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House of Secrets: 9 children hidden for years in Oklahoma home found after police tip

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It was a house of secrets and abuse.

In August, Oklahoma City police got a tip that a man had multiple children with his stepdaughter. That report would unravel a family and shake an entire community.

For the first time, and only on KOCO 5, hear from the adult children about life behind closed doors and the hero who would turn him in.

The cul-de-sac in southeastern Oklahoma City looks like any other, but inside the yellow house was a man with a secret. One woman, Doris Cole, would unearth the truth.

"It just took someone paying attention. And believe it or not, he was telling on himself every single day, but no one listened," Cole said.

A family of 11 lived in the yellow house: mom, dad and nine children who were hidden away from the world.

"They never left the house, only with him," a neighbor told KOCO 5 back in August.

The children had never been to school, a doctor's office, or even a movie theater – all to conceal a secret they never knew was wrong: their dad's relationship with their stepsister.

KOCO 5 asked if they knew the younger children were their dad's children, too.

"I already knew about but I didn’t know there was anything wrong with it," the 23-year-old who lived in the home said.

At 12 years old, their oldest sister had her first baby with their dad, according to court documents.

"We just grew up like it was normal to us," the 33-year-old who lived in the home said.

Their oldest sister gave birth to four more inside the home.

"Yeah, I think I was 7 or 8," the 20-year-old who lived in the home said.

KOCO 5 sat down with three of the siblings who wanted to share their story. We asked if they ever questioned why they weren't allowed to leave the house more.

"Dad always said he didn’t want us to get hurt or because he was protecting us from people outside," the 20-year-old said.

That would all change.

"I was looking for someone to paint the ceilings, and he answered the ad," Cole said.

Cole hired the father in 2017 as a contractor. She was opening several businesses at 10th Street and May Avenue.

"They looked really crazy every day. From the clothes they wore, the smell," Cole said.

He started taking two of his teenage daughters to work, and Cole picked up on something she couldn't let go of.

"They couldn’t read. They couldn’t write. The speech was really bad. When I first met her, I thought she had an accent," Cole said.

She would question the family's homeschooling, the father's persistent phone alerts and the van packed full of food and clothing.

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"It’s hard because I’m the one who did it, but I’m also the one taking care of them. I’m hoping that anyone who wants to help is a genuine help," Cole said. "They’ve already been lied to and hurt their entire lives. I’m hoping their journey and the people they meet along the way remember that."

To help the family you can contact (405) 900-6801 or at [email protected] or you can go to the website that can be found here and fill out the contact form.

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