They lived most their lives imprisoned in their parents’ home, often shackled to chains and deprived of food and basic hygiene necessities. Now, the seven oldest Turpin children are experiencing freedom for the first time as they settle into their new rural home.
Good Morning America (GMA) reports that the Turpin children were released quietly from the Corona Regional Medical Center on Thursday, then made their way to an undisclosed residence, where they’re adjusting to their lives and newfound freedom successfully.
The Turpin siblings are lovable, according to their lawyer, who recently spent a lot of time getting to know them. They’re “full of joy” and lack any form of deceitfulness and guile, making it a pleasure for others to spend time with them.
Eldest Turpin Children Discharged from Hospital in What Attorney Describes as 'Birth Into Real World': https://t.co/schr4XIenR
— R.L. Stollar (@RLStollar) March 19, 2018
“They’re joyful, warm, considerate. It’s not all about them. They want to hear what’s going on with you and me and my family,” said their attorney, Jack Osborn. “It’s just really fun. It’s fun to be around them. Of course, they’re really full of joy about their life and the things they get to experience right now.”
Osborn also said that that the older children picked citrus fruit for first time in their lives when they arrived to their new home. The siblings also enjoyed Mexican food and ice cream. It’s a stark difference to their previous lives, when they were fed frozen foods, reportedly when and if their parents decided to feed them.
“They pretty much love any food that is fresh. They love fruit, pasta and soup,” Osborn added.
In their spare time, the siblings love to watch movies such as Star Wars films, but they also take time to enjoy the outdoors and have dreams of becoming more independent.
“They want to do things for themselves and they want to start having independent lives where they’re responsible for themselves,” the lawyer added. “That’s the goal and that’s what everyone is working toward.”
As CrimeOnline previously reported, officers with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department found the Turpin siblings in January in a Perris, California, home, after a 17-year-old girl told them she stole a cellphone from the home, escaped from its horrid conditions, and called for help. According to responding officers, an additional 12 people were found inside the “foul-smelling” home, shackled in chains to filthy beds.
All of the victims, ages 2 to 29, are the children of David Allen Turpin, 57, and Louise Anna Turpin, 49.
“Deputies located what they believed to be 12 children inside the house, but were shocked to discover that 7 of them were actually adults, ranging in age from 18 to 29,” the police statement read. “The victims appeared to be malnourished and very dirty.”
The Press-Enterprise reports that victims, who “claimed to be starving,” were given water and food immediately. Authorities reported that they appeared malnourished and in need of medical assistance. They were taken to a local hospital for a medical checkup. The California Child Protective Services and Adult Protective Services will take care of the victims once they get a clean bill of health from the hospital.
Neighbors said that the Turpin children mostly kept to themselves and indoors. On the rare occasion they were outside, they reportedly did not look healthy. Some residents in the neighborhood said that the Turpin family typically kept a messy, unkempt yard, while neighbor Andria Valdez joked that they reminded her of the Cullen vampire family, from the fictional “Twilight” book and film series.
“They only came out at night,” Valdez explained. “They were really, really pale.”
Another neighbor, Robert Perkins, said he once complimented the family when he saw a few of them constructing a Nativity scene in their front yard a fews years ago.
“They didn’t say a word,” Perkins told the Press-Enterprise.
The suspects, who allegedly couldn’t explain why they had their children locked in the home, are charged with numerous felonies, including torture and child endangerment. They both remain behind bars without bond.
Check back with CrimeOnline as additional details become available.
[Feature Photo: David and Louise Turpins/Riverside County Sheriff’s Department]
