A day before David and Louise Turpin will be sentenced for the abuse and starvation of 12 of their 13 children, officials have released the 911 call placed by couple’s 17-year-old daughter which led to their arrests last year.
The Turpins pleaded guilty in February to 14 criminal counts, including torture and false imprisonment. The Perris, California, couple was arrested in January 2018 after their daughter, Jordan Turpin, escaped from the home and called 911 using one of her brothers’ deactivated cellphones.
In the newly-released 911 call obtained by ABC News, the teen girl can be heard telling a dispatcher that her parents are “abusive” and that they’re keeping two of her sisters and her brother chained to beds.
“My two little sisters right now are chained up right now… they’re chained up to their bed,” she says in the 20-minute phone call.
Jordan also revealed that she hadn’t taken a bath in a year and that her mother is to be homeschooling them but isn’t, describing the deplorable home as a”fake school.”
“I haven’t finished first grade and I’m 17,” she says.
The news outlet reported that the phone call lasted so long because the 17-year-old had difficulty explaining where she lived, as she had “never been out.” She also had trouble understanding what medication was.
Authorities have accused the parents of withholding food, limiting the children’s use of the bathroom, and allowing them to shower only once a year. Authorities reportedly said the 12 Turpin children, who range in age from 2 to 29, have suffered physical and cognitive impairments due to the years of neglect.
ABC News reported that it’s possible the court will hear victim impact statements during Friday’s sentencing. David and Louise face 25 years to life and will be eligible for parole after serving an indeterminate minimum sentence.
Continuing coverage on David and Louise Turpin can be read here.
[Featured image: Louise and David Turpin/Riverside County Sheriff’s Office]
