Kevin Franke, 44, and his wife Ruby Franke, 41, are Mormons from Utah, United States. They have six children together namely Shari Franke, 20, Chad Franke, 18, Abby Franke, 16, Julie Franke, 14, Russell Franke, 12, and Eve Franke, 10.
Ruby was famous for sharing her strict parenting style on her YouTube channel called 8 Passengers, which started in 2015 and had 2.2 million subscribers. In January 2022, she stopped uploading videos and a year later, the account was taken down.
In a video posted to the 8 Passengers channel in February 2020, Ruby said she allowed Eve to go hungry because the girl forgot to make her own lunch. In July 2023, the video resurfaced.
Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt
After Ruby’s YouTube account was taken down, she started appearing in YouTube videos with author and life coach Jodi Hildebrandt, 54, of Ivins, Washington County, Utah. The videos were uploaded to the account of ConneXions Classroom, a counseling business based in Orem, Utah County, Utah.
Hildebrant owns ConneXions Classroom. According to her, the business teaches people to improve their lives by being honest, responsible and humble.
From 1991 to 1996, Hildebrant attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah County where she earned her bachelor’s degree in English language and literature. From 1999 to 2003, she attended the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah where she earned her master’s degree in educational psychology.
Russell Franke and Eve Franke
On the morning of August 30, 2023, Russell climbed out of a window in Hildebrandt’s residence in Ivins, ran to a neighbor’s house and asked for food and water, according to a Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department officer. The neighbor saw duct tape on the boy’s ankles and wrists and called the police.
Russell was put on a medical hold in the hospital due to his deep lacerations from his malnourishment and from being tied up with rope. Eve was also found malnourished in Hildebrandt’s house and Ruby’s other daughters Abby and Julie were placed in the custody of child protection services.
Later that day, Ruby and Hildebrant were arrested in the residence of the latter in Ivins. They are being held without the possibility of posting bail and they were each with six felony counts of aggravated child abuse.
Ruby and Hildebrant are accused of either torturing Russell and injuring Eve or allowing someone to do so. Both kids were starved and harmed emotionally, according to prosecutors.
CONAN Daily 