The California parents who allegedly kept their 13 children captive in a “house of horrors” were preparing to move again before their 17-year-old daughter escaped and called police.
Sources told ABC News Friday that 57-year-old David Turpin was being transferred from California to Oklahoma to work for defense contractor Northrop Grumann. Turpin and his wife, Louise, were preparing to move “within days” of Jan. 14. That was the day their 17-year-old daughter escaped through a window and used a cell phone to call 911, police said.
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“There were boxes in the house consistent with moving –- concentrated in hallways, entryway and bedrooms,” sources told ABC News.
It is not clear if the move had a role in the time of the daughter’s escape. However, CNN reported that the daughter had been planning on an escape with siblings for two years. Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said the girl also escaped with another sibling, who got afraid and ran back to the house.
The Turpins moved several times and allegedly began abusing their children in Texas. They moved to Murrieta, California in 2010 and to Perris, California in 2014.
The 13 victims ranged from 2 to 29 years old, with the oldest victim, a woman, weighing only 82 pounds. They reportedly needed to be taught how to use a tooth brush and had never seen a dentist. Authorities said they had not seen a doctor in at least four years.
The victims were also reportedly found lying in their own feces and were only allowed to shower once a year. They were allegedly chained, and forced to stay away at night.
David and Louise Turpin were charged with 12 counts of torture, 12 counts of false imprisonment, seven counts of abuse of a dependent adult and six counts of child abuse. David Turpin is also facing a charge of a lewd act on a child under 14 by force, fear or duress. The couple pleaded not guilty.
“What we would like the public to know is that our clients are presumed to be innocent and that’s a very important presumption. We’re going to provide a vigorous defense,” Turpin’s lawyer, David Macher, told ABC News.
The Corona Chamber of Commerce set up a fund for the victims, which you can donate to here.
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