The Latest: Couple who shackled children get life in prison
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on the sentencing of a California couple who starved and abused a dozen of their children for years (all times local):
10:26 a.m.
A California couple who pleaded guilty to years of torture and abuse of 12 of their 13 children have been sentenced to life in prison with possibility of parole after 25 years.
David and Louise Turpin were sentenced Friday during an emotional hearing that saw some of the children speak publicly about the abuse for the first time.
Louise Turpin wept as she apologized for hurting her children, while her husband David Turpin struggled to give a short statement.
One of their daughters, weeping, said in court that “My parents took my whole life from me but now I’m taking my life back.”
The sentencing came just over a year after the Turpins’ 17-year-old daughter jumped out of a window of the family’s squalid home and called 911. She reported that some of her siblings were chained to their beds and that she hadn’t bathed in months.
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10:18 a.m.
A California couple convicted of abusing 12 of their children has apologized at their sentencing after hearing from some of the victims.
David Turpin’s lawyer read part of a statement because he was too upset. “My homeschooling and discipline had good intentions,” he said. “I’m sorry if I’ve done anything to cause them harm.”
Louise Turpin spoke for herself, saying, “I’m sorry for everything I’ve done to hurt my children. I love my children so much. … I only want the best for them.
The Turpins are expected to be sentenced to at least 25 years in prison. They pleaded guilty in February to torture and other abuse that was uncovered when their 17-year-old daughter jumped out a window and called 911.
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10:10 a.m.
Several children of a California couple convicted of torturing them for years gave emotional statements at their parents’ sentencing Friday.
Louise Turpin wept and David Turpin wiped his eyes as the children spoke, with one of them saying: “My parents took my whole life from me but now I’m taking my life back.”
Some of the other children said they still love their parents. One asked for a lighter sentence because “they believed everything they did was to protect us.”
It’s the first time the children have spoken publicly since the arrest of their parents, David and Louise Turpin. They have the right to address the court to say how they’ve been impacted by the abuse.
The Turpins are expected to be sentenced to at least 25 years in prison. They pleaded guilty in February to torture and other abuse that was uncovered when their 17-year-old daughter jumped out a window and called 911.
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10:05 a.m.
Two of the children of a California couple convicted of torturing them for years have addressed the court at their sentencing.
It’s the first time the children are appearing publicly since the arrest of their parents, David and Louise Turpin. They have the right to address the court to say how they’ve been impacted by the abuse.
Their parents watched in tears, as their children related the nightmares about being chained and beaten.
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12:01 a.m.
A California couple who starved a dozen of their children and shackled some to beds face sentencing for years of abuse.
David and Louise Turpin are due Friday in Riverside County Superior Court for a proceeding that is largely a formality.
The couple pleaded guilty in February to torture and other abuse and agreed to serve at least 25 years in prison.
The abuse was uncovered last year when one of the couple’s 13 children jumped out a window and called 911. The 17-year-old girl had lived such an isolated life that she didn’t know her address and didn’t know what medication meant.
Most of the children ranging in age from 2 to 29 were severely underweight and hadn’t bathed for months. The house reeked of human waste.
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