The eldest son of a California couple accused of abusing and holding their 13 children captive excelled at his community college, boasting a near perfect GPA.
The son, who is in his 20s, attended classes at Mt. San Jacinto College from 2014 until at least 2016, but never earned his degree, according to transcripts obtained by ABC News.
Prosecutors said his mother, Louise Turpin, would bring him to campus and then waited outside while he was in class.
She was arrested alongside her husband, David Turpin earlier this month when their 17-year-old daughter climbed out a window of their California home and phoned 911.
Authorities said they found the siblings — ranging in age from 2 to 29 — malnourished and dirty in the family’s Perris house of horrors. Three of the children had been shackled to beds when responders arrived on the scene.
During his time in community college, the Turpins' eldest son aced many courses including algebra, public speaking, English fundamentals, guitar, and freshman composition, according to the transcript.
He also earned a place on the honor roll in the fall 2015 and spring 2016 semesters, college spokeswoman Karin Marriot said.
According to his December transcript, he had a GPA of 3.92.
One of his former classmates, Josh Boldt, described him as “really pale” and “really malnutritioned.”
“He always had this kind of depressive aura about him, if that makes sense, and he really, really kept to himself,” Boldt told ABC.
“He didn’t really open up.”
Joe Chermak, who attended a musical performance at the college in the spring of 2016, recalled seeing the Turpin family in the audience.
“They all seemed well-behaved. And also, like, they were all in uniforms, so at first I thought it was a group of kids coming from another school,” he told the news station. “We didn’t really think much of it, but all I know is that they kind of left abruptly in the middle of the show.”
Chermak said he still had time to take note of the childrens’ somewhat shocking appearances.
“One of them, you could tell from their arm, they were really skinny,” he added.
Authorities said the siblings were beaten, choked, starved, shackled, and at times even hogtied as a form of punishment.
The parents only allowed the siblings one shower a year and often taunted them with toys left in their wrapping and food placed just out of their reach, according to Riverside County District Attorney Michael Hestrin.
“They would buy food including pies — apple pies, pumpking pies — leave it on the counter, let the children look at it, but not eat it,” Hestrin said.
David Turpin, 57, and Louise Turpin, 49, earlier this month were formally charged with 12 counts of torture, seven counts of abuse of dependent adults, six counts of child abuse and 12 counts of false imprisonment.
David was also charged with one count of a lewd act on a child 14 or younger.
If convicted, the couple could face 94 years to life in prison. They pleaded not guilty to all charges.
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