Parents who shackled, starved children get life sentences

A California couple who for years starved a dozen of their children and kept some shackled to beds were sentenced Friday to life in prison. Police in Perris, Calif., arrested David and Louise Turpin in January 2018 after one of their daughters escaped the home and called 911 for help. The Turpins claimed to be homeschooling their children at the house in suburban Los Angeles, where neighbors said they saw no signs of abuse. But when deputies arrived, they found a 22-year-old son chained to a bed and two girls who had just been set free from shackles. Most of the 13 children, who ranged in age from 2 to 29, were severely underweight and had not bathed for months. The house was covered in filth and filled with the stench of human waste. The parents pleaded guilty in February to neglect and abuse. They will be eligible for parole after 25 years.

Some of the children, who were not identified by name, spoke at the sentencing hearing Friday. “Life may have been bad, but it made me strong,” one daughter said. “I fought to become the person that I am. I saw my dad change my mom. They almost changed me, but I realized what was happening. … I’m a fighter. I’m strong, and I’m shooting through life like a rocket.”