The Turpin parents, David and Louise, were arrested in 2018 after one of their 13 children escaped their Perris, California home and called 911, revealing years of extreme abuse.

They had kept their children—ranging from 2 to 29 years old—malnourished, chained to beds, and tortured in what became known as the "house of horrors."

Case Background

The nightmare unfolded publicly in January 2018 when 17-year-old Jordan Turpin climbed out a window with a deactivated phone, ran to a neighbor, and bravely dialed for help—something she'd planned for two years. She warned rescuers that her parents might cover up the chains if they noticed her gone.

Police found siblings in squalid conditions: starved, filthy, and some shackled, unable to call for help or even brush their teeth. The parents, who homeschooled the kids under the guise of piety, fed them once daily and punished them brutally for minor infractions.

This shocking discovery gripped the world, sparking debates on how such horror hid in plain sight for decades.

Legal Outcome for Parents

David and Louise Turpin pleaded guilty in 2019 to 14 felony counts, including torture, child abuse, and false imprisonment. They received 25 years to life sentences , with no parole possible until 2043 at the earliest.

As of the latest reports through 2025, they remain incarcerated in separate California prisons, with no major updates on appeals or releases. A 2018 court order barred them from contacting their children for three years, and parental rights were terminated.

"The Turpins are accused of beating and choking some of their children... depriving them of water and fed them small portions of food on a strict schedule."

Aftermath for the Children

Post-rescue, the siblings faced ongoing struggles. Adult children gained independence, with some like Jordan thriving on social media (over 1.6M TikTok followers) and advocating as motivational speakers. She emphasized their unbreakable bond: “After everything that happened, I’m so protective over each one. Nothing could ever break our bond.”

  • Minors entered foster care , but tragedy struck: In 2024, three Perris foster parents (the Olguins) who housed six Turpin kids were sentenced for abuse—Marcelino Olguin got 7 years for lewd acts, endangerment, and false imprisonment.
  • Some children lived in squalor as late as 2021, despite donations meant for their recovery.
  • Riverside DA noted their lives remain shielded by confidentiality to protect them.

Current Status (as of 2026)

No new developments for David and Louise Turpin since their sentencing; they're still serving life terms.

The case continues trending in true crime forums like Reddit's r/TrueCrimeDiscussion, where users link to ABC investigations and debate foster system failures. Comparisons to cases like Jaycee Dugard highlight ongoing child protection gaps.

TL;DR: David and Louise Turpin are serving 25-to-life for torturing their 13 kids in a "house of horrors"; discovered in 2018 via a daring escape. Kids faced foster abuse too, but some are rebuilding publicly.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.