Rotten Mango
Ruby Franke Calls Husband From Jail “I’m A Really Good Girl” After Almost Killing 2 Of Her Kids
Wed, 26 Mar 2025
“I don’t do naughty things, I’m a really good girl.” That is what Ruby Franke tells her husband Kevin in a recorded jail call. She’s a really good girl - that almost killed 2 of their youngest children. She kept them locked away in her marriage counselor/“lovers” mansion basement - torturing them for months. Soon, all the evidence will come out - their abuse diaries, the alleged romantic relationship, and the grim detail that they were planning on buying a 500 acre property in the middle of nowhere to carry out more extreme abuse. But the question on many people’s minds is - how was nobody else involved and how did nobody else know what was happening? Kevin Franke, Ruby’s devoted husband, has become the center of conspiracy theories. With people wondering just how much he knew, just how much he’s covering up now, and if he should be charged. Also, why did he try to sue his oldest daughter after his wife was arrested? What about the mysterious woman - Pam? Two Franke teenage girls were found deep cleaning her home the day of the arrests. How come she doesn’t appear that shocked to find out what Ruby had been doing? Is it because she knew all along? And what will Ruby and Jodi do to each other in prison? Will they turn on each other to save themselves - or do they still believe everyone is working with the devil? Full show notes at rottenmangopodcast.com
Chapter 1: What led to Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt's arrest?
We would like to thank today's sponsors who have made it possible for Rotten Mango to support the Biz Parents Foundation. They are a nonprofit organization devoted to protecting professional child performers and their rights. This episode's partnerships have also made it possible to support Rotten Mango's growing team. And we'd also like to thank you guys for your continued support.
As always, full show notes are available at rottenmangopodcast.com. This is the final part of the four-part Ruby Frankie and Jodi Hildebrand series. Please watch the previous three parts before this episode.
In part one, we went over Ruby Frankie's YouTube channel, her entire online, I want to say cancellation because they're not actual legal charges against her, but it was, I mean, the whole world believed that she was abusing her six children behind the scenes. And then in part two, we went over Jodi Hildebrand and the people that have accused her of ruining their lives.
It seems like she has a tendency and a deep yearning to want to ruin people's marriages. In part three, we went over Jodi and Ruby joining forces to create the Connections business. Well, Ruby joins Connections, which is Jodi Hildebrand's life counseling business. And the two of them, they decide they're going to just dominate the podcast world with their ill-advised,
ill-recorded, not-so-great podcast giving other parents some of the most abusive parenting advice that you could probably find on the internet.
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Chapter 2: How were Ruby Franke's children discovered and rescued?
In this episode, the final part, we will be going over their arrests, what they've said, their plea agreements, and then all of the internet conspiracies, as well as all of the discourse surrounding Kevin Franke, the dad, and a woman named Pam, whom a lot of people on the internet think both of them should be facing charges for this case.
Now, with that being said, we will be referring to the eldest children, Sherry and Chad, by their names. They are adults and they have publicly spoken out about this case. Sherry also has a phenomenal book. It's called The House of My Mother. Please go buy a copy. Please go buy 30 copies. I think it is a book everyone should read, especially when it pertains to family vlogging.
There is just so much in there that gives you a... very vulnerable but also visceral look into what it would be like to be the child of a family vlogger. Now, the four youngest Frankie kids will be just referred to by their first initial of their names, regardless of if their names are publicly out there already.
There are graphic descriptions of torture, food restrictions, CA, CSA, religious abuse, therapy abuse, neglect, and details of injuries. So with that being said, let's get started. Clark and Debbie are not expecting anyone when the door rings. They're older. I mean, they don't move as quickly as they used to. And by the time that they get out there, they can barely make out this figure near them.
It's a tiny figure. Near the door, whoever was knocking was almost walking all the way away. They swing the door open. They see a little 12-year-old boy. And within a minute or two, they are on the phone with 911. Tell me exactly what happened, sir. I just had a 12-year-old boy show up here at my front door asking for help. And he just came from the neighbor's house. He's emaciated.
He's got tape around his legs. He's hungry. He's thirsty. Clark's wife, Debbie, shouts in the background, we need someone immediately. Oh, and he has them around his ankles and his wrists as well, okay? And this boy has been... Clark swivels in the patio chair so that the little boy can't see his face. Clark starts choking on his words and he tries to take a deep breath to calm himself down.
This is very different from when he first opened the door. When he first opened the door, he didn't understand the situation. And when the little boy asked for a favor, he had asked the little boy, well, what is it? But now, seeing what's happened to him, he's getting emotional. He can't even talk on the phone to 911.
And that's when his wife, Debra, leans down in front of the little boy and starts soothing him. Oh, you are such a good kid. Clark says, I think there's been a chance that he's, um... He's obviously been detained. He's been covered in wounds. He says he left through the porch at the neighbor's house. Her name is Jodi Hildebrandt. She lives two doors up the street. This boy has been, um...
When Clark had asked the little boy about why he has duct tape around him, he said, it was personal business, but it's my fault. He said it's his fault that the injuries underneath the duct tape, the deep wounds, he said it was caused by rope, but again, it was his fault.
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Chapter 3: What were the conditions inside Jodi Hildebrandt's mansion?
We don't have to say anything if you don't want to. I'm just gonna sit here. 1.40 p.m., an hour and 50 minutes later, another officer walks in with a small personal-sized pizza and a Pepsi. I'm just gonna put this here, okay, so you can eat? He places the food down and leaves so that she can have some space to eat.
She's just as malnourished and emaciated as her brother that escaped to the neighbors. She looks like she hasn't had a proper meal in months. Two full minutes later, 120 seconds later, she touches the pizza box. She was just staring at it. The officer tells her, you're more than welcome to eat. You can eat all you want, sweetie. It's all you.
She takes another 30 seconds before opening up the box, lifting it up and taking a small bite. They sit with her for a while. She eats her entire pizza. They order her another one and she eats another half of a large pizza. It's clear she's starving.
3.36 p.m., three hours and 40 minutes later, after finding her in the closet, she's barely said a few words, she's barely moved other than eat that pizza. She's just sitting there, staring at the floor. Two female first responders join the closet with the little girl. You don't want to talk? Okay, there's nothing at all you want to talk about. It's okay to talk to me. Are you scared?
You can barely make out what the little girl says, but it sounds like I'm nervous. And so they promise her nothing's going to happen to her. One of the female first responders says, we helped your brother and we got him some help too. That's what we want to do for you. We want to get you some help too. We're safe. You're safe. We're not going to hurt you.
We're not going to do anything to hurt you. After nearly four hours since finding her, they get the little girl to finally stand up. She's very cautious. She looks almost too careful, like she's trying her best not to touch anyone or anything. And a full four hours later, she finally walks out of that closet. August 30th, 2023, this is the day of the rescue.
Officers are banging on the door to the $5 million estate. The mansion looks like it's in the middle of Mars. The door is 15 feet tall and they're banging. Police open the door, open the door. The door opens with no sense of urgency, okay? Jodi Hildebrand is standing right there with her phone in her hand. Her attorney is already on speakerphone. Jodi, I need you to step out.
She points at her phone. I have my attorney on the phone. That's great, step out of the house. No, I'm not going to step out of the house. Step out of the house. They basically yank her, thankfully, and drag her out of the house. Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute. How do you, how can you come to my house? Do you have a search warrant? Just have a seat right here.
They tell her, whether you like it or not, we're searching the house. I can just tell you what's in the house. Just have a seat right there. So the little boy is one of the reasons why we're here. We just need to clear the house and make sure everything's okay. But why are you coming in the house without a search warrant? She's just staring at the officer.
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Chapter 4: What was discussed in Ruby Franke's jailhouse calls?
Are we in the news? It sounds like at least you're in the news. I don't know about me. I'm wondering if they want to ask Sherry. If they went to Sherry to ask her questions. You know, these bookings are public. This is a witch hunt. Yeah, maybe this is a blessing, but this is a witch hunt. The devil's been after me for years and he's mad at her. Have you shared that with the detectives, Ruby?
I've not said a word till I have an attorney. Later, Kevin tells her that the kids are going to be in the hospital for three days. The two that they rescued, 11-year-old and 9-year-old. And she responds, so weird. It's just not necessary. They're trying to exaggerate this. In another call, Ruby tells Kevin, it was torturous last night. I was hearing the people screaming and banging.
It's like, okay, it's upsetting. But the most upsetting thing is I'm completely misunderstood here. That is the most horrible feeling. Like my own family misunderstands me. They misinterpret me. And poor Jodi, they misinterpret her. They misunderstand her. She puts her neck out on the line for people. And I mean, they get mad at her. I mean, it's just horrendous. It's horrendous. And you know what?
Even Joseph Smith, every wonderful man of God, has had to be misunderstood.
Were these call recorded? Yes. What's the husband's attitude towards her?
A lot of people take it in different ways. Some people listen to these jailhouse calls and they think that Kevin is just as guilty as Ruby. The way that he's able to listen to her say these things and some of the verbiage that she uses, you know what it takes to fight evil. You know that, you've seen that, you've been there.
It sounds like he partook in some of the abuse, which there is no evidence, otherwise he would have been arrested, right? And there's so much evidence in this case. However, other people take it as Kevin needs to do everything he can to try and get custody of his children, to try and amicably resolve this as best for his kids. So he's just letting Ruby talk and say these things.
He doesn't want to get combative. He doesn't want to say, no, you're literally crazy. You're abusive. So a lot of people have interpreted it differently.
If you found out this is what happened, how can you keep it together?
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Chapter 5: How did Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt justify their actions?
I don't know of anyone who would feed their kids in America just rice, lentils, and chicken for meals for three months. And this is why Americans are full of sin and are ready for destruction. They won't repent.
Wait, what?
She says that she's trying to get him to repent all of his sins. Again, very reminiscent of Jesse Hildebrandt from Part 2.
He's saying, why isn't more Americans doing this to their kids?
Yeah, this is why Americans are full of sin. And we're going to be, I guess, ready for destruction. The children were regularly denied food, water, beds to sleep in, and virtually all forms of entertainment. This is a non-comprehensive list of all the physical torture that they had to endure. Carrying loaded boxes of books up and down the stairs. Doing wall sits.
Sitting up against the wall without anything for hours at a time. Forced to do manual labor outside in extreme summer heat without socks or shoes. Stand outside on the cement patio in the summer heat, sometimes for days. Now, the UV index in Utah ranges from 8 to 10. They're probably getting sunburned blisters.
According to court documents, it reads, these actions resulted in repeated and serious sunburns with blistered and sloughing skin. R was denied adequate water for several of the days he was required to remain in the summer heat and he was punished when he secretly consumed water. So these kids were forced to run barefoot on dirt roads. They have a little section in their parenting book. Okay.
Ruby and Jodi released a parenting book called Rings of Responsibility. And they have a whole quote in there that reads, "'Choosing to wear shoes prepares me for adventures in the world, just as choosing principles prepares me to connect with myself, God, and others.'" I mean, their teachings are clearly not advisable. They're like the worst teachings in the world, but also just so hypocritical.
Is it this or is it that? So they would deprive the kids of shoes, make them get blisters and sores on their feet while also talking about principles are the same as shoes. And they're talking about how they want their children to have principles, but they won't even give them shoes. It doesn't make sense. They consistently deprive the children of shoes just for the sores and blisters, it seems.
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Chapter 6: What was the outcome of the legal proceedings against Ruby and Jodi?
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Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
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Chapter 7: What role did Kevin Franke play in the situation?
Still trying to protect Ruby.
So are we going to see when he actually find out what happened in that moment? Yes. So his whole reaction and all of that. Okay.
Now, you know, he says there was a no contact boundary. Did you have a no contact order in place? Order? No, this was between me and my wife, AKA. He's saying he did not have a legal requirement to stay away. It's just kind of that he didn't do anything for his kids. So they ask, did she ask you not to contact the kids?
Ruby invited me to leave the home while I thought about the choices that I've made in my life in the way that I've treated her. So I left. Is there custodial paperwork that denies you of your rights to the kids? No, no custodial paperwork at all.
This was just a verbal agreement between my wife and I. I'm curious, when you guys had the previous eight passengers YouTube channel, you guys got a lot of heat for neglect and child abuse. A lot of people commented those things on there. Why were they commenting those things?
This is happening on that day?
It was that night that the kids were rescued. I mean, it had been pretty much the whole day, it seems.
Oh, so they already picked up all these information. Yes. Like, A Passenger, you guys did this, you guys had controversies.
I mean, by that point, if you Google A Passenger, it's probably the first few articles that come up. They were known mainly for their controversy rather than for being YouTubers.
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Chapter 8: What are the broader implications for child protection services?
Again, I don't know the details. I don't know what's going on. But as you described that, that sounds horrible.
Does he sound like he was worried for the kids in that moment?
Not extensively. Maybe it's shock, maybe it's, I mean, there are some reports that Jodi convinced the whole Ruby and Kevin Franke that police were evil and they were gonna be bad players in the second coming. He's not crying, he's not emotional.
Again, maybe he's in shock, but one of the first things he asks after this line of questioning, after being told that his son and his daughter were emaciated, he says, what's gonna happen to my wife? I love my wife. Will there be charges against my wife? Possibly, I think given the circumstances, that's highly appropriate.
He tells the authorities that again, after they tell him that his kids have to be hospitalized because they did not have enough food or water to sustain life, he says, I trust her. I love my wife and I trust my wife.
If he didn't leave the house, if he was at the house, it sounded like he would still carry on this energy of I trust her. I trust her. This is why. Devils, we need to discipline the kids. We need to do this. Like, you know what I mean? He's been this way for so long.
It's like, when would he have put his foot down? I guess we would never know, right?
I would expect this is the moment he realized, oh, shit.
He says, I mean, this feels like getting run over by a steam truck, what you're sharing with me today. I'm interested in all the facts. But you understand our facts are that you have a child that is emaciated, malnutrition, that has marks. I don't know what to do. I... You know, you realize that I have a picture of my family on my wall and I look at it every day and I work and I work.
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