Turpin case

The Turpin case involved the abuse of children and dependent adults by their biological parents, David and Louise Turpin of Perris, California, US. The ages of the 13 victims ranged from 2 to 29 years old. On January 14, 2018, one of the daughters, then-17-year-old Jordan Turpin, escaped and called local police, who then raided the residence and discovered disturbing evidence. Given the number of dependents involved, the degree of abuse, and its protracted nature, occurring over decades, the story garnered significant national and international attention. Experts in family abuse considered the case to be extraordinary for many reasons.

In February 2019, both Turpin parents pleaded guilty on 14 felony counts, including abuse of a dependent adult, child abuse, torture, and false imprisonment. In April, they were sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 25 years.

Background

David Allen Turpin (born October 17, 1961) was formerly a computer engineer who graduated from Virginia Tech and had worked for Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. He met his wife, Louise Ann (née Robinette, born May 24, 1968), at Princeton High School in Princeton, West Virginia. The couple married in Pearisburg, Virginia, in 1985, when David was 23 years old and Louise was 16 years old.

The Turpins originally identified as Pentecostal Christians, and as part of their beliefs, the couple had numerous children because "God called on them" to do so. They had ten daughters and three sons between 1988 and 2015. The couple later left the church and it is claimed by a relative (Teresa Robinette) that the couple experimented with other lifestyles, including witchcraft and swinging.