California 'House of Horrors' Couple Ordered to Stand Trial

A Southern California couple who have been accused of torturing and starving twelve of their thirteen children have been ordered to stand trial on all but one of 50 counts, including child abuse and false imprisonment. 

David and Louise Turpin appeared in a Riverside County Superior Court on Thursday, where Judge Bernard Schwartz ruled there was sufficient evidence to put the couple on trial. One abuse charge pertaining to abuse of the Turpin's youngest child aged 2, was dismissed by Schwartz. 

Over the last two days, prosecutors in Riverside, California presented evidence gathered by investigators after discovering the Perris 'House of Horrors." The Turpins have been charged with twelve counts of torture and false imprisonment as well as nine counts of child abuse and seven counts of cruelty to a dependent adult. David Turpin, 56, has also been charged with eight counts of perjury and one county of lewd acts on a child under 14-year-old. Lousie Turpin, 49, has also been charged with one count of felony assault. 

At one point, prosecutors played dramatic audio of a 911 call made by one of the Turpin's children, a 17-year-old girl who managed to escape and call authorities to report the filthy, smelly conditions she and her siblings had been forced to endure. 

Prosecutors say the Turpins abused twelve of their thirteen children, who ranged in age from 2 to 27 with shocking allegations of shacking children to their bed, and extreme malnourishment. If one of the Turpin siblings misbehaved, punishment could include being struck in the head, hair pulled, or even being thrown down a flight of stairs. 

The pair have pleaded 'Not Guilty" and are currently being held on $12 million bail each. An arraignment has been scheduled for Aug 3. 

If convicted of all charges, both parents could be sentenced to life in prison. 

Photo: Getty Images


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