House of horror’ dad 'KIDNAPPED wife from school when she was 16'

A DAD accused of torturing his 13 children kidnapped his future wife when she was just 16 so they could get married, according to a report.

By Anders Anglesey /

A DAD accused of torturing his 13 children kidnapped his future wife when she was just 16 so they could get married, according to a report.

David Turpin, 57, convinced school staff in West Virginia into letting him sign Louise (nee Robinette) out of class before they sped across the country to elope.

The pair were finally caught in Texas and returned home where Louise’s family let their daughter marry the man eight years her senior.

Now the Turpins are facing spending the rest of their lives behind bars after they allegedly starved their children, aged two to 29, in their California home.

The dad reportedly kidnapped his wife when she was 16 PH

DAVID TURPIN: The dad reportedly kidnapped his wife when she was 16

California family terror: The Turpin story in pictures

 
The California couple have been arrested after authorities found a dozen malnourished siblings held captive in their home, some shackled in the dark to their beds with chains and padlocks, officials said on January 15, 2018. Authorities launched a torture probe and set bail at $9 million for the parents after a 17-year-old girl escaped the house on Sunday and called 911
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The parents are claimed to have dressed their kids in matching outfits Facebook
The parents are claimed to have dressed their kids in matching outfits

    They were charged with 12 counts of torture, seven counts of abuse of a dependent adult, six counts of child abuse and 12 counts of false imprisonment.

    David was also charged with a lewd act against a child under 14.

    Both deny the charges.

    The family seemingly lived a normal life until officers swooped on the home last Monday.

    The pair face spending the rest of their lives in prison PH

    ALLEGATIONS: The pair face spending the rest of their lives in prison

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    Jonathon Kelly: extremely violent, wanted by police to return to prison to serve the remaining 9 years 10 months of his sentence NC
    Jonathon Kelly: extremely violent, wanted by police to return to prison to serve the remaining 9 years 10 months of his sentence

      A 17-year-old child escaped the home through a window and told cops about her parents.

      The authorities entered the property belonging to the Turpins and discovered the kids were living in “foul-smelling” conditions.

      Real estate brokerage firm Redfin estimates the value of the house to be around $401,934 (£287,451).

      The curtains of the house were drawn most of the time, and a Christmas star could still be seen in the window.