Louise Turpin's Relatives Speak Out About How She's Handling Prison

David and Louise Turpin face a series of charges for allegedly starving and torturing their children. As they await their day in court—both are facing possible life sentencest—family members visited the incarcerated "House of Horrors" parents. "The Dr. Oz Show"spoke to the family members of Louise Tuprin after they visited the mother of the 17 children. 

Oxygen will be delving in to this tragic and shocking case in a two-hour special event "The Turpin 13: Family Secrets Exposed," premiering Saturday, April 28 at 6/5c.

Louise's sister, Elizabeth Flores, and cousin Tricia Andreassen, spoke to the daytime show in an exclusive interview. When asked if they ever thought that Turpin was "capable of this evil," both responded resoundly that they were shocked. "As far as the abuse and the chaining and starving, never," said the sister. 

The Turpins are accused of keeping their children (ages 2 to 29) locked up and rationing things like food and showers. The children were discovered when a 17-year-old girl fled and went to authorities. The police were so shocked by the children's puny appearance due to being malnourished. 

Elizabeth got tearful when discussing childhood abuse she and Turpin faced from a relative. She said that Turpin would often push her out of the way and sacrifice herself to be abused. "That's why it's so shocking that she wouldn't protect her own kids."

Following the prison visit, the women were asked if Turpin appeared same or different. “She looked different in the eyes and when I walked up there, I kept thinking am I gonna see evil in her eyes? Am I gonna be able to look in her eyes and see if she's sick? But it wasn't. It was, like, when I looked in her eyes, she was crying at first, like she was so happy to see us. She was crying saying, I'm so happy you're here. But, when her eyes cleared up, they were clear. They were sparkly," said Flores, per a press release. To her, Turpin is almost willfully ignorant of the severity of the case. "As I was talking to her, I realized that it's all fantasy. She's living a movie. She's writing her own story. She's re-writing her story. Almost like she was so into Disneyland and stuff, I think even things that came up in her childhood.”

As to whether Turpin was inquiring about her kids, who are currently in the care of authorities, Flores responded, "No."

The full interview airs today on "The Dr. Oz Show."

[Photo: Facebook, Dr. Oz]