California Couple Accused of Torturing 13 Children Used to Own ‘Horror House’ in Texas

The current owners of two different homes in Texas, where the California couple accused of torturing their 13 children once lived, say they found “scratch marks” on doors and closets when they moved in, suggesting the alleged abuse of the children took place for many years.

The Anderson family, who moved into one of the homes in Fort Worth after David and Louise Turpin lost their home due to foreclosure in 1999, told CBS Dallas-Fort Worth that they found scratches on the doors and floors covered with grime from their previous owners.

The Andersons thought the wear-and-tear inside the home came from animals, but suspect that after hearing about the allegations against the Turpins that the former homeowners allegedly abused their kids for years before their move to California. The Turpins lived in the Fort Worth home from 1992 to 1999.

Photos of the Turpin family home captured right after they left in 1999 show boarded up windows and filth on the walls.

Another homeowner, who did not want to be identified, told WFAA that she found vents in the master bedroom closet when she moved to the Rio Vista property in 2010 after the Turpins left. The Turpins lived in Rio Vista from 1999 to 2010 and then relocated to California.

“She never allowed her children to go outside and play. They homeschooled every one of them and one day they just up and left,” the unidentified woman said.

Others who knew the Turpins are sharing their stories about the family as investigators try to piece together why their 13 children were locked in a basement chained to their beds.

Louise Turpin’s sister, Jane Flores, claimed that her sister would not let her meet her nieces and nephews and did not let the family into contact with the children.

Police arrested the Turpins after their 17-year-old daughter escaped from their California home Sunday and called the authorities, telling them that her parents held her and her 12 siblings captive.

The Turpins are currently being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center on charges of torture and child endangerment. The bail for each is set at $9 million.