Evidence released in ‘8 Passengers’ mom Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt child abuse cases
Mar 22, 2024, 6:12 AM | Updated: Apr 1, 2024, 10:53 am
Ruby Franke is pictured appearing during a virtual court appearance. (Screenshot from a virtual hearing)
(Screenshot from a virtual hearing)
ST. GEORGE, Utah — Prosecutors in Washington County have released their casefiles containing a significant amount of evidence gathered during the investigation and prosecution of convicted child abusers Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt.
Franke, known for her now-deleted ”8 Passengers” YouTube channel, and Hildebrandt, founder of Orem-based mental health company ConneXions Classroom, were sentenced to prison in February after both previously pleaded guilty to four counts each of aggravated child abuse.
The release of the casefiles, through Utah’s public records law, comes roughly six months after a 12-year-old child escaped from an Ivins home, knocked on a neighbor’s door and asked for food and water. The neighbor called police, noting duct tape on the child’s ankles and wrists. According to Santa Clara-Ivins police, the child had open wounds from being tied up with rope and was emaciated and malnourished.
The child told police Hildebrandt tied them up with a rope and put cayenne pepper in their wounds. Police arrested the child’s mother, Franke, and the owner of the home, Hildebrandt, who was also Franke’s business partner. A second child, 10, was found in the home and also determined to be malnourished.
The records released Friday include written reports, audio recordings, video files, and images documenting the severe nature of the abuse the children endured.
Ruby Franke’s journal
Among the documents released were 60 pages of Ruby Franke’s journal from the summer of 2023. Prosecutors said at that time that her children were living in conditions comparable to a concentration camp.
On May 30, Franke wrote that one of her children — whom KSL TV is choosing not to identify — refused to do wall sits. The next day, she said the child had to stay and sleep outside, only entering the home to shower or use the bathroom.
She also wrote about her children standing outside in the rain for two hours and regularly mentioned them fasting.
