‘House of Horrors’ father David Turpin breaks silence after guilty plea

His 13 children were found starved and chained to their beds in a home in the United States and after pleading guilty to one count of torture, four counts of false imprisonment, six counts of cruelty to an adult dependent and three counts of wilful child cruelty, David Turpin has revealed he hopes his children can forgive him.

Speaking exclusively to Radar Online, Elizabeth Flores, sister of David’s wife Louise, revealed that she visited the “House of Horrors” mastermind in prison and that he wanted his kids to forgive him.

People following the case will recall the Turpin parents were accused of imprisoning and torturing their 13 children inside their California home for years. It wasn’t until their then-17-year-old daughter escaped and called police that the pair were caught out in 2018.

Their daughter told authorities her siblings, who ranged in ages from two to 29, were being held captive in their home. Media outlets at the time reported the girl looked smaller than her age and mistakenly believed she was just 10-years-old.

“He was telling me that no matter what happened with him, he hoped that he still had a relationship with his kids,” Flores told Radar Online. “That’s what he kept worrying about.”

Police swarmed the Turpin family home last year where they allegedly discovered the 13 kids shackled to a bed, dirty and appearing malnourished. David and Louise fronted court last week and pleaded guilty to 14 counts of cruelty, false imprisonment and cruelty.

“The plea agreement ensures that the Turpins each admitted to at least one crime for each of the 12 victims contained in the charges filed after the preliminary hearing,” a statement released by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office said. “There were no counts charged pertaining to the youngest child.”

Read more: House of Horrors update: Turpins handed verdict over horrific crimes

The Turpins are scheduled to be sentenced on April 19 and as part of the plea agreement, both will be sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Under California law, they both could be eligible for elderly parole in 25 years.

“We needed to determine whether proceeding to trial was worth having the victims testify in this case that has received worldwide media attention,” DA Mike Hestrin said in a statement. “We decided that the victims have endured enough torture and abuse.

“I personally met with the victims and, rest assured, they all are relieved to know this case has been resolved. The defendants in this case essentially accepted the maximum punishment under current California law.”

Meanwhile, attorney for seven of the Turpin children Jack Osborn gave an update on the health of is clients in an interview with Today in the US in January.

Read more: House of Horrors update: Attorney speaks of Turpin kids’ health one year on

While their living conditions were shocking, Osborn said it was what the Turpin children were used to and that they’d had a hard time adjusting to their new lives.

“For really the first time they’re able to make their own decisions, and decide what they’re going to eat. They decide where they’re going to go, what they’re going to study,” Osborn told the show’s hosts. “They want people to know that they are survivors. They want to be independent now.”

The older kids live together in a home and the younger are in foster care, but the attorney said they maintain a strong bond and are in regular contact.

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