Turpin Siblings Speak Out: New Details in ‘House of Horrors’ Case on ABC, Disney+, Hulu

Turpin Siblings Share Stories of Abuse and Subsequent Hardships

Three of the youngest Turpin siblings are speaking publicly for the first time about their experiences enduring years of abuse at the hands of their parents and the challenges they faced even after their dramatic rescue from what has been called a “house of horrors.” The siblings are featured in a new one-hour special, “The Turpins: A New House of Horror — A Diane Sawyer Special Event,” which aired tonight, February 3, at 10 p.m. EST on ABC and is streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

The story gained national attention in early 2018 when Jordan Turpin, then 17, escaped from the family home in Perris, California, and alerted authorities to the horrific conditions inside. The subsequent investigation revealed that the 13 Turpin siblings, ranging in age from 2 to 29, had been subjected to years of physical and emotional abuse, including beatings, starvation, and confinement.

“We literally were dying in there from starvation, and she knew about it,” one of the Turpin daughters said, according to the broadcast. The siblings were often chained to their beds or locked in cages as punishment for breaking house rules.

Their parents, David and Louise Turpin, were later convicted on multiple felony counts, including cruelty to an adult dependent, child cruelty, torture, and false imprisonment, and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

However, the siblings’ ordeal did not end with their parents’ conviction. After their rescue, the six youngest were placed in the care of foster parents, Marcelino and Rosa Olguin, and their adult daughter, Lennys Olguin. An attorney representing some of the siblings has stated that the abuse they experienced in foster care was, in some ways, even worse than what they endured at the hands of their parents.

“These kids were just hit with a double whammy,” attorney Elan Zektser reportedly said. “They were made to feel worthless at home by their parents and then they were hit again when they went to the foster home. They constantly told these children, ‘Your parents were right. You are worthless. You’re a nobody. You’re a Turpin,’ like that was some kind of grotesque thing. And it brought their confidence to an all new low.”

One Turpin son stated, “They would do everything in their power, it seemed like to try to break me.”

The Olguins were arrested in 2021 and initially pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. However, in 2024, Marcelino Olguin pleaded guilty to four counts of lewd acts on a child 14 or 15 years old, with the defendant being at least 10 years older; three counts of lewd acts on a child younger than 14; one count of false imprisonment; and one count of injuring a child. Rosa Olguin and Lennys Olguin both pleaded guilty to three counts of willful child cruelty and one count each of false imprisonment and intimidating a witness, with Rosa also pleading guilty to grand theft.

The Diane Sawyer special provides a platform for the Turpin siblings to share their stories and shed light on the ongoing challenges they face as they attempt to rebuild their lives after years of trauma. The broadcast is available for streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.