The eldest son and daughter of a couple who starved and shackled 12 of their children spoke publicly forthe first time Friday, alternately condemning and forgiving their parents before a judge sentenced the pair to up to life in prison.
Since being freed from their prison-like home more than a year ago, the two adult children of David and Louise Turpin described how they had gained control of their lives and, despite receiving little education at home, were now enrolled in college and learning simple things, including how to ride a bike, swim and prepare a meal. They are still thin from years of malnutrition.
The children -- ages 2 to 29 -- had been chained to beds, forced to live in squalor, fed only once a day, allowed to shower only once a year and deprived of toys and games. They slept during the day and were active a few hours at night. The sentence of life with no chance of parole for 25 years was no surprise. It had been agreed to when the couple pleaded guilty in February to 14 counts each that included torture, cruelty and false imprisonment.
There was no explanation from the parents or lawyers about why the abuse occurred, but a letter from one of the children read by an attorney hinted at a home life that veered from birthday celebrations and trips to Disneyland and Las Vegas to severe punishment and disarray. From the outside, the home in a middle-class section of Perris, a small city about 60 miles southeast of Los Angeles, appeared to be neatly kept, and neighbours rarely saw the kids outside, but nothing triggered suspicion.
David Turpin, 57, had been an engineer for Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. Louise Turpin was listed as a housewife in a 2011 bankruptcy filing.
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