Last Friday, Utah authorities published various photos and videos related to the legal case of Ruby Franke, the YouTuber known as “8 Passengers,” who was recently given a minimum prison sentence of four years for mistreating her kids.
Judge John Walton in the Fifth District handed Franke four consecutive sentences ranging from one to 15 years each. Franke's associate, Jodi Hildebrandt, received the same punishment, meaning they could be incarcerated for a combined total of 60 years.
Franke’s two kids were living with Hildebrandt at the time. Although Hildebrandt was directly responsible for caring for the kids, the police concluded that Franke knew about the abuse, as she had recorded a YouTube video in Hildebrandt’s basement just two days before the incident on August 30, when Franke’s 12-year-old son fled to a neighbor's house.
After a neighbor dialed 911, the police went to Hildebrandt’s residence and found a 10-year-old child who was also undernourished.
A one month after Franke’s sentencing, KSTU obtained surveillance footage from the August 30 incident. The footage reveals a boy ringing a doorbell, walking away when no one responds, and then being stopped by a neighbor who asks what the problem is. The boy explains that he requires someone to call the nearest police station. The neighbor advises the child to sit tight before contacting the authorities, while other neighbors provide him with food and water.
Apart from submerging her son’s head in water, Franke confessed to restraining him by handcuffing his hands and feet, using linked cuffs, causing damage to his muscles and tissues as they cut into his ankles and wrists.
Similar to Franke, Hildebrandt stated that they tried to persuade Franke’s son that he was wicked and that the abuse was an “expression of love.” During her sentencing, Franke attributed her actions to paranoia and claimed that she believed the world was malevolent.
“After (Franke’s son) attempted to flee in July, his hands and feet were regularly bound. This included being tethered to an adult and to heavy objects,” as stated in a testimony.
Franke also deprived her daughter of sustenance and hydration, in addition to subjecting her to physical tasks that resulted in injury on at least two occasions. This included making the girl work outdoors barefoot during the summer. Meanwhile, Hildebrandt admitted making the girl leap into a cactus.
KSTU also acquired police bodycam footage of the moment officers entered Hildebrandt’s home and discovered a girl hiding in a closet. The officer reassured the child that he wouldn’t harm her, and the police then gave her pizza and a drink. The girl eventually opened the pizza box and took a bite.
Additionally, newly-released footage shows the girl telling emergency medical services that she was “nervous” to talk. The police claim it took four hours to persuade the girl to agree to go to the hospital for treatment.
In addition to the videos, Washington County prosecutors released images of Franke’s children’s emaciated bodies, displaying their limbs bound with duct tape and showing visible cuts on their ankles and wrists.
According to KUTV, prosecutors also made public a diary in which Franke described the mistreatment she inflicted on her children. In a July 1, 2023, entry, Franke wrote, “R [son] is to remain outdoors. Sleep outdoors.”
On July 14, 2023, Franke wrote that her daughter, “refuses to work. Screams. Has hair shaved off.”
Franke had agreed to testify against Hildebrandt at trial. However, Hildebrandt pleaded guilty to the charges against her in late December. In doing so, she admitted to mistreating Franke’s 9- and 11-year-old children between May 22 and August 30 and allowing Franke to do the same.
“I am humbled and willing to serve a prison sentence for as long as I need,” Franke said at sentencing. “I am committed to unlearning my toxic behavior.”