"Duct tape around each ankle": Ruby Franke 911 call audio goes viral, leaves internet bewildered

A recently released 911 call dispatch audio revealed what led to the arrest of Ruby Franke, the former YouTube vlogger, who was taken into custody on Wednesday, August 30, 2023, over child abuse charges.

On Wednesday, YouTube channel ‘8 Passengers,’ Ruby Franke, was arrested alongside Jodi Hilebrandt, the founder of the parent counseling service ConneXions. While the details behind the arrest were limited, the former vlogger’s arrest record from the Washington County sheriff's office showed the duo were charged with aggravated child abuse.

A Reddit user citing an insider alleged that charges stemmed from reports of child malnourishment concerning Franke’s children. However, further information was unavailable at the time.

A day after the arrest, a news release by the Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department alleged that the duo were arrested after police received reports of child abuse. Authorities said that one of Franke’s malnourished and emaciated children climbed out of the window of her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt's home, and went to a neighbor's house asking for help. The neighbor reportedly notified authorities.

In the 911 audio dispatch call that led to Franke’s arrest, the dispatcher can be heard telling the responding officer that the neighbor alleged the child had “open wounds and duct tape around each ankle.”

At the time of the arrest, the mother of six was reportedly living with ConneXions founder Jodi Hilebrandt's home and worked as a part of her business team division.

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Ruby Franke's 911 call audio sparks outrage among netizens

Ruby Franke's 911 call audio has now gone viral after it revealed the extent of the children's abuse. In the call, the dispatcher informed an officer that a neighbor of Jodi Hildebrandt said that a child identified as Ruby Franke’s son, Russell (12), climbed out of the window of ConneXions founder's home and “knocked on the door requesting food and water.”

The neighbor said that Russell informed them that his sisters were kept in a similar condition in Hilebrandt's home, before adding, “He was afraid to ask for the police.”Shortly after, police arrived at Jodi Hildebrandt's address and arrested Ruby Franke alongside the ConneXions founder as police discovered the latter was aware of the abuse.

The 911 dispatch call has stunned the internet over the mother's depravity and the courage of her child who found the strength to report the abuse. Reacting to the audio, a social media user @biancaravizza1328 said:

“I can’t imagine the horror he was experiencing. Despite the fear of what would have happened if he got caught he had to escape to save his life, starved and hurt. Ruby and Jodi deserve life in prison, nobody should have the right to harm kids.”

Screenshot via YouTube

Another bewildered netizen @chrissyf1656, expressed shock and disgust over the incident.

“I couldn't even treat my worst enemy the way she did these children.”

Meanwhile, several netizens praised the boy's courage in saving his sister’s life. They said:

“This boy saved his and his sister's life. This likely would have ended much worse if not for his courage.”

Screenshot via YouTube

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Ruby Franke's four children were removed from her home and turned over to CPS

Police documents obtained by KUTV stated that after officers arrived on the scene, the child (Russell) was put on a medical hold due to “being tied up with rope.” Police reportedly found another child in a similar condition at Jodi Hildebrandt's home and transferred the child to a local hospital. Authorities said that a total of four children were removed from the house and turned over to the Department of Child and Family Services.

As previously reported, Ruby and Kevin Franke, a Mormon couple with six children - Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russel, and Eve were behind the '8 Passengers' YouTube vlogging channel, which launched in 2015.

The channel was taken down in 2020 after concerning child abuse reports emerged online. The reports stemmed from a since-deleted video where their 15-year-old son revealed he had been forced to sleep on the floor for months for pulling a prank on his younger brother. Shortly after, the family was investigated by Child Protective Services.

In the ensuing years, Ruby Franke shut down the YouTube channel and aligned herself with ConneXions, a parenting and business counseling service spearheaded by Jodi Hildebrandt, working as part of her business team division.

Shortly after their arrest, Ruby Franke's elder child Shari Franke, who appeared to have moved away from her mother’s care, applauded the charges, saying that she was exceedingly pleased the abuse was revealed to the world. Shari Franke also added that she had been unsuccessfully trying to notify police and CPS about the abuse for years.