David Turpin, the patriarch of the Perris, California, home where 13 children were found starved and shackled, was 24 when he allegedly kidnapped Louise Turpin from school and attempted to elope.
Per the Daily Express, David pulled a 16-year-old Louise out of her Princeton, West Virginia, high school, by convincing school employees to allow him to sign her out. The pair reportedly made it to Texas before getting stopped by police.
Louise’s sister, Teresa Robinette, told the newspaper that the pair began dating in 1984 and that their mother gave her blessing but not their father.
“My mum, who had let them date, ended up being the one telling the police they had to send her home,” Robinette recalled, adding that their father was “so upset” with their mother for allowing them to date. “She wanted her home right now, but my dad said, ‘No, she has made her choice, she should go off and live her life.”
Robinette claimed that their father ultimately allowed them to get married. The pair came back to Virginia and had a small, intimate wedding before returning to Texas to start their lives, she said.
She went on to tell the U.K. paper that, days before her arrest, Louise, 49, revealed that she wanted a 14th child. Meanwhile, authorities claimed that Louise and David’s prolonged neglect has left their severely underweight children with cognitive impairments, according to ABC.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Riverside County police arrested David, 57, and Louise this week after their 17-year-old daughter reportedly escaped the home and called for help. The teen allegedly told officers that her parents were holding her and her 12 siblings captive–and presented pictures that corroborated her story.
The California couple is charged with 12 counts of torture, seven counts of abuse of a dependent adult, six counts of child abuse, and 12 counts of false imprisonment. David is also charged with lewd act on a child under 14 by force or fear. They face 94 years to life in prison if convicted.
David and Louise have pleaded not guilty to all charges. They are scheduled to appear in court on February 23.
[Featured Image: David and Louise Turpin/Facebook]
