Diane Sawyer and ABC News Studios are behind “The Turpins: A Recent House of Horror – A Diane Sawyer Special Event,” which can air on ABC on Feb. 3 at 10 p.m. ET. The one-hour interview can be available to stream the following day on Disney+ and Hulu.
The Turpin case made headlines in 2018 when 13 children and adult dependents, ranging in age from two to 29, were rescued from their biological parents’ home in Perris, California.
Sawyer first interviewed two of the Turpin daughters in 2021, including Jordan Turpin, who initially reported the case to the police. The upcoming special will cover the stories of three more Turpin siblings speaking out for the primary time about their experience within the foster care system, facing abuse again after their parents’ imprisonment.
In January 2018, then 17-year-old Jordan Turpin escaped and called 911 after overhearing her parents discuss moving the family to Oklahoma. The police raided the residence and uncovered disturbing evidence, including human excrement, decaying garbage, dead pets, and moldy food, along with the opposite 12 children, who were found with bruises on their arms, appearing frail, and caked with dirt, with some shackled to their beds.
Parents David and Louise Turpin were each sentenced to life in prison with the opportunity of parole after 25 years in December 2019. The couple was charged with 12 counts of torture, 12 counts of false imprisonment, seven counts of abuse of a dependent adult, and 6 counts of kid abuse, with David receiving an additional charge of a lewd act on a baby under 14.
Sawyer’s first interview, “Escape From A House Of Horror,” drew greater than 7 million viewers in its initial airing. “The Turpins: A Recent House of Horror – A Diane Sawyer Special Event” is produced by ABC News Studios. David Sloan is senior executive producer and Christina Ng is executive producer.
Here is the important thing art for the special:
Here’s a primary look: