After what is described as a lifetime of imprisonment in a cramped, squalid home near Riverside, California, seven of the 13 siblings who were allegedly held captive by their parents got their first taste of freedom last week, ABC News has exclusively learned.

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The newly freed siblings -- who are now adults -- were discretely whisked away Thursday from the Corona Regional Medical Center, where they had been nursed back to health after police rescued them in January. After being described as on the brink of starvation, the survivors were taught the basics about a world police say they never quite experienced.

But now, the young adults, ages 18 to 29, were taken by their attorney and public guardian from the carefully controlled ward of the hospital to an undisclosed rural house they now call home.

David Allen Turpin/Facebook

ABC News has interviewed several people who’ve spent time with the siblings -- whose lives until recently had been lived in near-complete isolation. Their native intelligence, coupled with their naiveté and complete lack of guile, makes them utterly charming, say those who’ve interacted with them.

Their lawyer, Jack Osborn, who specializes in clients with special needs, described it as their birth into the real world.

“The adult siblings want to be known as survivors, not victims,” said Osborn.

It’s the reason he said they don’t dwell on their anger, but on the long process of recovery ahead.

David Allen Turpin/Facebook

“They're joyful, warm, considerate. It's not all about them. They want to hear what's going on with you and me and my family," he said. "It's just really fun. It's fun to be around them. Of course, they're really full of joy about their life and the things they get to experience right now."

Gina Ferazzi, Pool via Getty Images

David and Louise Turpin, the parents of the children, are accused of abusing them, including shackling and starving them routinely, authorities said. The victims weren't released from their chains even to go to the bathroom, prosecutors have charged.

Riverside County Sheriffs Department

All the children except for the youngest, a toddler, were severely malnourished, prosecutors said. The eldest victim -- a 29-year-old woman -- weighed only 82 pounds when rescued, according to authorities.

ABC News has learned through several sources with access to the siblings and interviews with police and social services that what little food the siblings ate was predominately frozen food at home.

Frederic J. Brown, Pool via AP

The parents were arrested in January after the couple's 17-year-old daughter scrambled out of their home's front window, called 911, and showed police pictures of her siblings in shackles, said the District Attorney Mike Hestrin. That 17-year-old had somehow accessed the internet in the weeks before her harrowing escape. ABC News has discovered that she had accounts on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube -- where she performed what she called original songs with titles like “Where is the Key?”

David and Louise Turpin each face dozens of counts of torture, false imprisonment and child endangerment. Prosecutors say they would punish infractions like washing above the wrist with punishments like being hogtied or being shackled to a bed, sometimes for months at a time.

Now, the seven siblings who are free have enjoyed getting relative privacy for the first time in their lives -– including receiving their own bedding and having their own closet space, Osborn said.

In their first 24 hours since their release from the hospital, the older siblings picked citrus for the first time. They also made their first ice cream sundaes and prepared Mexican food, apparently all firsts, Osborn added.

“They pretty much love any food that is fresh. They love fruit, pasta and soup,” said Osborn.

Mark Uffer, the chief executive officer of the Corona Regional Medical Center, where some of the siblings were being treated, confirmed to ABC News in a statement that the Turpin siblings had been discharged from their facilities.

Uffer added that they "wish these brave siblings continued strength as they take the next steps in their journey."

Beyond tasting new food, the siblings spend their time doing various kinds of occupational, physical and psychological therapy. They also watch movies. A lot of them.

Osborn believes they didn’t have much access to movies despite their parents’ trove of thousands of DVDs. The siblings' favorite movies so far have been anything associated with the "Star Wars" series.

While several of them have been of driving age for about a decade, their lawyer says none has ever driven a car. Trips in a vehicle at all seemed to be a rarity, Osborn said.

The prospect of driving a car one day was, in fact, so novel that the boys joked that they’d need to wear football helmets for safety.

Meanwhile, the siblings are aware of their parents’ legal jeopardy, but have no idea how much interest their story has drawn, Osborn said.

He added that they all hope to lead normal lives, with spouses and careers, including being nurses and doctors.

“Some asked whether they could be nurses without having to give injections or seeing much blood,” he said, smiling.

His clients, he said, “want to be independent."

"They want to do things for themselves and they want to start having independent lives where they're responsible for themselves," he added. "That's the goal and that's what everyone is working toward.”

ABC News' Duan Perrin contributed to this report</s>The minor children of David and Louise Turpin, the California couple accused of holding their 13 children captive and torturing 12 of them, are now in two foster homes, a source close to the investigation said Monday.

Word of the six children's new homes follows word from Corona Regional Medical Center CEO Mark Uffer announcing that the Turpin siblings had been released from the hospital. He did not provide further details, citing privacy laws.

"On behalf of all of us at CRMC, we wish these brave siblings continued strength as they take the next steps in their journey," he said.

The two youngest are now in one foster home in Riverside County, while the other four are at another home in the county. No home was able to accommodate all six children, the source said. The two youngest, in particular, will require a great deal of attention, according to the source.

"Their education was nonexistent," the source said. "The 17-year-old, who escaped, has a first-grade level education."

The Turpins said they home-schooled their children, who ranged in age from 2 to 29 at the time of the parents' arrest, but the source characterized their private Sandcastle Day School as "a sham, a way for them to get money from the county and the state."

Previously, Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin has said the home school was used to conceal a life of horror and abuse, where the children were beaten and starved, chained to their beds for weeks at a time and allowed to shower only once a year. Authorities have not alleged that the 2-year-old was tortured.

The horrid living conditions led one sibling, a 17-year-old girl, to escape through a window of the family home. She called 911 from a deactivated cellphone she found in the house. She had planned her escape for more than 2 years.

When his parents were arrested, the 29-year-old weighted just 82 pounds, and the other children were so thin they look younger than their ages, authorities said.

The children were also subject to mind games and emotional abuse during their confinement, the source said, adding that they are in regular contact with each other.

"The children all talk regularly via Skype. They are all happy to be in another place," the source said.

David and Louise Turpin, who lived in Perris, have pleaded not guilty to more than 40 charges, including torture, false imprisonment, abuse of a dependent adult and child abuse. David Turpin also pleaded not guilty to one count of lewd conduct with a minor.

They were arrested in January. A judge set bail at $12 million for each defendant.

The only thing the homeschooled children were allowed to do while in their rooms was write in journals, so hundreds of notebooks could make their way into evidence in the case against the parents.</s>The 13 children of David and Louise Turpin, the California couple accused of holding their children captive and torturing 12 of them, are now enjoying freedom in three separate homes in Riverside County, authorities said on Monday.

Word of their new homes follows a statement from Corona Regional Medical Center CEO Mark Uffer announcing that the Turpin siblings had been released from the hospital.

Six of the children are minors and seven are adults.

The adult children had been recovering at Corona Regional for the past two months, and it was hard to see them go, Uffer said. “There were some tears flowing, both for the staff and the Turpin children,” he said. “They said they loved us, they were going to miss us, they hoped to see us soon.”

“We’re hopeful they can now learn a lot of life skills, from shopping for groceries to cooking,” he said. “For all the things that have allegedly been done to them, they still have the capacity to love and trust people who have been good to them. Their spirit has not been crushed.”

“On behalf of all of us at CRMC, we wish these brave siblings continued strength as they take the next steps in their journey,” Uffer said.

The two youngest are now in one foster home in Riverside County, while the other four are at another home in the county. No home was able to accommodate all six children, a source close to the investigation said. The two youngest, in particular, will require a great deal of attention, the source added.

“Their education was nonexistent,” the source said. “The 17-year-old, who escaped, has a first-grade level education.”

A second source said the seven adult children are in another home.

The Turpins said they home-schooled their children, who ranged in age from 2 to 29 at the time of the parents’ arrest, but the source close to the investigation characterized their private Sandcastle Day School as “a sham, a way for them to get money from the county and the state.”

Previously, Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin has said the home school was used to conceal a life of horror and abuse, where the children were beaten and starved, chained to their beds for weeks at a time and allowed to shower only once a year. Authorities have not alleged that the 2-year-old was tortured.

The horrid living conditions led one sibling, a 17-year-old girl, to escape through a window of the family home. She called 911 from a deactivated cellphone she found in the house. She had planned her escape for more than two years.

When his parents were arrested, the 29-year-old weighed just 82 pounds, and the other children were so thin they look younger than their ages, authorities said.

The children were also subject to mind games and emotional abuse during their confinement, the source close to the investigation said, adding that they are in regular contact with each other.

“The children all talk regularly via Skype. They are all happy to be in another place,” the source said.

David and Louise Turpin, who lived in Perris, have pleaded not guilty to more than 40 charges, including torture, false imprisonment, abuse of a dependent adult and child abuse. David Turpin also pleaded not guilty to one count of lewd conduct with a minor.

They were arrested in January. A judge set bail at $12 million for each defendant.

The only thing the home-schooled children were allowed to do while in their rooms was write in journals, so hundreds of notebooks could make their way into evidence in the case against the parents.

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Former classmate expresses ‘guilt and shame’ over bullying oldest Turpin child endured

She said feces were smeared all over the Turpins’ Texas home

Turpin parents will appear in court as donations pour in for their abused children</s>Seven children found malnourished, some shackled, inside a Southern California home in January were released from the hospital.

The adult siblings have been discharged from Corona Regional Medical Center, said Mark Uffer, the hospital's CEO.

"I am heartened that our Corona team could be of service to them and would like to thank the dedicated staff and clinicians who worked so hard to provide the best possible care in this difficult situation," he said in a statement. "On behalf of all of us at CRMC, we wish these brave siblings continued strength as they take the next steps in their journey."

He did not disclose details of the their care or treatment, citing federal privacy laws and the wishes of family.

Their parents, David and Louise Turpin, are suspected of starving and shackling them. They've pleaded not guilty to charges of child abuse, torture and are being held on $12 million bail.

Louise Turpin also pleaded not guilty to a new count of felony assault.

The couple was arrested in January after their 17-year-old daughter escaped from the family's home in Perris, California, and called 911.

Authorities said the home reeked of human waste and evidence of starvation was obvious, with the oldest sibling weighing only 82 pounds. The case drew international media attention and shocked neighbors who said they rarely saw the children, who appeared to be skinny, pale and reserved.

Authorities said the abuse was so long-running the children's growth was stunted. They said the couple shackled the children to furniture as punishment and had them live a nocturnal lifestyle.

The children, who range in age from 2 to 29, were hospitalized immediately after their rescue. Since then Riverside County authorities, who obtained temporary conservatorship over the adults, have declined to discuss their whereabouts or condition.

Attorneys representing the adult siblings have said that the seven were living at Corona Medical Center, where they have an outdoor area for sports and exercise, and are making decisions on their own for the first time.

"That in itself is a new experience for them, understanding that they do have rights and they do have a voice," attorney Jack Osborn said.

He said that making daily decisions such as what to read or wear is empowering.

"I just want you to understand just what special individuals they are," Osborn said. "They all have their own aspirations and their own interests and now they may have an opportunity to address those, which is really exciting."</s>A horrifying look into the Turpin family case, where parents David and Louise Turpin allegedly starved their 13 children and kept them chained and padlocked inside their house.

THIRTEEN siblings who were allegedly held captive and tortured by their parents in the US are now “full of joy” as they enjoy new-found freedoms and luxuries, according to their lawyer.

David and Louise Turpin were arrested in January after their 17-year-old daughter escaped from the family’s home in Perris, California, and called emergency services. Authorities say they found a filthy home and malnourished kids.

According to police, the siblings — aged between two and 29 — were found in dark and foul-smelling conditions — with at least a couple of the children shackled to their beds.

Police allege the couple starved all of their 13 children and kept them chained and padlocked to their beds. The parents were allegedly obsessed with Disney and lived in a home piled up with junk. But it’s a world away from the lives most of the children are living today, according to their lawyer Jack Osborn.

ABC News reported that seven of the siblings got their first taste of freedom after they were discretely whisked away from the Corona Regional Medical Center on Thursday. It was there they had been nursed back to health in near total isolation after police rescued them in January. Mr Osborn described their release from hospital as a “second birth”.

The young adults, ages 18 to 29, were taken by their lawyer and public guardian from the carefully controlled ward of the hospital to an undisclosed rural house they now call home. The adult children reportedly talk on Skype with their six younger siblings, who are reportedly split between two foster homes.

Mr Osborn told ABC News the siblings were enjoying their new-found freedom.

“I think the favourite new experience for them is moving into new bedrooms, where they have been able to pick out their own bedding, have closets with their clothes in them, be able to have a bathroom right handy that they can use, and probably most of all just to go outside,” he said.

But the siblings want to be known as survivors — not victims, according to Mr Osborn.

“They’re joyful, warm, considerate. It’s not all about them. They want to hear what’s going on with you and me and my family,” he said.

“It’s just really fun. It’s fun to be around them. Of course, they’re really full of joy about their life and the things they get to experience right now.”

The couple entered pleas in February to three new charges of abuse.

Louise Turpin also pleaded not guilty to a count of felony assault. They previously entered not guilty pleas to torture and a raft of other charges and are being held on $12 million bail.

They have each been charged with 12 counts of torture.

Mr Turpin is also charged with forcefully performing a lewd act on a child under the age of 14.

The couple has denied all charges and said little in court beyond agreeing to a preliminary in May.</s>The seven adult children of David and Louise Turpin, the couple accused of abusing and imprisoning them for years at their Perris home, now spend their time working toward recovery, both mentally and physically, at Corona Regional Medical Center, where they learn life skills, play music and do crafts.

And where they dream.

Dream of becoming doctors, nurses, scientists and even investigators, now that they are freed of what authorities described as a nocturnal life where some were shackled, starved, strangled and neglected in their dirty, smelly home.

“They’re doing well,” said Jack Osborn, an attorney at Brown White & Osborn, the Los Angeles-based law firm that was appointed by a probate judge to represent them.

Osborn declined to talk about their lives in their Perris home, instead choosing to look ahead.

“They’re happy, they are wanting to move forward, they do not want to dwell on the past and … they want their identity to be now and going forward the things they hope to do, the dreams they have. They do not want people to think of them only as a possible victim, but as young adults setting off on their lives.

“They realize they can set a path for themselves. … That’s something exciting for them,” Osborn said.

The Turpins have 13 children, ranging in age from 2 to 29. The parents were arrested Jan. 14 after a 17-year-old escaped the Muir Woods Road home and contacted sheriff’s deputies. The Turpins have since been charged with 82 felony counts, including torture, false imprisonment, cruelty to a dependent adult and willful child cruelty.

David Allen Turpin, 56, and Louise Ann Turpin, 49, have pleaded not guilty to all charges and remain jailed in lieu of $12 million bail each. They are next due in Superior Court in Riverside on March 23 for a status hearing.

The Riverside County Public Guardian was appointed temporarily to oversee the care of the seven. A hearing is set for May 31, where the court will decide whether to make the conservatorship permanent.

A conservator has the authority to make decisions for people and manage their affairs. Osborn, speaking from his Redlands office Monday, Feb. 26, said his firm’s job is to make sure his clients know their options for independent living and understand their legal rights, and to ensure that their wishes are made known to the court.

At least one attorney sees the Turpin adult children about every other day for a few hours.

The hospital has converted existing space indoors and outside into areas where they can play sports or simply sit in the sun, he said. Hospital spokeswoman Linda Pearson declined to comment on the accommodations.

“Just giving them an opportunity, for lack of a better term, to chill,” Osborn said. “They love to draw, they love to create things, they’re very musical. Both listening to it and learning music to play. And they do a lot of crafts. It’s been really wonderful for them.”

The adult children also read, Osborn said, but not about themselves. They don’t surf Facebook on donated computer tablets or watch TV news stories about them. They are appreciative of the cards, gifts of clothing and other items donated but have no idea of the worldwide interest in the case that has drawn overflow media crowds to criminal hearings.

“They are humbled that so many people in their community have expressed a concern and well wishes for them,” Osborn said.

The adult children know of their parents’ legal case, said Osborn, who declined to say whether the children want to speak with their parents. Through a teleconference, the adult children visit with their minor siblings, whose current location has not been disclosed by social services officials. They had been treated at Riverside University Health System Medical Center.

Like anyone, Osborn said, the Turpins look forward to leaving the hospital.

“They want to move on. That’s a big goal for them,” Osborn said.

Half of the proceeds from Corona Night at the Angels will be donated to fundraising efforts for the Turpin children, Mayor Karen Spiegel said. The game, against the New York Yankees, is April 28. More information on tickets is available on the Corona Chamber of Commerce website. Residents of any city may participate.

Superior Court has received documents subpoenaed from Temecula Valley Hospital and a motion from David Turpin’s attorney, David J. Macher, to oppose a matter related to the media, has been filed. Just what is in those documents is unclear as most remain under seal. Southern California News Group has filed a continuous objection to making those court records secret.</s>Seven of the oldest Turpin kids have officially been released from the hospital, and they’re already living together & thriving! See inside their ‘joyful’ new lives.

SO exciting! The seven adult children of alleged child abusers David, 57, and Louise Turpin, 49, have been released from the Corona Regional Medical Center at last, after receiving treatment there for two months. The group of siblings are now living together in a home in rural California, according to their lawyer, and they’re reportedly happy, healthy, and excited about their future. Their lawyer, Jack Osborn told ABC News that the kids left the hospital on March 15 and were transported to their new home, the location being kept a secret, where they will be reunited with their family dogs. But while the children have expressed excitement over finally being able to make decisions for themselves, their mother has showed “zero” signs of remorse so far!

In their new home, Jack revealed all seven Turpins will have their own closets, outdoor space, and freedom to do things they want, when they want — a luxury they have never experienced before. “The adult siblings want to be known as survivors, not victims,” Jack told ABC News. “They’re joyful, warm, considerate. It’s not all about them. They want to hear what’s going on with you and me and my family.” The lawyer continued, “It’s just really fun. It’s fun to be around them. Of course, they’re really full of joy about their life and the things they get to experience right now.” Click here to see pics of the Turpin family home where the 13 children were found.

Their first day outside the hospital was mostly spent outdoors, Jack explained. The siblings apparently picked citrus and later made themselves Mexican food and ice cream sundaes, which were all firsts for them. In addition to catching up on all the films they’ve missed over the years — they “love” the Star Wars movies — they’re continuing to receive occupational, physical, and psychological therapy. All in all, Jack revealed the children want to lead “normal lives” and are even interested in pursuing careers.

“Some asked whether they could be nurses without having to give injections or seeing much blood,” he said, adding his clients “want to be independent” and “want to do things for themselves and they want to start having independent lives where they’re responsible for themselves. That’s the goal and that’s what everyone is working toward.” The adult siblings have never driven a car, but apparently the boys especially are excited to learn how. Jack also pointed out that the kids are unaware of how much media attention their case has attracted.

Meanwhile, their parents face numerous criminal charges in the alleged abuse of their 13 children, who ranged in ages from 2 to 29 at the time of their arrest. The charges include torture, false imprisonment, and abuse. The only child who appeared to have been somewhat spared from the alleged abuse was the youngest child, who was just two years old. When authorities entered the Turpin’s Perris, California home on Jan. 14, the house was allegedly in a horrific state, and the children were found malnourished, with some even shackled to their beds.

Louise and David allegedly denied their kids food — although eating enough themselves — and only let them shower once a year. These unbelievable conditions were only discovered after the couple’s 17-year-old daughter managed to escape from the home and dial 911. The Turpin parents are currently being held on a $9 million bond each and face life in prison if convicted of the crimes against their children. They have pleaded not guilty to all the charges. As chilling as it is, relatives allege David does understand the seriousness of the allegations, but Louise, on the other hand, seems in denial and is showing “zero remorse.”</s>The seven oldest of the 13 Turpin children have been released from the hospital where they were treated for what some have called a lifetime of imprisonment.

The newly freed Turpins, now adults ranging in age from 18 to 29, were taken from the hospital last week to their new rural home in an undisclosed area, according to ABC News.

It’s the culmination of a dramatic journey for the siblings, who were described as being on the brink of starvation when police say they were found chained up in the home of their parents, Louise and David Turpin, in their Perris, Calif., home on Jan. 15.

An attorney for the Turpins says they all lived in near total isolation and that their release from the Corona Regional Medical Center on Thursday marks a sort of second birth.

The adult children talk on Skype with their six younger siblings, who are reportedly split between two foster homes.

The 13 siblings, ranging in age from 2 to 29, were rescued after David and Louise’s Turpin’s malnourished 17-year-old daughter climbed through one of the windows of their Perris home and used a cell phone she found to call 911.

Since their rescue, the adult children have expressed interest in going to the beach, seeing movies and traveling to the mountains.

Ultimately, they want to attend college and start their own careers, their attorneys said.

But above all, the siblings say they want to be seen as survivors rather than as victims.

Louise and David Turpin have pleaded not guilty to torture, abuse and false imprisonment charges. They are each being held on $9 million bond.



 Turpin House of Horrors: 17-Year-Old Made Singing Videos on YouTube During Captivity





 7 Eldest Turpin Children Recovering Well, Watching ‘Harry Potter’ Films for First Time, Lawyers Say</s>The seven adult children of alleged child abusers David and Louise Turpin have been released from the Corona Regional Medical Center and are now living together in a home in rural California, according to their lawyer.

Lawyer Jack Osborn told ABC News exclusively the seven oldest Turpin siblings were released on Thursday and quietly transported to their new home, where they will be reunited with their family dog and able to make decisions for themselves. They will each have their own rooms with their own closets.

The adult children, ABC News reports, were taken by Osborn to their new home. The location of the home is being kept secret.

“The adult siblings want to be known as survivors, not victims,” Osborn told ABC News. Many locals who have been following the case have taken to affectionately calling the Turpin children “The Magnificent 13.”
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He said the siblings are excited to move on from the past and make their own way in the world.

“They’re joyful, warm, considerate,” Osborn told ABC News. “It’s not all about them. They want to hear what’s going on with you and me and my family,” he said. “It’s just really fun. It’s fun to be around them. Of course, they’re really full of joy about their life and the things they get to experience right now.”

Much of their first day outside of the Corona Regional Medical Center was spent outdoors, Osborn said. The siblings picked citrus and later, made themselves Mexican food and ice cream sundaes, which the lawyer told ABC News were all firsts for them.

Osborn said that his clients are receiving occupational, physical, and psychological therapy and catching up on all the movies they’ve missed over the years. He said they love the films.

Osborn told ABC News none of the adult siblings have ever driven a car, though they’ve all been of legal driving age for some time. He added that the boys are excited at the prospect of operating a car.
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He also said the siblings are unaware of how much media attention their case has attracted.

Osborn said the Turpin children want to lead normal lives and are interested in pursuing careers.

“Some asked whether they could be nurses without having to give injections or seeing much blood,” he said, adding his clients “want to be independent” and “want to do things for themselves and they want to start having independent lives where they’re responsible for themselves. That’s the goal and that’s what everyone is working toward.”

David, 57, and Louise Turpin, 49, face numerous criminal charges in the alleged abuse of their 13 children, who ranged in age from 2 to 29 at the time of the parents’ arrest. The charges include torture, false imprisonment and abuse. Only the youngest child appears to have been somewhat spared from the alleged abuse, according to prosecutors.

Authorities entered the house to find an allegedly horrendous scene of malnutrition and squalor, with some of the children shackled to their beds. Prosecutors allege the Turpins denied their children food — while eating healthy amounts themselves — and only allowed them to take one shower a year.

The Turpins were arrested after their 17-year-old daughter escaped from their Perris, California, house on Jan. 14. The teen dialed 911 using a disconnected cell phone, and allegedly told authorities she and her 12 siblings were being abused by their parents.

The Turpins are currently being held on a $9 million bond each and face life in prison if convicted of the crimes against their children. They have pleaded not guilty to all the charges. Relatives allege David understands the seriousness of the allegations but that Louise seems in denial, showing zero remorse.</s>For more than two months, the staff at the Corona Regional Medical Center came to know and love the seven adult children of alleged child abusers David and Louise Turpin as they nursed the malnourished siblings back to health and slowly introduced them to years of entertainment and technology they were intentionally deprived of.

But last week, the day all the nurses, doctors, and administrators knew was coming arrived. On Thursday, the Turpin’s eldest children were quietly discharged, confirms Mark Uffer, the hospital’s chief executive officer. And while it was a joyous occasion in many ways, Uffer tells PEOPLE saying goodbye was not easy.

“It was emotional for the staff and emotional for them,” Uffer explains. “This has been their home away from wherever they were at before, so it was a little bit tough for them and the staff.”

The seven siblings were taken Thursday to their new home in an undisclosed rural part of California. There, they have been reunited with their family’s dogs and are, for the first time in their lives, able to make decisions for themselves.
• Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

Uffer says that the decision to move the children from the hospital was made by their lawyer, Jack Osborn, who has been appointed to represent their interests.

“It was a very touching experience for all of the staff,” Uffer says of treating the Turpin children — affectionately dubbed “The Magnificent 13” by their supporters. “If you asked the nurses, they would all tell you it was a life-changing experience.”

Going Away Party — With a Karaoke Machine

David, 57, and Louise Turpin, 49, face numerous criminal charges in the alleged abuse of their 13 children, who ranged in age from 2 to 29 at the time of the parents’ arrest. The charges include torture, false imprisonment and abuse. Only the youngest child appears to have been somewhat spared from the alleged abuse, according to prosecutors.

Authorities entered their Perris, California, house to find an allegedly horrendous scene of malnutrition and squalor, with some of the children shackled to their beds. Prosecutors allege the Turpins denied their children food — while eating healthy amounts themselves — and only allowed them to take one shower a year. Most of the siblings were unfamiliar with how to use a toothbrush.

The Turpins were arrested after their 17-year-old daughter escaped their house on Jan. 14; she climbed through a window and, using a disconnected cell phone, called 911 and allegedly told authorities she and her 12 siblings were being abused by their parents. The Turpins are currently being held on a $9 million bond each and face life in prison if convicted of the crimes against their children. They have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

According to Uffer, the staff at the Corona Regional Medical Center in Corona, California, knew of the siblings’ impending departure, giving them ample time to plan a going away party for the Turpin kids.

“We served them lunch and had cake for them,” Uffer tells PEOPLE. “The nurses that provided the care for them and the physicians that provided care for them actually got to spend time with them before they left.”

The adult Turpin children had pizza and sandwiches during the farewell party.

“They got to sing on a karaoke machine — they love to sing and love to interact with people,” Uffer says. “They can sense people that actually care for them so they were very attached. They were able to sing. It was like a birthday party environment. They made gifts for each one of us, little crafts for each one of us. They made bracelets out of beads that they gave to all the nurses. They had little scrapbooks that they wanted us to all write messages in before they left so they had something to remember us by.”

After news of the Turpins’ arrests made national headlines, donations of all kinds came pouring in for the victims.

“We had a lot of donations of crafts — people sending PlayDoh and sent crayons and coloring books and things they could entertain themselves with,” Uffer says. “There were beads with initials. They would take the stretchy twine they make bracelets out of and would make one for me saying, ‘Outstanding CEO’ or ‘Coolest CEO Ever,’ something like that. One of them had my initials on it. I have three or four bracelets they made me over the time they spent here. They gave them from their hearts … that is all they had to give.”

Hospital Staff Doesn’t Know Undisclosed Location of Siblings’ New Home

Uffer tells PEOPLE that, for security reasons, he has no idea where the children are living now, which bothers him to some degree.

“It is a little bit disturbing for us because again, they are so close to us and we are so close to them,” he says. “We were hopeful we could do a transition with them and get them to their new place and wanted to send the nurses and therapists out to make sure ‘This is where you are going to be staying,’ ‘Here’s our phone numbers,’ ‘You can call us anytime,’ ‘We will call you once a week.’ But we have no idea where they are at.

“From the environment they came from, they had become very attached to the nurses and me,” Uffer reveals. “They truly loved the people they were interacting with over the last two months.”

When they were leaving Corona Regional, “they were tearful and I think a little bit afraid but at the same time they were hopeful that the environment they were going to would allow them to get on with their lives,” Uffer says. “We are hopeful that occurs. I told them we weren’t going to say goodbye — we are going to say ‘Until we meet again.’ We are hopeful it wasn’t a goodbye.”
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One of Uffer’s favorite memories of the children, he says, occurred recently, after he returned from a work trip to Pennsylvania. When he walked into his office, he found the Turpin siblings had placed sticky notes everywhere.

“The notes said things like they love us, they are going to miss us, thank you for caring for them,” he says. “I have a picture with one of my horses and one of them wrote ‘Green Acres is the place for Mark Uffer. Cute little things like that. They do have good senses of humor. They are very loving — you can tell they are just hungry for attention. They realize when people generally care for them. They don’t embrace everybody the same way. It was a very select group of nurses and leadership that took care of them and they were very aware of that.”

Uffer called the siblings “very charming” and says they left an impression on everyone they met the last two months.

“They were genuinely capable of feeling love and genuinely capable giving it back,” Uffer says. “That is what is so heartbreaking. We only read what the parents allegedly did to them so when you see them and interact with them on a day-to-day basis, you find it really hard to understand how seven young adults and six children could have been so abused yet so capable of giving love back. The parents had to have had their heads screwed on backwards in order to treat these people that way.”
The seven adults of the "Turpin children" are reported to have been released from the Corona Regional Medical Center in California and placed into an undisclosed residential home to lead normal lives.