In August 2023, Ruby Franke — a Utah mom who gave parenting advice on her family's YouTube channel 8 Passengers — was arrested on charges of child abuse. She and her accomplice, Jodi Hildebrandt, pleaded guilty to four of the six counts. They were sentenced to between four and 30 years in prison in February 2024.
Now, Ruby's husband, Kevin Franke, has opened up about the circumstances leading up to the horrific abuse. The mom vlogger reportedly exhibited disturbing cult-like behavior encouraged by Hildebrandt for years. The situation culminated with the Frankes' 12-year-old emaciated and injured son escaping from Hildebrandt's home and seeking help from neighbors, who called police. Law enforcement also rescued their 10-year-old daughter from the Utah residence.
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Kevin offered insight into the cult.
During Kevin's interview with investigators, he explained the philosophy of ConneXions, founded by Hildebrandt. “If you want to help your child, you have to help yourself first, and then you’ll know how to help your child," he explained in the video, via KUTV 2 News Salt Lake City.
Of his first impression of the organization, Kevin shared, “This is absolute craziness. This is a bunch of man-hating women that are just looking for excuses to tear down their husbands.”
He revealed that Ruby kept detailed notes about the abuse.
In addition to a journal, which police found, Kevin said Ruby kept a different detailed account of the abuse.
“The stuff she wrote in the pen papers was not intended to be read by anybody until God would decree them to be written in Scripture for the whole world to read," he explained.
Later, he added, “It’s something Jodi would not want found. But she wouldn’t want to destroy it.”
She displayed questionable parenting on her YouTube channel, but Hildebrandt reinforced her choices following backlash.
In 2020, Ruby received major backlash and began hemorrhaging followers after posting a video about her oldest son, Chad, being forced to sleep on a beanbag chair as punishment. The mom of six reportedly turned to Hildebrandt for validation.
“All the stuff she did with Chad was because of Jodi,” Kevin told investigators. “So it makes sense she would go to Jodi for emotional support when she felt like her world was burning down.”
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Hildebrandt reportedly heard voices saying Ruby was 'Satan's bride.'
According to Kevin, Hildebrandt often went into trances and experienced visions. She eventually moved in with the Franke family and even slept in the same bed as Ruby.
“The voices would say: ‘She’s ours. We’re not letting go,'" Kevin said of Hilebrandt's hallucinations. "'She is Satan’s bride. She’s mine. I am going to marry her.'"
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He hadn’t seen his kids in over a year.
Kevin reportedly was not in the picture at all by the time the extreme abuse began. He had moved out, and Ruby had moved in with Hildebrandt with their youngest children. “I haven’t seen them for over a year,” he told police.
In November 2023, Kevin filed for divorce. He is now seeking custody of his four youngest children.
