David Turpin, second from right, and wife, Louise, far left, sit in a courtroom with their attorneys, Allison Lowe, second from left, and David Macher Friday, Feb. 22, 2019, in Riverside, Calif. The California couple who shackled some of their 13 children to beds and starved them have pleaded guilty to torture and other abuse. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, Pool)
The California “house of horrors” parents who were accused of abusing and torturing some of their 13 children will reportedly be sentenced to at least 25 years behind bars after pleading guilty to charges on Friday.
David and Louise Turpin’s plea came more than a year after their teenage daughter jumped out of a window at the residence and used a cell phone to alert authorities.
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David Turpin sits in a courtroom Friday, Feb. 22, 2019, in Riverside, Calif. Turpin and his wife, Louise, who shackled some of their 13 children to beds and starved them pleaded guilty on Friday to torture and other abuse. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, Pool)
Their pleas, submitted in Riverside County Superior Court, were to 14 counts. Those included cruelty toward all of their children except their toddler daughter. They also pleaded guilty to imprisoning their children in the filth-laden home, according to The Associated Press.
During the pair’s April sentencing, they will be handed up to life in prison, which Riverside District Attorney Mike Hestrin believes fits the crime.
"The defendants ruined lives so I think it's just and fair that the sentence be equivalent to first-degree murder," Hestrin said.
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Louise Turpin sits in a courtroom Friday, Feb. 22, 2019, in Riverside, Calif. Turpin and her husband, David, who shackled some of their 13 children to beds and starved them pleaded guilty Friday to torture and other abuse. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, Pool)
During the 911 call for help that exposed the family’s life at home, the teen daughter reported that her brother and two sisters were shackled to beds.
While the parents had notified the state that their children were home-schooled, their oldest child only finished the third grade. Some of the kids suffered from severe malnutrition, stunted growth and muscle wasting.
Fox News’ Katherine Lam and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
