Evidence from the YouTube star and Jodi Hildebrandt’s cases was released, showing police interviews with the two abusers and Franke’s estranged husband, Kevin, as well as footage of the two abused children when they were found by authorities.
A mountain of evidence was released to the public on Friday in the child abuse case against Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt, who were both sentenced to up to 60 years in prison earlier this year in Utah.
Both women were arrested last August on child abuse charges relating to Franke’s children, as new footage shows the moment one of them allegedly climbed out of a window of Hildebrandt’s home in Ivins and fled to a neighbor’s home asking for help.
Other videos include the police raid on Hildebrandt’s home, them coaxing one of the children out of a closet, the arrests and police interviews of both Franke and Hildebrandt, as well as an interview with Ruby’s estranged husband, Kevin, who was not charged in the case. Ruby’s diary entries were also released, in which she said one of her children was “in and out of possession” and “needs God,” and wrote about how she punished them by making them stand in the sun and by shaving off their hair.
Warning: Some of the videos below are disturbing.
In one video, one of Franke’s children is seen ringing the doorbell and knocking on the door of a neighbor, with tape seen around each of their ankles. Before they left the property, a couple came out and they called police after giving the boy food and water.
Police docs note the child had duct tape and plastic wrap around wounds on their legs and arms, which had also been covered in cayenne pepper and honey.
Once police arrived at Hildebrandt’s home, they told her they’re able to enter without a search warrant due to exigent circumstances, based on a tip from the first child that there may be other children in the home.
Inside the house, they found another child hiding inside one of the closets, hesitant to come out. Authorities told ABC they initially thought the child — who had a buzzcut — was a little boy, before discovering they were the sister of the first victim.
“You are safe. We will not hurt you and we will not do anything to hurt you,” authorities tell her, before she eventually gets up.
Both Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested, with Ruby really giving authorities the silent treatment throughout the process. Her lack of communication continued when it was time for her to be interrogated by police as well.
When asked where she lived or how many children she had, she responded with nothing but a blank stare. She refused to corroborate any details about her husband or children, before one of the cops told her, “I can wait all day, it’s up to you if you want to talk to us about what’s going on. Would you feel more comfortable talking to one of us?”
“I’ll wait til I have a lawyer,” she responded. After a couple more attempts at trying to get her to talk, she reiterated she’d be waiting for legal counsel.
Jodi, meanwhile, was slightly more verbal — first admitting she was nervous because she’s “watched too many detective movies.”
“So I trust my attorney, he said, ‘Don’t say anything.’ I said I have nothing to hide. He said, ‘I know that, just let me be there when you talk,'” she continued, after being asked to share a little about herself. “You guys seem like nice people. If you knew all the pieces, I think you’d have a lot of empathy of what’s going on.”
She expressed fear authorities would “flip my words,” before also reiterating her lawyer’s advice and explaining how much she trusted him. “It ‘looks’ bad that I’m not answering anything but it’s not because I’m trying to be difficult,” said Hildebrandt.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen with what I say. I’m a psychologist, I watch people flip things all the time, so I get it. I wish people didn’t do that, they do,” she added, before shutting down further questions.
Also interviewed that day was Ruby’s estranged husband, Kevin, who had driven to Ivins from the family’s original home in Springville because someone told him he needed to get his children from the police station. He wouldn’t reveal who tipped him off, but otherwise appeared completely in the dark about what happened.
“I haven’t seen them for over a year. I’ve been in a separation from my wife and family,” he said, adding that he hadn’t seen the kids since July 2022. “I don’t know anything that’s been going on,” he added.
During the interview, he said his wife hadn’t given him any information about the children in that time, before saying he trusted Ruby with his kids and respected Hildebrandt as well. He was then asked about why the couple separated and whether it had anything to do with previous abuse allegations and the end of their YouTube channel, 8Passengers.
“The reasons are because of ways that I treated my wife and some of my own addictions that I was working through and seeking help for with pornography. I’ve made some wonderful progress,” he told authorities. “Jodi and Ruby have a close relationship and Jodi saw the need for me to get help and frankly I agree. The space has been exactly what I need to face my own addictions and receive the support and help that I have needed. The space has been very, very good for me.”
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Police then filled him in on what happened, including how his son was found knocking on doors asking for food and water, looking “severely emaciated.”
“I’m sorry, what?!” he exclaimed, before authorities told him about the duct tape and rope burns and asked whether he condoned that type of punishment.
“Based on your description, no. I don’t know the details and I don’t know what’s going on. That sounds horrible,” Kevin replied, before crying into his hands after being left alone for a few moments inside the interview room.
“What’s going to happen to my wife? I love my wife. I love my wife and I trust my wife. It feels like getting run over a stream truck, what you shared with me today,” he later told cops, getting very emotional.
“I have a picture of my family on my wall and I look at it every day. I work every day so I can get back to my family. Everything you’re sharing to me just sounds like a made up story … I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he continued. “This sounds like a horror movie. I just want my kids, I just want my family. I don’t know why the things you described happened. It’s almost like I want to say, I’m sorry, you must have somebody else.”
The video ends with him saying “This just feels like a sucker punch. I feel responsible. I wish I was a better husband.”
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Ruby was sentenced to up to 60 years in prison for aggravated child abuse last month, after both she and Hildebrandt pleaded guilty to four counts of child abuse in December.
“I am humbled and willing to serve a prison sentence for as long as I need,” the former 8 Passengers influencer told the judge. “I am committed to unlearning my toxic behavior.”
She also expressed regret for “twisting God’s words and distorting His doctrine.” Franke received the maximum sentence under Utah state guidelines.
Hildebrandt got the same sentence as the judge reprimanded her for terrorizing children.
“I sincerely loved these children,” Hildebrandt told the judge. “One of the reasons I didn’t go to trial is I didn’t want them to relive this.”
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