Perris torture case: Trial date set for David and Louise Turpin

KABC logo
Friday, November 30, 2018
Perris torture case: Trial date set for David, Louise Turpin
A couple accused of starving, beating and inflicting other abuse on 12 of their 13 children at their Perris home returned to court, where a judge turned down a key request by the victims' mother.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- A trial date has been set for a couple accused of starving, beating and inflicting other abuse on 12 of their 13 children at their Perris home

David and Louise Turpin were back in a Riverside County courtroom on Friday. They'll stand trial on Sept. 3, 2019.

RELATED: 911 call in Perris torture case played in court, disturbing details of alleged abuse released

David and Louise Turpin appear in court in Riverside on Wednesday, June 20, 2018.

The couple was arrested at their Perris home in January of this year after one of their daughters escaped.

Police said they found the children living in squalor and shackled to furniture.

The Turpins have pleaded not guilty.

MORE: Outline of accusations against Turpin parents

Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin revealed horrific details about the 13 siblings who were allegedly held captive by their parents in Perris.

Prosecutors have presented evidence that the couple chained their 12 children to bed as punishment and deprived them of food. Riverside County Superior Court Judge Bernard Schwartz dismissed an abuse charge pertaining to their youngest daughter, age 2.

The alleged years-long abuse was so extreme, most of the children were emaciated and barely educated.

Authorities have said the Turpin home reeked of human waste and the evidence of starvation was obvious, with the oldest of 13 siblings weighing just 82 pounds.

PHOTOS: Inside the Texas home where Perris siblings lived years ago

1 of 8
A photo shows the inside of a home in Fort Worth, Texas, where the Turpin family once lived.

Related