California couple who held 13 children captive

The California couple accused of keeping their 13 children captive and malnourished in the family's squalid suburban home will appear in court on Thursday to face charges of torture and child endangerment charges.

David Turpin, 57, and his wife Louise Turpin, 49, were arrested on Sunday after their emaciated 17-year-old daughter climbed out a window of the home in Perris, 70 miles (113 km) east of Los Angeles, and called the 911 emergency number on a cellphone.

Police who responded said they found the girl's 12 siblings, ranging in age from 2 to 29 years old, being held in "horrific" conditions, some chained to beds.

David and Louise Turpin were each charged with nine counts of torture and 10 counts of child endangerment and are being held on $9 million bail.

At their initial court appearance, the couple is expected to be formally apprised of the charges against them and to enter a plea.

Before the hearing, the Riverside County District Attorney's office said it would hold a news conference at 11 a.m. local time (1900 GMT).
David Turpin's mother, Betty Turpin, told Reuters on Wednesday that the family had hired a lawyer, who advised them not to speak about the case.

Investigators this week have conducted an exhaustive search of the house, where the children also were apparently home-schooled.

The Turpins lived in Fort Worth, Texas nearly two decades ago before they lost their home in a foreclosure, according to reports by CBS 11, a Dallas-Fort Worth network affiliate. Current owners who said they kept photos of the house said it was filthy when they bought it, according to one of the station's reporters, who posted the images on Twitter.
The California Department of Education lists the Perris address, where the family has lived since 2014, as the location of the Sandcastle Day School, with David Turpin as principal.

Experts say it may have been easier for the parents to shield their children from scrutiny because they were home-schooled.

Source:AFP