Ruby Franke was a popular YouTuber known for running her channel “8 Passengers” famous for her parenting advice and family vlogs. She had an ideal mother figure persona in her channel but all that glitters is not gold. Her fans and followers were deeply disappointed when Franke was arrested with child abuse charges in 2022. The case outlines the involvement of Franke in abusing her 12-year-old son. Her son was found malnourished, bound with tapes and bleeding through open wounds.
According to further investigations, it was also found that another daughter of Frank was also malnourished. Both the kids were held in Frank’s collaborator’s house. The abusers Frank and her collaborator, Hildebrandt pleaded guilty to second-degree child abuse charges in December 2022. In 2023, they were sentenced to prison terms of 15 years.
Franke’s shocking case drew widespread media attention and showed the harsh reality of the once-loving mother as an abuser towards her children. We’ll share some key points to put some light on the heartbreaking facts about Ruby Franke’s case:
10) 911 Caller Began To Cry on Phone When Requesting Help:
It was August 30, 2023, around 10:46 am, when a horrifying incident unfolded in Utah. A young boy barefoot knocked on a neighbour’s door to seek help. When the resident opened the door, he pleaded for help. He asked the resident to take him to the police station or call 911.
The neighbor described the chilling encounter as “He’s got the tape around his legs, he’s starving and bleeding from the open wounds.” The people from the community gathered on a child’s cry for help, hinting at a victim of abuse. This led to outrage and concern for everyone.
9) The Young Boy and Girl Were Bound and Starving:
With the help of neighbors, the boy was able to reveal the shocking incident to the officer. He revealed his mother along with the collaborator tied his arms and legs on the ground, starved and beat him. The officer was disturbed by the horrific revelations and stepped to further investigate the situation.
Consecutively, at 11:52 am, another child was found alone in the empty closet of the room. When the law enforcement officer rescued her, she was terrified and cold. The officer comforted her for hours to make her feel safe. When the food was ordered for the child, the desperation was clear. The child consumed the entire pizza and shake highlighting the severe need for the nourishment.
8) Kevin Franke was Unaware of His Family:
Kevin Franke was the father of children and husband to Ruby Franke. The investigations revealed the absence of this prominent figure in the children’s lives. According to the revelations, Jodi manipulated Kevin to leave the family alone and it had been almost a year since the children saw their father.
After finding out about this horrific incident, Kevin vowed to file for divorce from Ruby Franke and took legal action against her in 2023. This helped the children to be under the custody of the father, reuniting them after prolonged trauma.
7) Ruby Franke Asked “Are We in The News?”
The Ruby Franke’s revelations from the confines of prison revealed disturbing details. Ruby was least concerned about the magnitude of the situation. When she learned about her children being hospitalised because of her actions, she revealed “It’s weird. They’re just exaggerating this.”
She was shamelessly claiming her children were full of evil and that her abusive actions were necessary against the innocent children. The revelations were horrifying as she justified her abusive actions.
6) Marriage Counselor Jodi Hildebrandt was Previously Reported To State:
Jodi Hildebrandt was the therapist who deprived the trust of customers by her fraudulent tactics. The customer revealed the reports of her disregard and misconduct in Utah, which led to the cancellation of her therapist licence for 18 months.
She was convicted of leaking confidential information of customers with institutions like BYU and LDS without prior consent. Her past was evidence of her dark influence on the Franke family which brought immense trauma to the children and their father.
5) The Children were Tortured:
The Detective’s testimony revealed a horrific abuse suffered by both siblings. The children were subjected to severe abuse and negligence. The children were forced into labor. R (the son) was forced to carry the boxes upstairs all day while E (the daughter) was made to walk barefooted on cemetery grounds resulting in multiple blisters on his feet. The children were so malnourished, that the clothes hung loosely on their bodies. The children were made to jump on the trampoline for 8-10 hours.
The consequences of abuse were alarming as children were deprived of basic food and water.
4) Jodi Hildebrandt Had Previous Convictions of Severe Abuse:
Jodi Hildebrandt’s history of child abuse and fraudulent conduct dates back to 2009. The woman abused her daughter, Jessi disturbingly, which made her subject to emotional and physical trauma. This included:
- Forced to cut their hair, abstain from using makeup and buy good clothes.
- Forced to sleep outside in the snow.
- Duct-taped around her legs and silenced.
- Accused of having abortions.
Just like the same repeated pattern, Jessi also escaped and reported the abuse to the police authorities.
3) Young Boy Ran Away One Time Before for Help:
The use of rocks to plead for help was also a young boy’s courageous attempt to escape. This bold move speaks words of wisdom and help. Unfortunately, when abusers found the child pleading for help they further restricted him to avoid another escape.
The marvellous attempt of escape by a child showed the courage of a young one to seek help in times of despair.
2) Ruby Franke’s Online Followers Petitioned for CPS to Get Involved:
In one of the episodes of 8 Passengers, the forcible act on the young one to sleep on a beanbag sparked public concern. The viewers collectively started an online petition for the safety of children and their protection. It marked a massive moment, highlighting the concern to ensure the safety of children.
1) Ruby Franke’s Journal Testifies to Torture and Abuse:
From time to time, Ruby mentioned all the details of her life and whereabouts in the journal where she also mentioned details about this horrible accident:
- R (the son) was like a snake. She demanded 100% obedience. If the son disobeys, he will be met with horrific consequences.
- Shaved the head of E (the daughter), as she refused to work.
These disturbing acts of violence and intimidation reveal that Ruby was cruel. No sane person would do this to their beloved children. The testimonies also show that Jodi and Ruby both were accountable for the heinous acts that gave the children traumatised life experiences.
Conclusion
This story might be a trigger warning to few but it is important to remember that these demonic incidents are evident in our society. As a citizen, we must be careful and prompt the different abusive patterns to law enforcement. In this way, any incoming violence and abuse could be avoided. Moreover, there are many Congressional laws and regulations detailed in Section 101(b) for child protection. If acted upon, many innocent lives can be saved by our little efforts.
