YEARS after the dramatic rescue of the Turpin children, it has been revealed that the siblings are still suffering from abuse and neglect.
Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin spoke out about how the system handled the Turpin children’s case:
“The public deserves to know what their government did and didn’t do, and how we failed these victims,” he said.
“[It’s] unimaginable to me that we could have the very worst case of child abuse that I’ve ever seen, maybe one of the worst in California history, and that we would then not be able to get it together to give them basic needs, basic necessities.”
After being rescued from their abusive home, the seven minors were placed in foster homes, and the six adult children were appointed a public guardian to manage their health care, housing and education.
It has been reported that in one of the foster homes, the children were allegedly abused, and in another home, a foster parent told one of the Turpin children that she understands why her parents chained her up.
The older siblings told ABC news that their public guardian denied them basic care, and they were sent out into violent neighborhoods without life-skill training.
Jordan Turpin revealed that she still struggles to find housing and food.
Read our Turpin family live blog for the latest news and updates…
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HOW OLD ARE THE TURPIN CHILDREN?
When authorities first found the children, they ranged from two to 29 years old.
At this time, it remains unclear how old they are now as not much information about the children has been released.
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WHY DIDN’T JORDAN KNOW HER ADDRESS?
Jordan spent her entire life in isolation, and therefore was unfamiliar with her home address, the month of the year, or what the word “medication” meant.
She did, however, understand to dial 911 for help, and took photos of the abuse to show responding officers as proof.
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HOW MUCH IN DONATIONS DID THE CHILDREN RECEIVE?
More than $500,000 in donations were raised by local groups for the care of the Turpin children, after they were removed from their abusive home.
The funds were gathered to help provide medical and dental care, educational assistance and other services for the abused siblings.
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TURPIN CHILDREN IMPRISONED PAST CHILDHOOD
Back in 2018 when authorities rescued the children, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said:
“Deputies located what they believed to be 12 children inside the house, but were shocked to discover that seven of them were actually adults.”
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TODDLER NOT ABUSED
The Turpin parents abused all of their children except their toddler daughter, investigators concluded.
The toddler is their youngest child.
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WHAT DID DAVID AND LOUISE TURPIN DO, CONTINUED
Jennifer also revealed that her parents would use parts of the Bible to explain their behavior, further traumatizing them.
“They loved to point out things in Deuteronomy, saying that, ‘We have the right to do this to you.’ … that they had the right to even kill us if we didn’t listen,” she revealed.
Jennifer and her Jordan Turpin went into detail, stating that they were even punished if they colored outside of the lines, and would often be dragged across the room by their hair.
David would also use belts and sticks to whip the children, often until they bled.
“I was afraid to do one little thing wrong,” Jennifer recalled.
“If I did one little thing wrong, I was going to be beaten… until I bled.”
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WHAT DID DAVID AND LOUISE TURPIN DO?
David and Louise are the parents of 13 children.
Growing up, they often chained their children to filthy beds and forced them to live in squalor for years.
The kids were cruelly fed only once a day, allowed to shower just once a year, and were deprived of toys and games in their home.
While the parents ate well, they tormented their starving kids by leaving apple and pumpkin pies on the kitchen counter, but not letting them have any, according to Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin.
“There was a lot of starving,” Jordan told Sawyer. “I would have to figure out how to eat. I would either eat ketchup or mustard or ice.”
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NEIGHBORS DID NOT SEE CHILDREN
Neighbors have said that they would rarely see the children – with one claiming to have been unaware there were any living at the house.
Andrew Santillan, who lived around the corner, told the Press Enterprise: “I didn’t know there were kids in the house.”
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HOW TO WATCH THE TURPIN INTERVIEW
If you missed the 20/20 special, you can still watch it.
The episode is available to stream on Hulu.
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NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN BODY CAM FOOTAGE
“Never-before-seen body camera video shows Jordan Turpin meeting a deputy for first time, shortly after escaping from her parents’ house,” 20/20 tweeted.
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‘AFRAID TO DO ONE LITTLE THING WRONG’
Jennifer Turpin told Diane Sawyer: “I was afraid to do one little thing wrong.
“If I did one little thing wrong I was going to be beaten. And not just beat, beat until I bled.”
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BREAD AND PEANUT BUTTER
The Turpin siblings usually ate bread and peanut butter, but their parents would “always eat fast food” or other full meals, Jennifer explained.
Other foods the Turpin siblings would eat were bologna or chips.
Jordan recounted to Diane Sawyer how she sometimes would eat Ketchup and ice.
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‘BEACONS WHO CREATED THEIR OWN LIGHT IN DARKNESS’
Diane Sawyer called the Turpin sisters “beacons who created their own light in the darkness.”
Before the 2020 episode aired, Sawyer tweeted a photo of her sitting with Jennifer and Jordan Turpin.
She wrote: “Tonight — hope you’ll join us for the first time any of the 13 Turpin children tell their stories.
“We’ve waited four years to hear about their lives. I was amazed by the two young women I met.”
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JORDAN MEETS WITH POLICE OFFICER WHO ‘SAVED ALL OF US’
Jordan met up with the police officer who found her waiting outside on the day she escaped and thanked him again.
She said: “I always talk about you and stuff. I told all my siblings the story more than once. You saved all of us.
The officer responded by saying: “You did the hard part, you did the scary party.”
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JENNIFER WAS FORCED TO CAGE YOUNGER SIBLINGS
When Jennifer was 18, her evil parents made 10 of the children move into a trailer in a remote part of their property, taking only their youngest two before driving away.
They brought limited groceries once a week, or sometimes every two weeks, leaving the children starving.
“I would try to stretch it out and make sure that we at least had stuff to eat each day of the week,” Jennifer said.
Jordan, who was just six, added: “There was a lot of starving. I would have to figure out how to eat. I would either eat ketchup or mustard or ice.”
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JENNIFER DREAMS OF BECOMING CHRISTIAN POP ARTIST
Jennifer Turpin told ABC’s Diane Sawyer she “daydreams of becoming a Christian pop artist.”
She revealed her favorite song to be Kelly Clarkson’s Broken & Beautiful.
Jordan Turpin said she “loves doing TikToks ” and “loves to learn.”
She has already graduated high school in just one year and is now taking college classes.
Aside from their life dreams, what matters to them the most is getting to see their brothers and sisters.
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MOTHER TAUNTED KIDS WITH TOYS AND FOOD
Mom Louise Turpin racked up huge credit card debt and hoarded children’s clothes, games, and toys which she would never give to the children.
While their parents binged on fast food, and taunted them with freshly baked pumpkin pies which they were forbidden to touch, Jennifer says the children ate once a day – getting a peanut butter sandwich, a frozen burrito or chips.
When they were eventually rescued, the children were so malnourished that they were all assumed to be under 18, although seven were adults.
An 11-year-old child was so malnourished that her arm circumference was the equivalent of a 4-and-a-half month old baby, investigators said.
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LISTEN TO JORDAN TURPIN’S 911 CALL
Back in 2018, Jordan Turpin built up the courage to escape her home and call 911.
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WHERE WAS THE TURPIN HOUSE OF HORRORS?
As the case gained media attention, the Turpin house became known as the “Turpin House of Horrors” and was located in Perris, California, around 70 miles east of Los Angeles.
In 2021, Jordan Turpin, who escaped in 2018 and made the 911 call, opened up for the first time on ABC’s 20/20 about what it was like in the household, saying she thought she was “going to die.”
“I knew I would die if I got caught,” Jordan, 21, told ABC News’ Diane Sawyer.
“I think it was us coming so close to death so many times. If something happened to me, at least I died trying.”
While the Turpin House of Horrors is in reference to the California house, the oldest Turpin child, Jennifer, 33, revealed that the abuse began in Texas.
Prior to their California move, David and Louise lived in Fort Worth and Rio Vista, Texas.
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WHAT HAS LOUISE TURPIN’S YOUNGER SISTER SAID?
Elizabeth Flores, Louise’s younger sister, said: “I actually didn’t know anything. I haven’t seen them since 2010.”
“We were all raised up in a strict Christian home,” she told author John Glatt, for his book The Family Next Door.
Elizabeth recalled David and Louise being extremely strict with their kids.
“They had to ask permission to go to the bathroom. They had to ask permission to eat.”
“We thought [Louise] had the perfect life,” said her half-brother Billy Robinette Jr.
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WHO ARE JENNIFER AND JORDAN TURPIN’S SIBLINGS?
During the ABC interview, Jennifer and Jordan were tight-lipped about their siblings because they wanted to protect their privacy
They are said to be living normal lives since their release and continue to meet up with one another.
Many have jobs or are attending educational institutions. Some are living on their own.
Jordan told ABC News: “It feels at home, being with all of us.
“Every time we’re together, it’s a very special moment, because we always know at the end of the day, we’re always gonna have each other.”
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WHEN WERE THE TURPINS SENTENCED?
In February 2019, David and Louise Turpin pleaded guilty to torture and years of abuse of their children.
They admitted to 14 counts that included cruelty toward all but their toddler daughter, and imprisoning the children in a house festering with filth and reeking of human waste.
The guilty pleas were important to spare the children from testifying, though they were allowed to speak at the sentencing if they choose, said Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin.
In April 2019 a judge sentenced the pair to 25 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 22 years.
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‘SHE IS A LITERAL HERO’
Viewers of the ABC 20/20 special have praised Jordan’s bravery.
One described her in a tweet as “a literal HERO to all of her siblings.”
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TURPIN PARENTS JUSTIFIED BEATINGS WITH BIBLE QUOTES
In the exclusive interview with Diane Sawyer, Jeniffer revealed that her evil parents would quote the Bible to justify the frequent beatings.
“They loved to point out things in Deuteronomy, saying that, ‘We have the right to do this to you.’ … that they had the right to even kill us if we didn’t listen,” she said.
Dad David Turpin used belts and sticks to whip the children. Jennifer recalled one moment when she said her father picked her up, feet off the floor, and slammed her into a wall.
“I knew he [was] saying that I was the devil,” she said. “I’m just looking at him like, ‘what did I do?’”
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JENNIFER: WE LIVED ‘IN HOUSES PILED WITH TRASH’
As the years went on, her parents moved on from neglect to full-on abuse, and Jennifer Turpin said they were pulled from school and only taught to remember what grade they were supposed to be in, in case someone asked.
The years she did go to school, from first to third grade, Jennife said she wore the same clothes every day, and kids didn’t want to be near her.
“I probably smelled,” Jennifer said. “But I didn’t realize at the time I smelled, but that stench clings to you… because we would literally live in houses piled with trash.”