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Once Upon A Crime

The Ties That Bind - The Turpin Family

Once Upon A Crime

Esther Ludlow

Truecrime, History, True Crime, Crime, Criminals, Criminology, Society & Culture

4.65K Ratings

🗓️ 9 April 2022

⏱️ 59 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this month’s series, we’ll take a look at the fascinating phenomenon of narcissistic family cults - a family unit that exhibits all the hallmarks of a traditional cult group but is led by a narcissistic family member - usually a parent.  In this episode, a couple with thirteen children spend decades isolating themselves from the outside world. The public would be shocked when it was discovered their children had been subjected to long-term ritualistic abuse, neglect, and deprivation in one of the worst cases of child abuse ever recorded in California.  Links: Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime - Become a Patreon member of Once Upon a Crime to get ad-free, early release episodes, and more perks.  Military Murder Podcast - Check out my friend Margo’s podcast - Military Murder! www.militarymurderpodcast.com.  Resources: The Family Next Door by John Glatt, St. Martin’s Press, 2019.  David Turpin Biography: 13 Things About Perris, California Engineer Turpin Trial: Couple Jailed for Life for ‘Inhuman’ Child Abuse All That’s Interesting: Louise Turpin California Torture House: Louise Turpin’s Sister Said Sibling Experimented with Religion, Sex People: Couple Accused in Calif. House of Horrors Case ‘Ran Away’ to Marry When She was 16 and He Was 23 David and Louise Turpin Eloped - Daily Mail Inside the Turpin “Horror House” as Young Survivors Reveal Ongoing Struggles ABC 20/20, S44/E7 - Escape from a House of Horror - A Diane Sawyer Special Event Classmate Says Oldest Turpin Sibling Was Bullied, Frail During Grade School in Viral Facebook Post Turpins: 1 Sibling’s Desperate Escape Attempt Foiled When Police Forced Her Back to the House California Torture Case Raises Questions About Home School Regulation People: I Lived with the House of Horrors Family: What Relative Says She Saw Years Before Child Torture Case Came to Light  CNN: Judge Bars Turpins from Contacting Children People - From a Desperate Escape to Revelations of Shocking Abuse: How Abuse of Horrors Case Unfolded Huffpost - Turpin Children Speak Out About Life in California ‘House of Horrors’

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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

This podcast details true crime cases. It contains adult themes and may contain descriptions of violence.

0:07.0

It is not intended for children.

0:09.0

Listen or discretion is advised.

0:13.0

Thank you for joining me for today's episode of Once Upon a Crime.

0:23.7

One topic that has always been fascinating to me is the study of cults.

0:28.0

Simply stated, a cult is religion or sect considered as false, unorthodox, or extremist, whose members live outside of a

0:35.0

conventional society, and adhere to a strict set of doctrines guidelines are rules and

0:40.4

are under the direction of a charismatic leader.

0:43.0

Of course, when we think of true crime in cults or cult-like groups,

0:47.0

several high-profile cases come to mind.

0:50.0

The People's Temple, led by Jim Jones and the Jonestown Massacre, the Branch Davidians led by David

0:55.4

Kerech and the siege of their compound in Waco, and Charles Manson's family and the Tate

1:01.3

Labianca murders being some of the most well known.

1:04.0

But one type of cult-like group that I find even more interesting

1:08.0

and is not as well covered is the narcissistic family cult

1:12.0

or a family that exhibits all the hallmarks of a traditional cult group

1:16.2

but is led by a narcissistic family member usually a parent. This type of cult family typically hides in plain sight, closing ranks to the outside world.

1:26.0

Most observers outside of the family will never suspect the level of control and abuse

1:31.0

to which other family members may be subjected.

1:35.2

In this week's episode, neighbors, authorities, and even extended family members would be shocked

1:40.2

and horrified upon learning of the ritualistic and long-term neglect, abuse, and abuse and This is the first chapter in the series The Tis that Bind, the case of the Turpin family. Note, just a warning before we begin today's episode. This case includes details

2:09.1

about severe child abuse, neglect, and child sexual abuse.

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