A California couple held their 13 children captive and shackled them to beds with chains - see inside the family's horrifying life
The victims were being held captive in the family home, which is located in Perris, California, about 70 miles east of Los Angeles.
The ages of the 13 victims range from 2 to 29. Seven of them are adults.
Some of the adults were so emaciated that police say they were shocked to learn how old they were.
Authorities interviewed all of the victims and transported them to local hospitals for medical treatment.
The parents, David Allen Turpin and his wife Louise, were arrested on charges of torture and child endangerment. Their bail was set at $9 million each.
"If you can imagine being 17 years old and appearing to be a 10-year-old, being chained to a bed, being malnourished and injuries associated with that, I would call that torture," Captain Greg Fellows of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said during a news conference Tuesday.
Media coverage of this relatively quiet neighborhood has been unusual for many of its residents.
Stunned neighbors, many of whom denied knowing much about the family, lined the sidewalks to watch investigators scour the home.
After the news broke, a local resident became suspicious that the Turpins had abducted his cousin, Elizabeth Salgado, who has been missing for two years.
Another neighbor told The Washington Post about a bizarre encounter with the Turpin children. In 2015, Kimberly Milligan complimented the children as they set up a nativity scene in front of their house around Christmas. They "did not say a word," Milligan said. “They were like children whose only defense was to be invisible.”
Source: The Washington Post
That same year, the couple renewed their wedding vows at the Elvis Chapel in Las Vegas.
They brought all of their children to sing and dance along with the Elvis impersonator. It appears that the couple had renewed their vows there multiple times.
David Turpin reportedly ran a day school out of his home, according to KABC, a local Los Angeles-area news station.
Source: KABC News
He has also worked as an engineer for Northrop Grumman, but in 2011, the family filed for bankruptcy, KABC reported.
A lawyer who represented David and Louise at their bankruptcy hearing told CNN that "there was nothing out of ordinary" about the couple. He added that they didn't seem upset about their bankruptcy.
Source: CNN
In an interview with CNN, David's mother Betty said that the family would often go on vacations and all the kids would wear matching shirts so no one would get lost. "This is a highly respectable family," she said.
Source: CNN
Louise's sister also spoke out to NBC News in an emotional interview. “We are as hurt and shocked and angry and disappointed as everybody else,” Teresa Robinette said.
Source: NBC News
Law enforcement has encouraged anyone with additional information about the family to contact Tom Salisbury, an investigator on the case, by calling (951) 210-1000.
Source: Perris Police
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