Kevin Franke talks about his experiences with the spiritual “cult” he says Ruby Franke became concerned about after meeting her eventual business partner, and alleged “cult boss” Jodi Hildebrandt, who was convicted along with her for abuse aggravated childishness.
Authorities continue to release details about former family influencer and 8Passengers vlogger Ruby Franke child abuse case, including an interview with her ex-husband Kevin Franke that details the intense and growing influence of a religious “cult” that he described as “absolute madness.”
According to Kevin, his ex-wife became concerned about a group called ConneXion classrooms through Jodi Hildebrandt, his business partner at the time of Ruby’s arrest. Ruby was living with Jodi at the time of the arrest, with both women eventually sentenced to 4 to 60 years in prison for aggravated child abuse of Ruby’s children.
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Jodi’s relationship with the Frankes began as Ruby’s “therapist,” before evolving into being her children’s mental health counselor. It was through this connection that Kevin says Ruby slowly became more deeply involved with ConneXions, a group NBC Information reported that Jodi started as a life teacher in 2007.
The group also had religious associations, with former clients telling NBC News that it was largely based on the principles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Frankes and Jodi are the three members of the church.
As for Kevin, though, his take on learning more about ConneXions was, “This is absolute madness.”
“This could be a bunch of women who hate men and are simply looking for excuses to destroy their husbands,” he thought, as reported by AND! Information. And yet, there were concerned men, too, with Kevin sharing that he agreed to attend “habit restoration” meetings with some of them, which he said seemed to help his marriage.
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Things changed, Kevin told authorities, in May 2021 when they went to Jodi’s house. He said her mental state began to change, but things slipped into the inexplicable there, even for an engineer and college professor like Kevin.
“I can’t explain some of the things that happened while we were there,” he said, actually describing seeing dishes flying from the kitchen cabinets and “crashing at full speed against the wall,” as well as hearing the sounds of crashing. from the basement while they were upstairs.
Kevin said he and his wife enlisted the help of a bishop to help them “loosen the demons” and fight any “evil spirits” around Jodi in their home, saying this happened for hours every night. But when that didn’t seem to be working, the idea suddenly arose for Jodi to enter the Franke house.
Almost immediately, Kevin said Jodi and his wife started sharing a bed and “then (Ruby) started having trances and stuff.” He said that in September his wife was talking about going to heaven to see God and Jesus and he called himself the “resident exorcist,” having to bless Jodi every night when she went into a trance.
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He stated that women would usually lock themselves in a room “for 4 or 5 hours” and when they came out, Ruby would tell him about the visions she had, telling him, “Now we have God’s work to do.”
For Kevin, it all became too much, with him telling authorities he decided he “wanted to move on with his life” and separated from his wife. He said that, at this point, Ruby was dictating every aspect of her life, including forbidding him from going up “where Jodie roamed.” She filed for divorce in December.
At the time of his arrest in August 2023, the couple had been living separately for a year, with Kevin revealing that he had not seen his children for even longer. Describing Jodi as a “cult leader,” Kevin told authorities, “I was totally cut off,” according to Salt Lake City. KTVX.
He told authorities that although he was not able to see his children, he spent that year trying to win back the right, seeking Jodi’s approval with continued work in the ConneXion classrooms under her.
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“I knew the only way to get into my house was to get Jodi’s approval,” he said. “It seemed like an unimaginable activity.” He said he withdrew, becoming more isolated, and began to question his sanity during that year. He sometimes saw Ruby outside the house.
“I cannot describe the torture and hell it was like to reside… in total isolation,” he said.
Ruby and the children were still living with Jodi when Ruby’s 12-year-old son escaped from the house and ran into a neighbor’s yard for help. He appeared to be “very emaciated.” Police later discovered her 10-year-old sister in a closet at Jodi’s residence, spending hours persuading her to leave.
What has since emerged is a long-standing example of systematic abuse committed by both women against Franke’s children, with prosecutors saying in their case summary that the women “seemed to fully imagine that the abuse they inflicted was required to show to children who correctly repented for imagined ‘sins’ and for expelling evil spirits from their bodies.
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Ruby’s diary entries was also releasedduring which she said she thought one of her children was “out of control” and “to God,” and wrote about how she punished them by making them stand in the sun and shaving their hair. See more of them here.
Audio of Franke’s prison calls was also released, showing conversations she had with ex-husband Kevin the day after his arrest for child abuse. In them, she called the case a “witch hunt” and argued that she and Hildebrandt were “totally misunderstood.” You can learn more about these calls here.
Other films about the case were released to the public last week, including the police raid on Hildebrandt’s residence, the arrests and police interrogations of Franke and Hildebrandt, as well as an interview with Ruby’s ex-husband Kevin, who was not charged. inside the case. Get a full breakdown of this footage here.
Over time, however, Franke changed his tune. According to his plea agreement, Franke “actively engaged in introspection that allowed him to reset his ethical compass and realize the full weight of his actions.” Furthermore, she is “dedicated to taking responsibility for the part she played in the events leading up to her incarceration.”
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During the sentencing hearing, Ruby expressed regret and remorse, apologizing to her husband and children. “For the past four years, I have chosen to follow advice and guidance that has led me into a dark delirium,” she said.
“My distorted model of reality went unchecked, as I could isolate myself from anyone who challenged me.” She apologized to her children for taking “everything that was mushy and protected and good” from them and said she was “humbled and willing to serve prison time for as long as she wanted.”
“I am committed to unlearning my poisonous ways,” Franke continued, emphasizing his remorse for “twisting God’s words and distorting His doctrine.” Franke and Hildebrandt received the maximum sentence under the Utah state’s recommendations.
You can learn more details about this story below.
If you or someone you know experiences domestic abuse or violence, seek help. National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) offers free and confidential help 24/7 to people in need.
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