Turpin siblings pursue 'shocking' settlement 6 years after escaping parents' 'torturous' foster care

PERRIS, CALIFORNIA: As per the attorney representing the Turpin siblings, six years after escaping their parents' "house of horrors," the 13 siblings continue to face challenges in adapting to life outside.

In an interview, Attorney Elan Zektser stated that the trauma endured by six of the Turpin children, who were allegedly placed in the custody of physically and mentally abusive foster parents after their rescue, compounded their challenges, creating a "double whammy" effect.

Turpin siblings suffered physical, psychological, and emotional abuse

Jordan Turpin, who, along with her twelve siblings, was compelled by her family to depart their Perris, California home, where they endured shackling and starvation, has now emerged as a burgeoning social media sensation, aspiring motivational speaker, and model.

However, Jordan, who is now 22 years old, and her siblings' attorney told The Post that their horrific physical, psychological, and emotional abuse at the hands of their cruel parents continues to cause them trauma.

Regarding the Turpins' recovery, attorney Elan Zektser, who represents five of them, described it as "a mixed bag."

He stated, "All of them are doing fantastic in terms of what they’ve gone through. But if we’re comparing them to everyone else, and where they should be, a number of them are in some serious trouble."

In January 2018, Jordan, then 17 years old, called the police to free her siblings, who were then between the ages of 2 and 29, after she managed to escape her parents' brutal abuse through a bedroom window.

David and Louise Turpin received life sentences a year later. During their sentencing, Joshua, one of their sons who is currently around 30, told the judge he still had nightmares about his sisters and brothers being chained up.

Zektser stated that the five Turpins he represented, who are now in their early 20s, are still crippled and troubled by their confinement.

Zektser remarked, "How do you navigate the world when you weren’t exposed to it as a child? It’s impossible."

He explained that the siblings are hurriedly learning various skills, from managing money to engaging with strangers, highlighting the challenges they currently face.

“They didn’t go to school — how do you even know grammar, or how to interact with other people?”

Zektser added that even after the parents of some of the children were detained and charged by the Riverside County District Attorney's office, the depraved and persistent exploitation of the kids continued.

Authorities allege that a foster family is responsible for caring for six of the younger children physically and sexually abused them. In March of the previous year, Marcelino Olguin, 64, his wife Rosa, 59, and their daughter Lennys, 38, entered a not-guilty plea and were subsequently released on bond.

Regarding those six siblings, Zektser said, "They will tell you, if they could, they were emotionally abused more in that foster care house than they were in their own tortuous home."

“They were retraumatized and due to already being fragile, they were made 10 times worse.”

Lawsuit filed on behalf of Turpin siblings

Within a distance of fewer than ten miles from the Turpins' infamous "House of Horrors," lawsuits filed on behalf of the alleged victims provide graphic details about the conditions at the Olguin home.

As per one of the lawsuits, the Olguins and their daughter purportedly not only encouraged the six Turpin siblings to contemplate suicide but also issued threats to send them back to their "biological parents." These actions were accompanied by severe physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.

The lawsuit named ChildNet Youth Family Services and Riverside County as defendants and claimed that the siblings were made to "recount in detail the horrors" they experienced while living with their parents and that they were made to eat their own vomit.

Several nonprofit organizations, including one initiated by the well-known kidnapping survivor Jaycee Lee Dugard, have raised a "substantial" amount of money on behalf of the Turpin siblings. Dugard herself spent eighteen years in captivity after being kidnapped in 1991 at the age of eleven.

“But then that causes some difficulties because you can’t just give someone a substantial amount and expect them to know what to do with it,” Zektser remarked.

“Plus, a lot of them are on government assistance and you would lose that assistance if you obtain that amount, and so it’s not that easy. It’s a very difficult situation.”

The siblings collectively lack "mentorship" for coping with life, continued Zektser, and they observe their hardships being sensationalized in the media. "That attracts even worse people, who want to leech onto that," he added. "And that’s what’s happened to a lot of them."

Jordan, on the other hand, has a "great team" surrounding her as she makes a fresh start in Southern California.

Zektser remarked, "She has a terrific following on social media that boosts her morale and helps fund her life. She’s also heavily involved in modeling and she’s just a very sweet and strong person."

In the February 2023 issue of Elle, Jordan—who did not respond to a request for comment—detailed her ongoing healing process and said that, on most days, her painful childhood makes her feel emotional.

“I usually, um, cry,” Turpin replied when asked about her routine. “Then I try to get myself to eat. And then I start to do my makeup, but I cry, so I have to do it over. And then I try to do a TikTok, but I’m like, ‘Oh, people are going to say this and that about me.’”

“I can assure you that, behind the closed doors and when the curtains go down at night, there’s a lot more going on in that head,” Zektser further stated of Jordan’s trauma.

Here's what the Turpin siblings are doing now

Jennifer, the eldest Turpin sibling, boasts a significant following on Instagram and aspires to become a nurse. However, messages seeking comments from her went unanswered.

Jennifer, who is currently in her early 30s, shared a picture of a rainbow in January with her 72,000+ followers, writing, "Saw this beauty today. Just a reminder that after a storm comes a rainbow. Whatever you’re going through, push through. You’re stronger than you know. There’s something beautiful right around the corner.”

Jeanetta, another Turpin sister, is a frequent Instagram poster who lists poetry, song lyrics, and the outdoors as some of her passions.

“Yesterday is over and tomorrow is a new day so live in this moment while you have it because it is precious,” Jeanetta wrote in November.

According to Zektser, several of the Turpins' younger siblings are still in foster care, and three of them are enrolled in college courses.

Zektser, who has direct knowledge of most of the Turpin siblings, stated that even after more than five years of their release, their rehabilitation is still a "work in progress," with gaining the trust of others continuing to be a major challenge.

“I know that all of them could have terrific lives and contribute to their communities,” he said.

“They all want to help people. Every single one of them, especially Jordan, talks about how they want to dedicate their lives to helping others — and I believe it. I think they can all get there, but it’s about 100 times harder because of what they’ve gone through.”

Officials from Riverside County declined to comment on the lawsuits, which are still in the discovery stage. Long Beach's ChildNET Youth and Family Services did not respond to messages left.

The Department of Public Social Services in Riverside County sent a statement wishing Jordan Turpin "peace, healing, and success" as she pursues her dreams.

"Our role is to promote and support the health, safety, well-being, and independence of each child that comes into our care so they can achieve their highest potential.”