Son of Ruby Franke Marks One Year Since Her Arrest for Child Abuse: ‘Happy Prisonversary
Chad Franke, son of Ruby Franke, commemorated the one-year anniversary of his mother’s arrest for child abuse with a series of reflective posts on Snapchat. The arrest, which occurred after his “emaciated” 12-year-old brother Russell escaped their home and sought help from a neighbor, led to the imprisonment of both Ruby Franke and her parenting podcast partner, Jodi Hildebrandt.
The dramatic escape of Russell, captured on a Ring camera, showed him asking, “If you could take me to the nearest police station,” with visible tape marks around his wrists and ankles. This moment set off a police response that resulted in the rescue of the Franke children and the subsequent arrests.
Chad, 19, who had been a part of the family’s popular YouTube channel 8Passengers, marked the anniversary on Snapchat with a simple message directed at his mother: “Happy Prisonversary.” He also posted a reflective shot of himself with the caption, “A year ago today, I had just gotten off a phone call with Jodi and was going to work a Lifeguard shift.”
When police arrived at Hildebrandt’s home on the day of the escape, they found Russell’s 9-year-old sister Eve in a similar state of malnourishment. Both Franke and Hildebrandt had publicly promoted a strict and restrictive parenting style on social media, though few were aware of the alleged abuse behind closed doors.
In December, Ruby Franke pleaded guilty to four counts of child abuse—one for each of the children who lived with her. Both she and Hildebrandt received sentences ranging from four to 60 years in prison. Chad had moved out before the arrests and was not found to have been abused.
Shari Franke, Chad’s older sister, also spoke out on social media following the arrests. “Today has been a big day,” she wrote. “Me and my family are so glad justice is being served. We’ve been trying to tell the police and CPS for years about this, and we’re glad they finally stepped up.”
Ruby’s estranged husband, Kevin Franke, revealed that Ruby became involved with ConneXion Classrooms through Hildebrandt, who initially served as Ruby’s “therapist” before becoming their children’s mental health counselor. Kevin described Hildebrandt as a “cult leader” and shared that Ruby’s involvement with ConneXions contributed to their separation, during which he had been cut off from his children.
Prosecutors have since detailed a long history of systematic abuse by both women. They stated that the women “appeared to fully believe that the abuse they inflicted was necessary to teach the children how to properly repent for imagined ‘sins’ and to cast the evil spirits out of their bodies.”
Ruby Franke’s diary entries revealed her belief that one of her children was “in and out of possession” and “needs God.” She detailed punishments such as making the children stand in the sun and shaving their hair.
However, according to her plea agreement, Franke has since acknowledged the severity of her actions. The document states that she has “actively engaged in introspection” and is “committed to taking responsibility for the part she played in the events leading up to her incarceration.”