Eight years. It’s been eight years since 17-year-old Jordan Turpin hopped out of a window in Perris, California, and called 911 with a deactivated cell phone. You probably remember the photos of the "House of Horrors"—the chains on the beds, the sunken eyes of 13 brothers and sisters who didn't know what a pill was or why the police were there.
But honestly, the "happily ever after" story most people expected never quite materialized.
The Turpin family now is a split narrative. On one side, you have incredible individual triumphs, like college graduations and a gothic wedding. On the other, there is a messy, ongoing legal battle against the very system that was supposed to save them. It's a lot to process.
The Eldest Daughter Found Her "Till Death Do Us Part"
Just a few months ago, in late 2024, Jennifer Turpin—the oldest of the 13—did something her parents tried to make impossible. She got married. It wasn't your typical white-picket-fence wedding, either. She went full Gothic.
Think black lace, skeleton decorations, and a "Till Death Do Us Part" theme that felt like a middle finger to the years she spent trapped in a real-life tomb. Her husband, Aron, seems to be her rock. They even honeymooned in Hawaii.
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For someone who wasn't allowed to shower more than once a year for decades, seeing her in a black-and-white gown, surrounded by all 12 of her siblings, is nothing short of a miracle. She’s now working as a phlebotomist and a motivational speaker. She even published a book called Where Was God? that dives into how she kept her faith while living in a literal hellscape.
Jordan Turpin: The Influencer With a Mission
Then there’s Jordan. She’s the one who made the run for it in 2018. If you’re on TikTok, you’ve probably seen her. She has millions of followers now.
It’s kind of surreal to watch her lip-syncing to pop songs and dancing when you know her history. But that’s the point. She’s taking back her body and her voice. In 2023, she launched her own merch line called "Braveness," which is pretty on the nose but also deeply earned.
She isn't just posting for the likes, though. Jordan has been vocal about the "scary journey" of transitioning to the real world. She’s struggled with housing and mental health, and she’s used her platform to highlight how the foster care system failed her and her younger siblings after the rescue.
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The Lawsuit That Won’t Go Away
This is the part that makes people angry. When the Turpins were rescued, the world donated over $600,000 to help them. But for years, the adult siblings couldn't access it. They were placed under a conservatorship—similar to the one Britney Spears fought—and managed by a public guardian named Vanessa Espinoza.
While the public thought the kids were safe, some were actually living in "squalor" in high-crime neighborhoods, struggling to buy food.
Worse yet, six of the younger siblings were placed in a foster home where they were allegedly abused all over again. The foster parents in that case, the Olguins, eventually faced the music. In late 2024, Marcelino Olguin was sentenced to seven years in prison, while others in the home got probation.
As of early 2026, the civil lawsuits against Riverside County and the foster agencies are still grinding through the courts. The siblings are "digging in" for a fight because they want accountability for the "secondary House of Horrors" they were dropped into.
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Where Are David and Louise Turpin?
They aren't getting out. Not anytime soon, and likely never.
David and Louise Turpin are serving 25 years to life. David is currently at the California State Prison, Corcoran, and Louise is at the Central California Women’s Facility. They won't even be eligible for a parole hearing until around 2044.
The most heartbreaking detail? Some of the children still say they love them. At the sentencing, a few siblings offered forgiveness, while others were understandably defiant. It’s a complicated, messy type of trauma that doesn't fit into a neat box.
What We Can Learn From the Turpin Siblings
Their story isn't just a true-crime curiosity. It’s a massive red flag about the lack of oversight in homeschooling and the "black box" of the foster care system.
If you want to support survivors like the Turpins, here are a few ways to actually make an impact:
- Support Foster Youth Transition Programs: Many kids "age out" of the system at 18 with zero life skills. Organizations like the National Center for Youth Law work on the policy side to prevent the kind of neglect the Turpins faced.
- Advocate for Homeschool Oversight: In California, David Turpin "registered" his house as a private school (Sandcastle Day School), and no one ever checked on the students. Supporting local legislation for basic check-ins can save lives.
- Follow the Survivors Directly: Instead of consuming "trauma porn" from third-party documentaries, listen to Jennifer and Jordan’s own words on their social platforms. They are the ones defining their own recovery now.
The Turpin siblings aren't just "victims" anymore. They are students, writers, wives, and activists. They’re finally living the life that was stolen from them on Muir Woods Road.