children and kept them in captivity. The case only came to light in January 2018 when one of their daughters, Jordan Turpin, escaped their Perris home. Jordan, who was 17 at the time, called the authorities using an old phone and reported the abuse.
Reportedly, the Turpin Family siblings, then between the ages of 2 and 29, had remained in captivity in their “house of horrors.” David and Louise beat and starved them, chained them to their beds, and even put them in cages as punishment for disobedience. The couple pleaded guilty to more than a dozen felony counts in 2019. These charges included cruelty to an adult dependent, child cruelty, torture, false imprisonment, and more. They each received 25 years to life in prison and now remain incarcerated.
Where are ‘House of Horrors’ Turpin family’s David & Louise Turpin now?
New York Post reported that until February 2024, David Turpin was serving time in the California State Prison in Corcoran. Prison officials confirmed they moved him to an undisclosed facility “due to safety and security concerns.” Elsewhere, Louise Turpin is now in the Central California Women’s Facility, per the Department of Corrections. They are each serving 25 years to life in prison.
According to TODAY, news of the Turpin Family “house of horrors” first surfaced in early 2018. That year, on January 8, David and Louise’s 17-year-old daughter Jordan Turpin escaped from the Perris, California, home. In that house, Jordan and her 12 siblings had suffered abuse for years. The couple had abused, tortured, starved, and chained their children as punishment.
Jordan reportedly snuck out of the house in the early morning hours and used an old cell phone to call 911. She then told dispatchers that they desperately needed assistance as their parents had been keeping them captive. She also claimed, “They hit us … they like to throw us across the room. They pull out our hair. My two little sisters right now are chained up.” Jordan added, “I can’t breathe because of how dirty the house is.”
Authorities found 12 children at the Turpin Family home, which media dubbed a “house of horrors.” They found the siblings in malnourished and filthy conditions, with some chained to their beds. A few were emaciated and had difficulty even walking. Reportedly, Jordan Turpin recalled her daring escape in an ABC 20/20 interview. She said, “It was literally now or never. If something happened to me, at least I died trying.”
Following the discovery, police arrested David and Louise Turpin on multiple charges. The New York Post reported that they each faced a dozen counts of torture and false imprisonment in the Turpin Family “house of horrors” case. Additional charges included seven counts of abuse of a dependent adult and six counts of child abuse. Furthermore, David faced one count of a lewd act on a child under the age of 14. They pleaded guilty to 14 counts and received 25 years to life each.
Another Turpin Family sibling, Joshua, spoke about the years of physical and mental he endured in the “house of horrors” during their parents’ sentencing. Joshua claimed he “cannot describe in words what I went through growing up.” He revealed that he still gets “nightmares about” the abuse, especially about “things like my siblings being chained up.” However, Joshua added, “I love my parents and have forgiven them.”
Oxygen’s documentary The Turpin 13: Family Secrets Exposed is available on NBC and Apple TV+.
