Turpin sisters who escaped Perris 'house of horrors' speak out: 'I thought I was going to die'

Leanne Suter Image
Wednesday, November 10, 2021
Turpin sisters who escaped Perris 'house of horrors' speak out
Two of the 13 Turpin siblings, who were held captive and tortured by their parents inside a Riverside County home for years before managing to escape in 2018, are speaking publicly for the first time about the horrifying ordeal.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- Two of the 13 Turpin siblings, who were held captive and tortured by their parents inside a Riverside County home for years before managing to escape in 2018, are speaking publicly for the first time about the horrifying ordeal.



In an exclusive interview with ABC News' Diane Sawyer, the two Turpin sisters recounted a life of cruelty at the hands of their parents.



"The only word I know to call it is 'hell,'" one of the sisters said in the "20/20" special airing Friday, Nov. 19.



The other sibling said their mother choked her to the point she thought she "was going to die."



Perris torture case: David and Louise Turpin sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for shackling, starving their children


David and Louise Turpin, the Perris couple arrested in January 2018 for torturing most of their 13 captive children, were each sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.


David and Louise Turpin pleaded guilty to torture, child cruelty and false imprisonment after years of abuse and were sentenced in 2019 to 25 years to life in prison. They were arrested in January 2018 after Jordan, who appears in the interview, escaped their Perris home and called 911.



"My whole body was shaking. I couldn't really dial 911 because..." an emotional Jordan recalls before choking up.



Jordan, then 17 years old, is heard telling the dispatcher in the 911 call that her parents are abusive, adding that her two younger sisters were chained up to their bed.



RELATED: Never-before-heard 911 call released as parents who tortured kids face sentencing


Never-before-heard 911 call released as parents who tortured kids face sentencing.


The gut-wrenching 911 call was just the tip of the torture and horrifying conditions found inside the family's home.



In a trailer of the special, never-before-seen police bodycam video of the rescue shows law enforcement questioning the parents and searching through the home, exposing the cruel living conditions.



The sisters are now speaking out to share their strength, courage and will to survive.



"Escape from a House of Horror - A Diane Sawyer Special Event" airs Friday, Nov. 19 on ABC.



VIDEO: Turpin child speaks during sentencing: 'I'm strong, I'm a fighter'


One of the 13 children of David and Louise Turpin, the Perris couple arrested in January 2018 on torture charges, told her parents during their sentencing how her life has changed since being held captive.


ABC News contributed to this report.



Copyright © 2024 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.