Evelyn’s House of Evil
April 6, 2004 is a day most folks in the Delaware County town of Kansas, Oklahoma had rather forget. That was the day police raided Evelyn’s Daycare Center, and things would never be the same again.
The scandal came to the attention of police when two young girls, ages 7 and 9, revealed that they had been sexually abused at the daycare center operated by Delbert Luper, age 42, and his wife Evelyn Luper, age 27. The 24 hour day care was closed and the Lupers were no where to be found when police conducted their raid and found pornographic movies and magazines, and confiscated a computer, photographs, a digital camera, bedding, paperwork and clothes.
Court records include allegations that the girls were made to watch adults engage in sex acts, had sex acts performed upon them, were made to wear lingerie, look at pornographic magazines and watch pornographic films. The 7 year old told authorities that at times her hands were tied with rope and her mouth was covered with duct tape. She also revealed that some of the children at the center “would lie on each other while there were cameras in the room”.
In a wake of the raid, the Lupers managed to evade police for two days and ultimately contacted the sheriff’s office to negotiate their surrender. The Lupers wanted to surrender alongside Highway 412, near Kansas, OK, “so their two children would not be traumatized”. Sheriff Rick White agreed to the surrender deal.
Delbert Luper was originally charged with seven counts of lewd molestation, lewd molestation/indecent proposal, performing a lewd act in the presence of a minor and showing obscene material to a minor. Evelyn Luper was originally charged with lewd molestation/indecent proposal, performing a lewd act in the presence of a minor and enabling child sexual abuse. And the investigation had only just begun…
In August, 2004 ten additional charges were filed against Delbert Luper, including six counts of lewd molestation, two counts of attempted first-degree rape and one count each of attempted forcible sodomy and indecent exposure. These latter charges alleged a third victim, a 5 year old girl.
In October, 2004 Delbert Luper, in a plea agreement, pleaded guilty to a total of 18 charges arising from the sexual abuse of children. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison to be followed by 25 years of post-custody supervised release. Delbert Luper will be required to register as a sex offender when released from prison.
In March, 2005, Evelyn Luper, in a plea agreement 5 days prior to the scheduled start of her trial, pleaded guilty to charges of lewd molestation and lewd acts in the presence of a child and was sentenced to 4 years in prison and 16 years of post-custody supervised release. Evelyn Luper will be required to register as a sex offender when released from prison.
The Lupers for their wanton and evil sexual abuse of children have been selected as charter members in the Oklahoma Hall of Shame.
