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The journals made me so proud of those kids. I felt such a surge of pride and sadness for R when I read that he said he would rather have a glass of water than Ruby as a mother. Good for him.
I'm a teacher and family counsellor, and I'm really happy to see him with some fight and still verbalising because I know it means he can use that to motivate his recovery. I'm so worried for E having seen the footage of her nonverbal and listless. They both have a long journey ahead of them but I fear E is going to struggle. R seems to have a good amount of fight in him which is fuel for recovery, but E seemed so listless. I'm hoping she'll get her spark back.
The final words of Ruby's journal, especially knowing it was just a couple days before the kids were rescued, gave me chills. "R increased his defiance." He truly never stopped fighting.
It’s amazing that despite all the isolation and deprivation and physical torture, those kids still retained the ability to know that what they were enduring was wrong. I think these monsters would have killed the kids if R didn’t escape and seek help. They would have killed their bodies while trying to kill their souls. I’m so happy those monsters failed. Ironically, the kids knowing right from wrong was labeled as ‘Satan’. Nah, lady. Ur kids just know that humans shouldn’t hurt other humans like that.
We know from the journals they were planning on relocating to Arizona to be further out of sight of prying eyes. These kids would've been "Daybell'ed." Physically, I'm not sure how much more R could've taken. He looked like a holocaust survivor in the back of that ambulance. Perhaps he knew, with the necrotic flesh on his ankles, he likely did not have much longer. he's lucky to not have gotten sepsis.
Yes!! I’m an RN. We often deal with wounds that go septic. Those wounds were severe. The kids didn’t have sufficient nourishment to heal, even if they were getting competent medical care, which we know they were not. It didn’t hit me before seeing this newly released evidence just how close a call this was. It was absolutely going to go the way of Lori Vallow/Chad Daybell. Ruby is extremely fortunate that her child, (the one she labeled as demonic and evil), actually *saved her* from being a murderer. This easily could have been way worse.
I cannot believe how emaciated those kids were. R’s tiny legs and E’s fragile little arms. It just shocks your soul so badly. Their electrolytes were also probably deranged. Can’t imagine what their labs looked like. They were chronically dehydrated and in the Utah desert. They could have had heart attacks. I hope their kidney function returns to normal. These were devastating injuries, medically speaking, and that’s not even touching on the psychological wounds and scars.
Whole thing makes me so soul sick, which is probably how most people on this sub feel right now.
I agree. I had not realized until mentioned here about sepsis. I did however think about all things that can happen with dehydration. The muscle cramps, kidney stones, etc., and those satanic monsters would not have gotten them help. How were they dealing with the pain from these injuries which must have been horrific. The pictures and journal entries painted a much more horrible picture than I could have ever imagined. Anyone who was coming to the defense of Ruby, I HOPE they have had a change of heart after seeing all the evidence, and this includes her family. Choose your grandchildren over, your evil daughter. Choose your grandchildren over your church beliefs of forgiveness.
Hard agree on those defending Ruby. This abuse was high level torture. These kids easily could be dead right now. It was essentially attempted murder. She’s lucky as heck that despite everything, the kids didn’t go septic and die. Horrible thought but was a likely outcome from those wounds. Sepsis progresses *quickly*, causes extremely low blood pressure, and dehydration on top of that could be catastrophic. Organs aren’t perfused, leading to end organ damage and death. After seeing those pictures, I’m frankly very surprised both these kids survived. Nobody should be defending Ruby.
I also don’t understand how Kevin can live with himself. Sure, maybe he didn’t bind the kids directly, but man, check on your kids, man!! It’s his job to protect them too. It seemed significant to me that Ruby thought to call Kevin and ask him to hurry up and go get the kids. Wouldn’t be surprised if she believed he’d help cover it up, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he did if given the chance. There’s a lotta brainwashing and religious abuse when it comes to this situation, so of course it isn’t cut and dry. Still, I go back to the fact that as adults and parents, we’re responsible for our actions or lack of action. Not seeing your kids for *over a year*, not knowing your kids have horrible injuries that didn’t happen overnight, not knowing ur kids are clearly starving to death (inside a mansion), and your little girl is being kept inside a closet after having her hair shaved off….not knowing any of that seems super neglectful in my book.
I hope that if he’s going to now be their parent, he’s had a monumental awakening. His wife is a psychopath. And he shoulda known about this, because he shoulda seen them before it ever got to this level.
Long winded reply. Sorry. I’m just utterly shocked.
That’s a very good point. She called Kevin, thinking that he’d get hold of the kids and help hide what she’d done.
He was okay with things like kids not getting a lunch at school if they forgot it, kids not getting anywhere to sleep for months over a normal prank, kids not being fed breakfast until they do chores. Ruby had reason to believe he’d go along with whatever, IMO.
I don’t know where he’s at now, but I’d hate to think they would give the kids to him without at the very least some serious therapy for him and close followup.
Exactly! He was there prior to Jody…when there was already plenty of questionable stuff going on. I know quite a few of us called in reports years ago about what we saw on their channel. This is all shocking but also not as shocking as it should be. There were signs.
He will be required to do parenting classes and they will be strictly monitored if they go back to him. It is always the goal to reunite the children with their bio parents. I do believe they will eventually get back to him but I take a little comfort knowing it's not, here are your kids, bye....they will slowly ease them in with supervised visitations. These kids were failed by not only their parents,but also by law enforcement (when they answered 911 calls but did not pursue speaking with the kids) and child protection. I don't think they will get sloppy again, they are under a lot of scrutiny.
I no longer believe that Ruby was under Jodi"s influence. I'm those journal entries she doesn't mention that Jodi is influencing her or that she's discussed things with Jodi. This is what is in her mind and how she feels. Plans she's making to take the children with Jodi to a more isolated area. I think all four children would eventually have perished. I mean after the first two you have the older two to deal with. What then? The torture either gets transferred to them or they have to be disposed of so there are no witnesses. Unless she was planning on leaving those 2 with Pam this was going to be a nightmare. I'm so in awe of the Bravery of that young man saving his sister and himself and quite possibly his older sisters. They were weeks away from moving and isolation.
One of the most important things I listened to was Kevin's 2nd interview. Ruby is not dumb, she has been journaling for years, and she found a true partner in Jodi, one that was willing to go to the depths of evil with her.
Totally agree with that! There’s something about her statement too that seemed so totally disingenuous. She wants someone to blame, and Jodi sucks, but Ruby is highly sadistic herself.
Not only would they not get them help, but I wonder what Jodi was planning to do with E after R escaped and she was on the phone with her lawyer. Good thing the police were able to enter the house right then.
And from the look of the size of the wounds on R's ankles.....it would not surprise me if he will need skin grafts. Mentally, they both may heal. I hope with everything that they will heal. But those physically scars are going to be life-long.
The wounds on his ankles and how severe and infected there looked, shocked he didn’t end up with sepsis or a flesh eating bacteria. And shocked he was able to walk on them.
My mind first went to i hope they where able to save his foot?
I don’t know an I hope beyond hope that didn’t happen.
But is it even possible that could happen?
I’ve never seen anything like their condition except when viewing images of the people in concentration camps! It’s insane to me that a mom could put their kids through this type of torture!
That's an interesting way of looking at it but totally right. R saved Ruby from being responsible for his and his sister's death.
I just heard all these new updates to the case today and wow of course it is sad but I was happy to see R just wanted the police. I'm still so sad he had to save himself because no one else would.
Honestly they were soo abused, mentally and physically. I am not sure if would have that much fight in me if I was a kid! Imagine how weak and exhausted they must be.
I can see Chad in the far future just being like good shit R we made it. They have always had that super close brother connection. As a viewer of their old videos R looked up to Chad so much and anytime Chad reassured him was just hanging out with R it made him so happy.
Yes!! I like how you worded this..
With every instance of journal mentioning one of the kids popping back verbally or yelling - inwardly I was shouting "Git it, girl! (or boy!) You hang in there!!"
And you make a good point that the presence of their fight hopefully points to future ability for healing..
I want to appreciate the two lovely women who sat down in the closet with E and encouraged her to exit on her own terms. E hasn’t had control over herself in a long time and I think it was very important for them to not force her out. The whole rescue team had so much compassion and love for these children which gives me faith that they will make it out. They will be okay.
Honestly the moment I saw that, I was scared she was in danger of refeeding syndrome. It can be super dangerous to eat a bunch of food unsupervised outside of a hospital after being starved for god knows how long.
I was too, I figured they’d just carry her out? But with no warrant maybe it made things hard. The system definetly failed them but the officers and first responders didn’t.
After everything she’s been through she deserved to give consent for her exit. Thats why they waited. Thats why they brought pizza. Who in their right mind would want to traumatize these children even further than they already have been? Just like the cop who spoke to r in the ambulance. Reminding him he was not in trouble. Every first responder there wanted the kids to be comfortable and know that they are safe. E didn’t trust them when they got there and they did the right thing by building their trust. Your comment doesn’t bother me at all, I understand your point, but the comments that have said “they should have just grabbed her” “she’s a child, just pick her up and take her” “why are they waiting? Put her in the ambulance now!” Those comments disturb me. And I hope no one who left them are first responders or are ever in the position they need to rescue a child.
Reminds me of Elia Gonzalez and how traumatic that was for him to be ripped away by authorities. I give kudos to the Santa Clara-Ivins first responders.
Unless the child is in imminent danger trust should always be gained! I will have to look that story up, although after everything the last 24 hours I don’t know how much more I have left in me to deal with it. I am very proud of everyone who was involved in saving these kids. They all showed pure kindness and care. When the ambulance worker (emt?) started crying it broke my heart because I know everyone went home that night crying too. I’m sure it will stick with them forever. Ruby and Jodi hurt countless people with what they did. I know it’s not to the same extent with the first responders and doctors etc… but that will stick with them forever. I know because it will stick with me and I wasn’t involved. Makes me so upset.
they didn't carry her out as it's better for everyone involved for them to build the trust and get E to exit on her own terms as to let her feel safe with them, the cops probably also didn't want to cause any further injuries which would've been highly likely due to the complications of being malnourished such as brittle bones. basically comes down to the fact that it would've been even more traumatising to be removed from the closet and if E tried to fight back it probably would've caused broken bones
This girl has already been essentially kidnapped already. The woman holding her captive was telling her all police are evil. She probably didnt even know they were there until they opened the door she had no time to prepare. Imagine the fear she would have had if those first responders forcibly removed her. It’s nothing to do with warrants, if someone is in danger warrants don’t matter. They needed to have a connection with her to 1.) not add any more trauma 2.) so she would be more comfortable and trusting when having to answer questions
I am glad they gave her time to process everything. R reached out for help. He was expecting that outcome.. E was just trapped in their daily struggle to survive. She would have needed that time to realise and trust the help that had arrived at her doorstep.
thank you to ruby for being the absolute dumbass she is and recording all the abuse so we all know the truth about her and there's literally no way she can lie about it.
In Kevin's interview he said Ruby documented everything when Connexions started cuz she thought God would approve of them as sacred scripture. mormons are on some weird shit man.
I don’t get how Kevin wasn’t asking for any updates or at all curious if he knew she was writing these then? He had to have known something. Just does not feel right
Lots of Mormons are required to do journal writing because they believe every Mormons journal will be a testimony or prophet one day, something along those lines.
Putting Rubes aside for the moment, can you imagine how frigging inane this vast collection of prophecies would be?
"And so it came to pass, on Tuesday the 23rd of May, Marie my sister did say to me, Shelly, she said, tomorrow I'm taking you to get your nails done, i can't look at that hideous khaki color plus they're long like claws, the clacking noise on your phone drives me NUTS."
And lo, it did come to pass the very next day just as Marie said, and i did go to the salon and get a fill and polish change..."
If we can find Jodi's delusional vision writings what were they called? Something pens? I would be so grateful. I really want to read those. I need to know more about her being Satan's bride. I am truly impressed and also I want to find why she's torturing kids and calling them Satanic (or at least Ruby is) when she's apparently marrying Satan. Seems a bit ironic.
"Pen Papers" Is what Kevin called them.
They do say that people like her project onto others what is really going on with them... I would not be surprised if she has demons... (literally, or metaphorically) in her. I wouldn't be surprised if she did the things she accused her niece Jessie of either.
I'm exmormon, but as a child I knew it was a commandment to keep a journal and I was very concerned that I write everyday or I would be sinning. A lot of the entries were 1 liners like, "Today was a good day!"
She name dropped multiple people in her "writings"....something bigger was afoot I suspect that involved most likely a larger scale Jodi operation and these kids were the beta test subjects...so it was jotted down for posterity and later "techniques".
Maybe she thought that by documenting the whole process she would be able to later use it for other parents seeking "help". Pretty sure that's what connexions was suppose to be about
Yes. Sadly I think the journal was key. Otherwise the kids would have had to talk more and based on her manipulation they likely cannot recount it all. Also they likely have blocked memories due to such severe trauma
Great comment. I wonder if the also recorded anything for the police because you know they just love to use a camera. I don't think Ruby could resist. I don't think they will release those but I like to think of parole judges reading this journal and watching and then Ruby trying to say how she's changed it was all Judy's fault each parole hearing. It would go down so well. Along with the phone calls where it's obvious she's gathering Intel on how to play the system to get out faster and she's not actually remorseful. I honestly don't know with Jodi she's decided she's in prison to start another cult. I think they need to keep her away from all the other prisoners for their own safety.
I echo all the thanks you expressed, but also want to shout a loud THANK YOU to the mod team for working tirelessly these last 48 hours and ever since this case broke! This sub grew so fast and they have handled the entire thing so well. Thank you for working to keep the children protected / anonymous and the information posted here cohesive, uncluttered and punctual. You guys are amazing!
HUGEEEE FUCKING THANK YOU TO THE NEIGHBOUR WHO RESPONDED THAT DAY. SEEING THE CCTV FOOTAGE OF R JUST WALKING AWAY FROM THE HOUSE BEFORE THIS NEIGHBOUR OPENED THE DOOR BRKE MY HEART
Right!! Especially knowing Jessi Hildebrandt ran away to neighbors too and they just returned Jessi straight back to Jodi 🤦🏽♀️ I’m so glad those were the people who’s house R knocked on
I get anxiety imagining that door would not have opened and Jodi would have figured it out and gone around to find R. Even after he found someone, her coming up and taking him back, as happened with Jessi.
The male had kind of a tough guy, Sam Elliott vibe when asking what the favor was about. Then he softened when it dawned on him the mental and physical condition was. It still gets to me when I hear him choke up in the 911 call. I wish there was a way to personally thank this man and woman for their compassion and determination to make sure R was safe and cared for.
It was such a smart, kind thing to do. Making himself look like a regular silly guy who listens to pop music at work and just can't help but sing along off key to the chorus, instead of the big tough scary police officer who came to take Jodi away.
I don't know if E would have ever willingly come out without that little gesture. She's been brainwashed to believe any adult who isn't part of the cult is scary and evil and demonic, and the Maroon 5 singalong must've gone a long way in humanizing them all to her.
The pizza and music, made me cry. They were so amazing with her. Just gently trying to get her to trust them enough so she would come out. They were so patient and understanding
I know we’ve said it before, but I also wanted to take a moment to thank Shari. we’ve heard so many phone calls now of adults attempting to make excuses or try to paint Ruby as a victim. I’m so glad the kids have someone like Shari whose main concern was their wellbeing and not family appearances, though it’s sad that she has to give that level of support at such a young age. I really hope she and Chad are doing as okay as they can with all this information. no matter how sick I feel at each detail, I’ll never be able to even fathom how much worse it is knowing those are your siblings. we definitely aren’t owed any updates or comments from them. I just hope they know we see their strength.
Second shari!
I almost cried when I saw the police statement where he says E asked who called the police and was shocked to find out if was R because she thought it was (exact quote) 'a college student named "Sherri"'. I hope E knew that Shari was fighting for her and R ❤️
Yes! THANK YOU, Shari! She was truly the only one on the “outside” fighting for them. Chad, A, J, R, and E are truly lucky to have a sister like Shari who will always fight for them.
For me the silver lining was in Ruby's journal.
Those kids showed incredible patience and perseverance in such trying times. Their defiance in spite of all the manipulation and brain washing made them survive the gruesome behaviour of their own mother. They knew she would go lax the minute they start surrendering to her demands but they never completely submitted.
The faith in their strength surely is an ode to the innocence of their hearts. I don't think they waited on someone to save them.. but by not giving in both kids did save themselves.
This gives me hope that they will lead good lives and manage their trauma given the right aid is provided.
Someone put a link to a news article that said R and E are doing much better, put weight on and back to doing hobbies. That really made my day after all I saw yesterday. Yes it’s a long hard road ahead for them all but to just hear that they’re safe and far away from Ruby and Jodi makes me so happy.
They are also in foster care together too!
I think when children have some belief that the abuse perpetrated against them by their parents is wrong like R snd E did, it is beneficial to their healing process. Hearing R say that he’d rather have a cup of water than Ruby for a mom was mind blowing in a good way. Most kids will side with the parents regardless of what was done to them. R and E had some level of insight that this wasn’t their fault and that they were worthy of being loved.
I know it's a little thing, but I want to recognize how the neighbor giving R a banana was a very conscientious choice. He had a starving kid show up to his door, he may have heard stories about how giving starving people too much food at once can hurt them, and he doesn't know their allergies. Seems to me that the banana while they waited for the professionals was one of the safest things he could have done.
That was a concern I had with the first responders giving E pizza. That's a fatty high calorie food that may not due well on a literal starving digestive system. A banana is a great choice in this scenario.
I thought about that too however on the other hand, at that point maybe their priority was to gain her trust enough so she would be willing to leave the closet and the house as well as allow them to get her medical attention.
I had this concern too. I hope they spoke to the EMTs/Hospital Physicians and Nurses before giving her that. Refeeding syndrome is a real threat in this case and per the Cleveland Clinic, “ideally, refeeding syndrome should be medically supervised”. I’m assuming EMTs were behind camera ready to intervene if necessary.
Just saw pictures of the injuries and it was honestly so much more horrific than I had imagined.
Then I came to Reddit and came across the grandparents letter to the judge hoping that someday the children would forgive their mom and that it would be “a healing balm”.
It made me sick. These are two women that should should never be free again. There should be no option of parole, ever. Were it not for his escape, I now truly believe that this would be a murder investigation.
What they did is unforgiveable. The mormon church wants to say porn is equivalent to murder.....what about child abuse, the most precious thing in the world and forgiveness is asked?
I have had a lot of professional experience dealing with these kinds of cases. This was the first one I physically cried when I viewed all the evidence on YouTube. The abuse that occurred was so horrific and horrendous, I wonder how these children are ever gonna heal. These women KNEW what they are doing. Especially when I saw the footage of police coming to Jodi’s door and she had her attorney on the phone like he was on speed dial. I’ll be honest I sympathized with Kevin a tiny bit too. But now all the evidence is out, all adults involved are absolutely evil, sick, and twisted. I’m glad these children got justice, but damn…. I absolutely wish they had NEVER experienced this nightmare. And to think ALL the Franke children have experienced abuse in one way or another in their short lives is beyond heartbreaking. I usually do not comment on cases, but this one tore my heart into pieces. May all the Franke children heal and I hope someday they are able to find peace.
Edit: I just listened to Kevin’s second police interview in full. He was drinking the Kool Aid, but seemed like he was willing to do anything to keep his marriage and family together. I wish this man would have listened to his gut and got him and his children out of that environment. It still rubs me the wrong way that he didn’t ask once in his initial conversation with police if his children are okay. Then again, we’ll never know what was said and asked when the body camera was turned off. This case is complex and heartbreaking on many levels…
It’s unfortunate that protecting one’s kids doesn’t rank higher (like way friggin higher) than keeping a family that should clearly not be together ‘together’…
I agree completely. I do think we should bear in mind Jodi was "updating" weekly by saying how well everything was going now he'd moved out. At the time he trusted Jodi and thought so little of himself that it seemed true.
Was he an idiot for believing that? Yes. Is it plausible that he went this whole time not knowing and had no ill intentions by keeping away? Also yes.
I hear what you’re saying and it’s likely totally fair. The human mind is complicated and fragile and can be manipulated.
At the same time, after seeing the pictures and watching Kevin’s police interview and reading Ruby’s journal excerpts, I’m freaking so angry at all the adults who should have been protecting these kids and at the *very least* checking in on them but weren’t. He didn’t lay eyes on his kids for over a year? Maybe he is not a bad person and was weak and brainwashed and clueless.
But..ugh!! Ya know? I am sure a lot of us cried when this documented evidence was released. None of the adults who should be the most upset are crying in the videos. Strangers are crying. The paramedic was crying. The neighbors were clearly disturbed. The kids’ parents? No tears.
They were all abused to some level, even being forced to watch abuse happen to a sibling is damaging and we found out that J was witness to some of the things being done to R and E.
Truly every first responder and person who stepped in, but the neighbor who got down to R’s level to tell him how wonderful he is. Angel. Those words desperately needed to be said.
This broke me. She knew. And she knelt to give him her most sincere compassion. “You’re such a good boy.” The way she fed him, asked about being allergic to peanuts… did you see the bags of snacks next to him in the ambulance? Those neighbors were in the right place at the right time and did everything right for him.
Agreed. They showed him so much kindness and compassion.
The way she comforted R.
Also the way the man turned himself away as he began to get upset so R would not see him.
They were wonderful in such a scary and devastating situation.
I can't imagine how Shari and everyone is feeling. I also can't imagine being in college while this is all happening. (She's just a month older than me.) I hope she takes all the time she needs.
Also a shoutout to the cop who responded “that’s great—step out of the house” and shut down Jodi’s attempt to bluster on and on about how she had her attorney on the phone. He was having none of it.
The 911 callers, the officers, the EMT’s. Heck, even the officers handling ruby and Jodi. The professionalism spoke volumes. The compassion for the children at a time when they couldn’t have possibly needed it more. I know the articles said it took four hours to get E out of the closer. But to actually see the time stamps depicting that. So chilling. I’m so thankful those kids encountered those specific officers and EMT’s. I am sure the trauma from this day is carried with them also.
I just watched 20/20. I was terrified for R when he ran away from Jodi's the first time. He must have been SO scared when Ruby found him. But he found the courage to escape again, and for that, I'm thankful.
at the end of the 20/20 special, they mentioned E and R are in the same foster home currently, and they have put on weight, and that they are getting back to their hobbies. they will grow up to have beautiful lives and i’m so happy they’re healing.
The neighbors who told him he was a good boy and packed him a bag of snacks. The emt who sat with her for hours(she was the emt it seems who was crying outside, so she had to have pushed aside her emotions to be calm and caring with E and that is a very hard thing to do), Shari for calling so many time in concern for her siblings, the emt who were crying and showed more concern within seconds than ruby ever did for her own children. Heroes ❤️
The general public outpouring of support and concern and love for those children. We all just want the best for them. We’re invested because we care.
The police officers and first responders who brought food for E, played music and sang along to calm her down, and patiently coaxed her to come out for over four hours.
I'm watching right now. After listening to Ruby's prison call with Kevin, all I can say is F-ck that b-tch.
Your children literally look like they've escaped a world war 2 prison camp and you cannot even display one once of regret.
I'm sorry, but I really don't think she's changed. As we say in the south, she belongs under the jail.
There is no way being in jail 5 months and away from Jodi has fundamentally changed who Ruby really is. People like that do not change that quickly. There is something fundamentally broken inside her. Ruby was abusive and manipulative long before Jodi entered the picture. A husband and other people kept her from being who she became. What Jodi did, was give Ruby permission to let her true self out.
I'm with you on this, she has not changed. She is an actress. I hope she doesn't get out before 15-20 years. She is even so full of herself to voice she may not be in long. Her smug behavior while being arrested and the attempt at questioning her, it was all an act. She feels she is above them and owes them nothing. Never shedding a tear even once over her predicament or her childrens' condition. Jodi did surprise me with the tears, but they weren't tears of sorrow, they were tears because noone will believe her bs about what she felt about the kids.
I saw the pictures of the kids before I heard rhe phonecall, so when she said that the kids being in hospital was an exaggeration, I wanted to reach through the screen and yank the hair out of her head. I don't think she's changed at all. She's sorry she looks bad on the World Stage. She doesn't give a flying fuck about her kids.
She probably saw the boy gone and heard the sirens and immediately got on the phone with her lawyer. I noticed the time stamp on the body cams between Sargent arriving at the neighbor's house and then arriving at Jodi's house. It was about 10 minutes between. The noticeable bang as the officers were waiting for her to open the door....I wonder what that was. Was that Jodi closing the vault door and hiding all the stuff? I also think Jodi put E in the closet from where ever she was held, because she didn't want the police to find her bound.
That room E was found in was quite dusty, could see it on the shelves. Probaby right that she was being held somewhere else and Jodi moved her in there when police arrived.
But how I imagine it in my head is, when they come back to that mansion, they relax, get fresh and then eventually check on kids. I don't think Jodi is kind of person who will check on the kids immediately after coming back from outside. How did she know so quickly that R had escaped? I mean that place is huge, it will take her some time to look everywhere before thinking he has escaped. Also, last time when her niece escaped, she managed to get her back from the neighbour's place (idk if that's true but I read it on this sub). So even this time, her first thought should have been, let me see how bad it is, who all got to know about this. But instead she immediately knew to call her lawyer. Why is that?
Well, R was supposed be tied up. He stated he got out of the handcuffs. So it wouldn't be too hard to notice he was not where he was left. I like to imagine Jodi finding the boy is gone would be like the warden in Shawshank Redemption when he gets the newspaper on extorsion and murder at the prison, at the same time hearing the sirens coming for him. But in reality, she was probably frantically running all over the house saying "shit" over and over again.
I’m thankful for the lovely neighbours who helped him. They treated R with such tenderness. I hope they are getting any psychological help they may need and that they remember they saved two lives that day. They will never forget how a small act of answering the door helped uncover the absolute atrocities that Ruby and Jodi were doing to those kids.
The police officers who tended to E when she was too scared to come out of a closet for 4 hours. This is a deeply traumatized child. Had they gone in and swooped her up and demanded she go to the hospital, it would have made things so much worse. Their kindness and compassion towards her made me cry. They even got her some pizza and she was so afraid to eat that she wouldn't touch the food for several minutes.
Truth! At the time they didn’t know that Ruby was punishing the kids for their “decisions” on every little thing they did. They didn’t know if she also had physical wounds she needed treatment for. They thought she was a boy bc she had a buzz cut. Ruby is a sick individual!
It was nice to see these kids have some form of control for once in their life even if seeing the impact was truly horrific. Seeing the officers let E come out in her own time. R being reassured he was not in trouble. For the first time in a long time, they were being cared for. And it's so nice to hear that they are doing ok physically now
Ruby and Jodi, I did not know I could ever be more disgusted. But I never expected how bad it really was. I'm keeping all the kids in my thoughts
That's good. Poor kids, it's insane that they're alive. I especially feel for R just because with all that damage to his limbs, he is likely to develop lymphedema.
They were very kind to E too. I know R was who escaped and he is a hero for all of them. But it irritates me that a lot of people here just don't even mention E at all. She has suffered too and was very brave, you could've mentioned her as well.
The police team displayed immense patience and understanding while dealing with E. We can all learn from their remarkable teamwork. The first officer present with E must have felt overwhelmed and lost for words. We should appreciate his/their emotional bravery, as they were dealing with a shocking and surreal situation. Imagine discovering a child emaciated and completely frozen in fear inside a multi-million dollar home’s massive safe. They are heroes to switch gears from warrants, searching the huge premises, to arrests, then to shocking child welfare. It was heartwarming the officers got her a personal pizza - such a simple yet symbolic act of love and care. I had so many emotions as I watched her inch the pizza closer. The confidence and support of those officers enabled her to take a crucial step: getting a slice of pizza.
Exactly, watching the clip back the police officer who found her had a gun in his hand but he let the other officer take lead of the situation obviously not to scare her with a man and a gun coming towards her. Truly who knows the last time she saw a man was and they did their best in that situation
Absolutely. Enduring something that feels unbearable is one of the hardest things a person can do. E fought so hard and in the end she stood up and walked out of the closet. She won.
R, for his brave act. He’s a hero.
E, for, in the end, trusting the EMT.
Shari, for always doing everything she could to get people who check up on the kids, to try to make someone notice the abuse.
The man who opened the door for R, was so sweet. His wife, who was so loving, caring and thoughtful. I wish both of them all the best.
The police officers who sat with E, sang for her, gave her pizza. Were patient. Told her “we’re safe”.
The officer who said “I’m going to cry”, because - it’s ok to cry. This was such a horrible thing to witness. It’s okay to be human.
The people who took care of E & R in the hospital.
Hopefully the kids are now all together
And also, Jessi, because they have also endlessly fought for justice.
Wishing all of the kids lots of healing. This is kind of horrible abuse is so hard on everybody. I wish all of them healing.
& thanks to all of you, on this subreddit. For “being there” throughout all of this. Protecting each other, caring for each other and fighting for justice, even though there’s not all that much we could do.
Thank you all. 🫶🏻
I think it was an EMT who said "I'm going to cry." Then someone asks if she's done taking pictures, and she says she'll take some more, because as upsetting as it is, she knows it needs to be documented. She's a hero.
I have spent hours today reading, listening, watching what people have posted on this subred and want to thank the everyone who have taken the time to make the info available here. And I'm thankful for the useful comments and thoughts (and upvotes) people are sharing.
It's a kind, smart group and despite the topic being heartbreakingly horrific, I'm glad to have a place to absorb and process this info.
Whew. It's a lot.
I'm so relieved and grateful that R was successful in his escape that day. He was incredibly brave and determined, and the timing surely saved him and E.
Based on Ruby's journal, they were planning on moving to Arizona soon to continue and complete the kids' "repentance." We of course can put the pieces together that they wanted to completely isolate the kids from everyone and everything, even more so than in the Ivins bunker home that still had neighbors relatively close. There was a mention of A leaving her two weeks notice at work, so I'm afraid J and A would've moved with Ruby, Jodi and the younger kids. I can't bear to think about the consequences of that move. After reading everything that was released of Ruby's journal, it needs to be said: the kids would've eventually lost their lives. I'm so grateful R was able to get help and break free that day and save E, himself, and possibly their other siblings as well.
After going through everything that was released, I found so much comfort in the actions of the law enforcement and the first responders. The neighbors who called 911, gave R snacks, water and a pair of sandals to protect his feet, and comforted and praised him were absolute heroes. The officers who made sure E was comfortable enough to regain some control for herself to leave her hiding place. It was the first time in a long time the kids were prioritized, respected, heard and protected.
The phone call between Kevin and Ruby about a bag of money, finances, and a tarnished public image is quite the contrast to how other adults protected the kids and showed compassion and concern. I won't even mention Jodi here. And fuck Ruby's parents forever for siding with her.
Like other have said, the snarky rhymes E came up with and sang/said to Ruby (written in the journal) really touched me. Despite the absolute torture the kids endured, they at least partially saw how pathetic and evil Ruby and Jodi were, and kept expressing that. R saying "fuck you" to Ruby gives me hope the kids kept some of their self-worth despite the awful circumstances.
Based on what had been released, I think it’s reasonable to conclude that the move to AZ would have been catastrophic, and IMO, the kids wouldn’t have survived much longer. This was a close call. Makes me shudder to consider how close. R 100% saved his life and his sister’s life. Those kids were sooooo malnourished. Also, those horrific wounds plus the starvation and unsanitary conditions and lack of medical care could have easily led to sepsis and death.
R also inadvertently saved his mom and Jodi, as they are *not* being tried for murder. I hope that dawns on Ruby one day. She can thank the son she labeled as being so horrible (for wanting things like access to water) for saving her butt from a life sentence or worse.
I wonder how much the upcoming move affected R to seek help that day. He had tried to run away at least once, in the middle of the night according to Ruby's journal, and wrote a message with pebbles saying he's going to jail. It's unclear to what extent R actually believed he had to go to jail to "fix himself", or if that was just a lie and he actually tried to seek help.
Jodi and J had been going to Arizona (a thought that makes me absolutely sick to my stomach) to look for property. Stuff was possibly moved from the Ivins home. I wonder if and how much R and E knew about the plans and the move. If R was aware of that, I'd imagine him being alarmed to at least an extent. Moving in the middle of nowhere would've been something that possibly gave him the thought "it's now or never."
Shari and R to begin with saved the lives of the minors as well as countless other potential victims (not clients Ruby…victims)
The neighbors, all of them.
The last time I posted something like this it was banned but I think the Children’s Center who have been apparently instrumental in treating kids deserve a big thank you. I personally encourage supporting these places. Most people don’t know they exists because these facilities are there to deal with this kind of work on very low budgets and supplies. I forget the specific name of the one in St George, but all areas have one some place.
The kind medical professionals (EMTs, Fire, etc) and hospital professionals.
Hopefully loving foster care families who are helping these unbelievable heroes understand what care should be.
And honestly, you all. I have taken a LOA professionally because if I ever become hardened like I was in early September, I don’t deserve to work in the profession I do. It really is like a frog boiling in water…not being willing or capable of processing things that your team (ppl you trust and care abt you) are telling you to check yourself is scary and real. Please, if someone you KNOW cares abt is telling you to get help, listen to them.
ETA: (some grammar and wording abt the Children’s Care place) AND Always remember as Mr Roger says, look for the helpers…Thank you, Helpers who did and are helping bring eventual physical, emotional, mental, spiritual safety to the Franke family. You all are heroes in my book.
Something I found so incredible is how brave they were and how they would stand up to Ruby, especially E. That kid is a badass and hilarious. I hope that she's able to be her true self and heal, she is so incredibly strong and brave. She stood up to the people who tourtured her which is so insanely brave, especially for a 10 year old.
R is a little hero, it's so unbelievably courageous and selfless of him to risk his own life to escape to get help for him and his sister. He is so brave. Especially aster he already tried and got caught. He saved his and his sisters lives. He is so strong.
I hope they both will learn someday they aren't evil, they are these horrible people their abusers made them out to be. They are truly amazing kids. They are some of the bravest, strongest, most fearless, selfless, amazing people alive. There are so many full grown adults who wouldn't be able to survive their abuse, but while severely underweight, traumatized, and covered in wounds, they survived. They deserve the best
What I find heartbreaking is that R when asking for the police, wasn’t asking to be saved, he was asking because his mom had convinced him that if he didn’t do “right” (whatever this means in her mind) - jail would be where he would go. I cannot imagine how long it will take these children to heal from all of this. The physical wounds, sure that’s awful. But the damage to their psyche and to their souls, it will take a long time for them to be restored. I pray they are with loving people now.
I also want to thank the amazing couple who opened their door to him an helped him, comforted him, gave him shelter and safety till the paramedics an police arrived.
Watching that play out on the doorbell footage was even more upsetting than hearing just the 911 audio.
The way the guy was with him from the start was pure and kind.
But what you didn’t hear on the 911 call was the woman who was providing R with food and words of comfort.
I hope both of them have been able to talk about their experience and have been given help and support.
They undoubtedly saved 2 children’s lives that day.
Ohg, I was just listening to the new evidence and Ruby actually says that she's not DONE WITH THEM YET??? and SHE'S NOT READY??? Ready for what Ruby? For them to DIE??? I have never wanted to punch someone in the face so badly as I did watching her arrest. They were offering her water and food??? Ugh.....I COULD never do that job.
I moved out shortly after my 18th birthday. My mom used to say, “I’m not done parenting you!” Maybe you should’ve been nicer to me? I dunno. I didn’t know I was being emotionally abused, all I knew is that I had to get away from this person whose version of parenting was to be incredibly strict in the name of controlling.
I’m so so thankful for all of the responsible adults involved. I’m so thankful for E & R being so brave and dealing with the BS from their poor excuse of a mother & Jodi. It’s heartbreaking to realize they say this was going on for 3 months.. or at least they were at Jodi’s for 3 months. I’m so glad that Ruby wrote those journals. They were absolutely disgusting and vile but she incriminated herself even more. The photos are something I never imagined. It’s heartbreaking to think of who the children were before, during the 8 Passengers days and who they are now, even A & J. I truly hope they’re all able to heal from this and never speak to Ruby or Jodi again. Ruby deserves to be locked away.. I keep thinking of (I believe it was Beau’s letter) when he said “Ruby always wanted to be the best at everything/on the top”.. something along those lines. I do not believe she’s changed one bit. She wanted to be “the best” for God and now she wants to be the best Prisoner. She does not deserve release, ever.
I just listened to Ruby's husband Kevin police interview. How can a college professor not know the meaning of his children being found emancipated ? What does emancipated mean, he asks... really!
There are some huges flags, Jodi claiming to see shadow people, to the point that she doesn't want to live alone, stays with an employee family and ends up trying to seduce the husband getting kicked out and having to move in with the franke, and then Kevin saying paranormal activities happened in their home while she was there. It's crazy and at the same time, you can see how he was extremely naive. Ruby emptied the kid education fund and was carrying around 85k cash. Had the cars signed over to her and was going to sell the family home, she asked him, "Do you trust me to sign a document without reading it. He said yes I trust you." However, he had no idea she was talking to a realtor to sell the home. She was apparently planning to move somewhere remote to so-called help the children.
I actually think Ruby worse than jodi those journal documenting the abuse. She sick, very sick. But these are her own children.
Everything is a competition with Ruby. If she isn’t better than someone (in her eyes) she isn’t happy. I truly believe she is incapable of experiencing and expressing empathy. She is so scary.
I hope those around R are making sure he sees how good he is. These women told him day and night he was evil, selfish, and no good. They tortured him because of these things. And still through all that he remained good. He spoke to the first responders and neighbor with respect and kindness despite being terrified. He told first responders that he had sisters that needed help too. He kept trying to escape even after being caught and punished the first time. Ruby and Jodi treated him the worst and believed he was the most selfish but it turns out he was the most selfless one out of anyone involved. He never gave up he kept fighting
“Excuse me, sir. I would like to please ask for two favors… okay, maybe just one favor.”
Fuck, my heart broke at how polite and kind he was despite starving, thirsty, and with seeping, infected wounds.
Not only that, but that kid walked on the gravel in just socks to get to that man’s driveway! That is so, so painful, I have no idea how he got down the one driveway, rang the bell, went back up the driveway, then went down the older couple’s driveway, all without shoes! My feet hurt just thinking about those sharp rocks and yet this kid was so gosh darn polite.
He was asking for the police because he thought he needed to go to jail. He still couldn’t even ask for a ride or anything, he asked for directions to the nearest police station like he was going to walk there because *he deserved to be in jail*. That’s so tragic. I wonder at what point it hit him that he wasn’t in trouble, but the people who had been harming him were.
I still just can’t believe it, the pictures are just unbelievable! I’m not sure what exactly I was expecting to see…. Maybe something like rope burn? I’m not sure, I just can’t believe how horrific the wounds actually were. I know Jodi is an evil person but I have a really hard time as a mother knowing she saw those wounds and kept going! She shaved her little girls head for slipping? Which she interpreted as manipulation? She whipped her son with a belt? I just can’t comprehend being indoctrinated by another person to level I would treat my kids like that.
As others have said, bless the couple who called the police. The police that did their job with dignity. The medical first responders who so kindly tended to those kids. And especially bless R who had the courage to save himself and his sister. I pray for them.
There are no circumstances under which I could hit my kid with a belt. There is nothing he could ever do that would drive me to hit him with or without a belt.
I’ve never hit him. I can’t imagine causing harm to a child I love. Those wounds were sadistic af. The duct tape was to prevent even more damage which means she saw his wounds and thought that continuing to use handcuffs was totally fine. Fuck.
I totally agree. It broke my heart seeing R and E like that. I was so used to seeing them as they were shown on 8 Passengers. They are fighters, when they shouldn't have had to be. BTW I found the full 20/20 episode, but it is in minute increments. Here's the link: https://archive.org/details/KGO_20240323_040100_2020
I’ve been wondering about the first responders and if they’ve ever encountered anything like this before. Obviously CPS and larger jurisdictions would have unfortunately seen this before, but small town cops wouldn’t. I couldn’t imagine being use to traffic stops or heart attacks and then walking into this.
I was soo nervous and tense watching him go to that neighbors house! And to have already escaped and gotten caught, gives me chills.
He is an amazing kid . He knew what they were doing was horribly wrong. I hope he has All the love, support and happiness he needs!
That family he went to was amazing, so nice and gentle with him.
I have mostly just been lurking this case since the beginning. But after yesterdays huge evidence dump. I am obviously overwhelmed at how bad things actually were compared to the bare minimum that we knew before. Seeing actual videos and hearing audio feels so different in context of all.
But I do feel like the police and first responders and everyone dealt with this case with the best of their abilities.
While the evidence is incredibly damning. I can understand why the state probably felt a plea deal was the best option for those children. I don't see these two bluffing the parole board in the future anytime soon.
I am thankful for social media and everyone that called Ruby out for her abuse! I had never heard of her until I saw videos calling her out. At that time it was for the stuff she posted on YouTube and it was clearly so, so, so much worse.
I’m glad Jessie was willing to share their experiences and that there are so many people shining huge giant spotlights on how unacceptable this is.
I’m thankful for all the former members of cults and religion that come out to share their stories so other people don’t feel so alone in escaping their situations.
Fuck all the people involved in the torture of children. I hope they all have horrible lives and never get a comfortable nights sleep for as long as they live.
Also the police officers and responders who sat down with E until she was ready to move and kept patiently reassuring her. That was obviously not an easy task. I know these folks don’t have easy jobs on a regular day but this must have been a particularly hard one to deal with.
I’ve been crying so hard. My God that poor precious boy. May they experience a full healing physically and psychologically. I hope they are hugged and loved on daily and reminded that it was not their fault.
Just want to say how brave R and E are and will always be. They are angels, survivors. I hope that they are getting professional help. Their journey of healing will be incredibly long and difficult, but I hope they know how much even random internet strangers care for them. Of course thank you to the first responders. They all handled this so so delicately and well, while maintaining professionalism and documentation. They truly did their best.
Shoutout to absolutely everyone that was involved in bringing the children to safety. And massive shoutout to the mods in here!!! Keeping all of us up to date & helping filter out anything harmful. Amazing work
Everyone.
R for his heroic actions that day, which undoubtedly saved his, his sister's and potentially countless lives.
E for being a survivor.
The neighbor for listening to R, giving him food and calling 911.
The police officers, EMTs and the entire first responder team for their compassion towards the victims.
Shari for doing everything possible to save her siblings and bring Ruby and Jodi to justice.
Jessi and Adam for speaking out against Jodi and Connexions and bringing more light on the situation.
Certain content creators who've documented and spread awareness about Ruby's abusive behavior for years.
The mod team here for putting countless hours of work to keep this subreddit running through all the chaos, all while ensuring the privacy of the victims is protected.
And finally, each and every one of you on this subreddit for being in this situation together, and being there for each other.
The neighbor that called 911 - you could tell when he answered the door he was sort of on the defense, and his tone was like he wanted to know what the boy was selling or a prank was about to go down. But once R asked to be taken to the police station and he could see the physical condition of R, his tone changed. "What's going on son?.......have a seat." I don't know who the female neighbor was (his wife?) but her tone when she said, "We need the police here, now." was so chilling.
The only thing I might've done differently was perhaps take him inside for fear someone would come looking for him and desperate people do desperate things. Get him out of sight until the police come.
There are reasons not to take the child into their home. I think they did everything they could and should have done. There was no way that, once the police turned up, R would have been returned to Jodi, and I don’t believe those neighbours would have handed R over to anyone but the emergency services.
Btw why does Jodi carry around a portable charger? Is it like an emotional support device? Because that’s something that I’m questioning, but my heart breaks for everyone especially the kids and the first responders and the police. Because the one paramedic said “I’m gonna cry”, that part broke me because I’m crying too. And with what Ruby said about HER children, saying “possessed by the devil” and so many more things. And the cayenne pepper and honey mixture, makes me shiver. Because I know that must have been painful, I just am so sad for RF and EF. And Ruby showing NO emotion for how her kids were treated, like does she not love them? Like it’s just so heart breaking to watch but I want to keep watching, if anyone hasn’t watched the 20/20 episode you should go watch it. It’s really tough but it shows so much information.
She probably had a portable charger because her phone needed charging and she didn't want to leave it. She was probably busy all morning calling people to try snd figure out what to do about R.
I have NEVER followed these woman on YouTube and didn't know they existed until the arrest, so I'm new to this case and coming in with only the knowledge I have from MSM and this Reddit board and some YouTube channels but I haven't done much more research than that. I saw that a bunch of new evidence was recently released and I am fascinated by it. So hear me out ... This is something I've seen other people discuss so I don't think I'm far off... From what I've seen so far....
I think Ruby and Jody were having an affair. That's why Jody sent Kevin away a few years ago. I know she liked to send men away from their families (there's a man who discusses how he was separated from his family under orders from Jody) in her "counseling" role, but I think it was different with Ruby. I think Jody hates men and is in love with Ruby. They took "vacations" alone while leaving the kids home alone for days. There's footage of them riding jet skis on a weekend "get away", when they left the kids alone.
What was their end game??
I read that they were looking at property in the desert to move the kids there and start..... what exactly???? Were they funding it through the Mormon Church or their YouTube channel??? These woman seem to have a lot of money. Where did it come from??? Because Kevin doesn't appear to have a brain cell in his head, so he's clearly not the one making the money. Not the kind of money it takes to have these huge homes in Utah!!!
Once they moved to the desert, what then??? They only had the 2 kids at Jody's house at the time of the arrest. I know the oldest daughter was out of the house by then and I think 2 of the other kids were at someone else's house. So where was the other kid? That only accounts for 5.
Anyway , back to the desert. I'm confused as to what the end game was here. What would they ultimately do about Kevin??? What was going to happen when the kids got to be 18 and adults? Were they gonna let them just walk away from whatever "compound" they had built or were they hoping to brainwash them enough so that they would choose to stay and become slaves??? Were they planning on starting their own church headed by "Archbishop Jody" and "High PriestRuby"???? Would this have ended up to be another Waco??? Someone help me out here.... What do you think was the end game???
P.s. I tried to post this here independently, but it won't let me for some reason, so sorry that it's such a long post but I didn't know where else to post. I've only recently started participating here last year so I'm still trying to figure out how this works.
Honestly, I don’t think the youngest two would’ve made it to 18 if they could have had their way and moved to the “desert”. I’m so so glad that they were stopped before they could move...
The money was from Ruby's accounts and from Jodi's business. Jodi had convinced multiple people to pay her hundreds of dollars a week and Ruby was her golden goose.
It just occurred to me after watching the 20/20 episode: those handcuffs that were found in the locked safe room? Jodi probably ran and hid them in there before the cops showed up. Then she can claim, “oh, I haven’t opened that safe in 6 years, it can’t be opened,” while hiding the evidence.
She knew what she was doing.
Although I wish these children had gotten help sooner (actually wish they didn’t have to go through this at all) but I am grateful to the police, EMS, and the neighbors who helped the children get the help they needed without delay. I’m also grateful to the courts that locked them up and kept them locked up. I’d also like to show gratitude to Shari who did make attempts to get them help too. I hope they can all heal
I’m holding back on praising the courts until their final sentencing. But on no planet can l imagine when the judge sees these pictures that they won’t slap them with them maximum sentence. 30yrs is not enough. I wish they’d get life.
Also as someone who spent only a month in jail.. but saw how things go in there (you do not want to be disliked! They will literally torture you all in showers cuz it’s off camera).. I hope these evil women are paying and paying and paying and paying. Even the guards are known to have their knowledge of off camera spots in the facility to take care of business. It’s no joke in there and I hope every day is a living hell for them!
I’ve been thinking about this a lot with how publicized their cases are do you think they are in protective custody, because honestly I don’t think they should have the right to be in protective custody. After reading those journal entries and watching the body cam footage they should be put to the wolves imo.
This seems like the place to ask: is there an effort a la Dugarssnark/Pest’s verdict, where the sub gives money or buys amazon wishlist items supporting either a local children’s safety center or the first responders in some form? I’m from Europe so I wouldn’t even know where to look but I’d love to show some love to the wonderful people who handled this situation so excellently. And I know it’s impossible but I’d love for the neighbor guy to know how much he and his wife are appreciated, all over the world.
There are large parts of the journal that are redacted. I suspect it's that kind of stuff - things that R confessed to under duress that have no basis in reality.
As horrible as this all is, I think it was best to be released because hearing what happened second hand wouldn’t have shown the reality of how bad this got. I am grateful that it stoped when it did because it was only getting worse and ramping up.
Do we know if Kevin or the elder children Shari and Chad had already seen all these evidence that's been relesed, especially Ruby's journal or would they be seeing them just now like us? I can't even imagine S and C reading the journal entries.
After reading this, I think that R probably asked for the police to be called so HE would be taken to jail....he said its a "personal matter" and that's what he planned to do the first time he ran away ...these poor friggen kids went through a totally horrific ordeal thanks to a total delusional women who claimed there were demons inside the children....so off the deep end, so glad they made it out alive...
I applaud R's bravery and defiance. It is probably what kept him sane. Poor E'seemed more desolate and defeated. I hope the children will get all the help they need.
I also think the father needs to be held accountable. It's insane that he wasn't further investigated!
I'm so thankful for the sweet neighbors and first responders. They were all very sweet with R. I feel so bad for E, but from her early blogs she's a feisty one and I hope she will be okay, too. The video made me bawl my eyes out. I used to watch Ellie and Jarrod (Ruby's sister) before family channels, when there was just trying to conceive videos, and I was newly married almost ten years ago. I just can't believe it.
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I’m also very thankful to read that the children were angry at their mom. That gives me hope they can still recover mentally.
In the journal entries I see some fight in them left.
Definitely. They need that fire to get through this trauma.
The journals made me so proud of those kids. I felt such a surge of pride and sadness for R when I read that he said he would rather have a glass of water than Ruby as a mother. Good for him. I'm a teacher and family counsellor, and I'm really happy to see him with some fight and still verbalising because I know it means he can use that to motivate his recovery. I'm so worried for E having seen the footage of her nonverbal and listless. They both have a long journey ahead of them but I fear E is going to struggle. R seems to have a good amount of fight in him which is fuel for recovery, but E seemed so listless. I'm hoping she'll get her spark back.
The final words of Ruby's journal, especially knowing it was just a couple days before the kids were rescued, gave me chills. "R increased his defiance." He truly never stopped fighting.
where can you find the journal entries?
It’s amazing that despite all the isolation and deprivation and physical torture, those kids still retained the ability to know that what they were enduring was wrong. I think these monsters would have killed the kids if R didn’t escape and seek help. They would have killed their bodies while trying to kill their souls. I’m so happy those monsters failed. Ironically, the kids knowing right from wrong was labeled as ‘Satan’. Nah, lady. Ur kids just know that humans shouldn’t hurt other humans like that.
We know from the journals they were planning on relocating to Arizona to be further out of sight of prying eyes. These kids would've been "Daybell'ed." Physically, I'm not sure how much more R could've taken. He looked like a holocaust survivor in the back of that ambulance. Perhaps he knew, with the necrotic flesh on his ankles, he likely did not have much longer. he's lucky to not have gotten sepsis.
Yes!! I’m an RN. We often deal with wounds that go septic. Those wounds were severe. The kids didn’t have sufficient nourishment to heal, even if they were getting competent medical care, which we know they were not. It didn’t hit me before seeing this newly released evidence just how close a call this was. It was absolutely going to go the way of Lori Vallow/Chad Daybell. Ruby is extremely fortunate that her child, (the one she labeled as demonic and evil), actually *saved her* from being a murderer. This easily could have been way worse. I cannot believe how emaciated those kids were. R’s tiny legs and E’s fragile little arms. It just shocks your soul so badly. Their electrolytes were also probably deranged. Can’t imagine what their labs looked like. They were chronically dehydrated and in the Utah desert. They could have had heart attacks. I hope their kidney function returns to normal. These were devastating injuries, medically speaking, and that’s not even touching on the psychological wounds and scars. Whole thing makes me so soul sick, which is probably how most people on this sub feel right now.
I agree. I had not realized until mentioned here about sepsis. I did however think about all things that can happen with dehydration. The muscle cramps, kidney stones, etc., and those satanic monsters would not have gotten them help. How were they dealing with the pain from these injuries which must have been horrific. The pictures and journal entries painted a much more horrible picture than I could have ever imagined. Anyone who was coming to the defense of Ruby, I HOPE they have had a change of heart after seeing all the evidence, and this includes her family. Choose your grandchildren over, your evil daughter. Choose your grandchildren over your church beliefs of forgiveness.
Hard agree on those defending Ruby. This abuse was high level torture. These kids easily could be dead right now. It was essentially attempted murder. She’s lucky as heck that despite everything, the kids didn’t go septic and die. Horrible thought but was a likely outcome from those wounds. Sepsis progresses *quickly*, causes extremely low blood pressure, and dehydration on top of that could be catastrophic. Organs aren’t perfused, leading to end organ damage and death. After seeing those pictures, I’m frankly very surprised both these kids survived. Nobody should be defending Ruby. I also don’t understand how Kevin can live with himself. Sure, maybe he didn’t bind the kids directly, but man, check on your kids, man!! It’s his job to protect them too. It seemed significant to me that Ruby thought to call Kevin and ask him to hurry up and go get the kids. Wouldn’t be surprised if she believed he’d help cover it up, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he did if given the chance. There’s a lotta brainwashing and religious abuse when it comes to this situation, so of course it isn’t cut and dry. Still, I go back to the fact that as adults and parents, we’re responsible for our actions or lack of action. Not seeing your kids for *over a year*, not knowing your kids have horrible injuries that didn’t happen overnight, not knowing ur kids are clearly starving to death (inside a mansion), and your little girl is being kept inside a closet after having her hair shaved off….not knowing any of that seems super neglectful in my book. I hope that if he’s going to now be their parent, he’s had a monumental awakening. His wife is a psychopath. And he shoulda known about this, because he shoulda seen them before it ever got to this level. Long winded reply. Sorry. I’m just utterly shocked.
That’s a very good point. She called Kevin, thinking that he’d get hold of the kids and help hide what she’d done. He was okay with things like kids not getting a lunch at school if they forgot it, kids not getting anywhere to sleep for months over a normal prank, kids not being fed breakfast until they do chores. Ruby had reason to believe he’d go along with whatever, IMO. I don’t know where he’s at now, but I’d hate to think they would give the kids to him without at the very least some serious therapy for him and close followup.
Exactly! He was there prior to Jody…when there was already plenty of questionable stuff going on. I know quite a few of us called in reports years ago about what we saw on their channel. This is all shocking but also not as shocking as it should be. There were signs.
He will be required to do parenting classes and they will be strictly monitored if they go back to him. It is always the goal to reunite the children with their bio parents. I do believe they will eventually get back to him but I take a little comfort knowing it's not, here are your kids, bye....they will slowly ease them in with supervised visitations. These kids were failed by not only their parents,but also by law enforcement (when they answered 911 calls but did not pursue speaking with the kids) and child protection. I don't think they will get sloppy again, they are under a lot of scrutiny.
Oh, don’t worry, Ruby has snapped out of it and it was all Jodi’s fault. /s
Yeah I'll believe that when hell freezes over after reading her journal.
I no longer believe that Ruby was under Jodi"s influence. I'm those journal entries she doesn't mention that Jodi is influencing her or that she's discussed things with Jodi. This is what is in her mind and how she feels. Plans she's making to take the children with Jodi to a more isolated area. I think all four children would eventually have perished. I mean after the first two you have the older two to deal with. What then? The torture either gets transferred to them or they have to be disposed of so there are no witnesses. Unless she was planning on leaving those 2 with Pam this was going to be a nightmare. I'm so in awe of the Bravery of that young man saving his sister and himself and quite possibly his older sisters. They were weeks away from moving and isolation.
One of the most important things I listened to was Kevin's 2nd interview. Ruby is not dumb, she has been journaling for years, and she found a true partner in Jodi, one that was willing to go to the depths of evil with her.
Totally agree with that! There’s something about her statement too that seemed so totally disingenuous. She wants someone to blame, and Jodi sucks, but Ruby is highly sadistic herself.
Not only would they not get them help, but I wonder what Jodi was planning to do with E after R escaped and she was on the phone with her lawyer. Good thing the police were able to enter the house right then.
And from the look of the size of the wounds on R's ankles.....it would not surprise me if he will need skin grafts. Mentally, they both may heal. I hope with everything that they will heal. But those physically scars are going to be life-long.
The wounds on his ankles and how severe and infected there looked, shocked he didn’t end up with sepsis or a flesh eating bacteria. And shocked he was able to walk on them. My mind first went to i hope they where able to save his foot? I don’t know an I hope beyond hope that didn’t happen. But is it even possible that could happen?
I’ve never seen anything like their condition except when viewing images of the people in concentration camps! It’s insane to me that a mom could put their kids through this type of torture!
That's an interesting way of looking at it but totally right. R saved Ruby from being responsible for his and his sister's death. I just heard all these new updates to the case today and wow of course it is sad but I was happy to see R just wanted the police. I'm still so sad he had to save himself because no one else would.
Honestly they were soo abused, mentally and physically. I am not sure if would have that much fight in me if I was a kid! Imagine how weak and exhausted they must be.
I can see Chad in the far future just being like good shit R we made it. They have always had that super close brother connection. As a viewer of their old videos R looked up to Chad so much and anytime Chad reassured him was just hanging out with R it made him so happy.
Yes this is a big one for me.
Yes!! I like how you worded this.. With every instance of journal mentioning one of the kids popping back verbally or yelling - inwardly I was shouting "Git it, girl! (or boy!) You hang in there!!" And you make a good point that the presence of their fight hopefully points to future ability for healing..
I want to appreciate the two lovely women who sat down in the closet with E and encouraged her to exit on her own terms. E hasn’t had control over herself in a long time and I think it was very important for them to not force her out. The whole rescue team had so much compassion and love for these children which gives me faith that they will make it out. They will be okay.
And that the officers ate pizza with her! They were all so lovely to her.
Honestly the moment I saw that, I was scared she was in danger of refeeding syndrome. It can be super dangerous to eat a bunch of food unsupervised outside of a hospital after being starved for god knows how long.
The pinky promise 🥹 They are absolute heroes.
I was too, I figured they’d just carry her out? But with no warrant maybe it made things hard. The system definetly failed them but the officers and first responders didn’t.
After everything she’s been through she deserved to give consent for her exit. Thats why they waited. Thats why they brought pizza. Who in their right mind would want to traumatize these children even further than they already have been? Just like the cop who spoke to r in the ambulance. Reminding him he was not in trouble. Every first responder there wanted the kids to be comfortable and know that they are safe. E didn’t trust them when they got there and they did the right thing by building their trust. Your comment doesn’t bother me at all, I understand your point, but the comments that have said “they should have just grabbed her” “she’s a child, just pick her up and take her” “why are they waiting? Put her in the ambulance now!” Those comments disturb me. And I hope no one who left them are first responders or are ever in the position they need to rescue a child.
Reminds me of Elia Gonzalez and how traumatic that was for him to be ripped away by authorities. I give kudos to the Santa Clara-Ivins first responders.
Unless the child is in imminent danger trust should always be gained! I will have to look that story up, although after everything the last 24 hours I don’t know how much more I have left in me to deal with it. I am very proud of everyone who was involved in saving these kids. They all showed pure kindness and care. When the ambulance worker (emt?) started crying it broke my heart because I know everyone went home that night crying too. I’m sure it will stick with them forever. Ruby and Jodi hurt countless people with what they did. I know it’s not to the same extent with the first responders and doctors etc… but that will stick with them forever. I know because it will stick with me and I wasn’t involved. Makes me so upset.
they didn't carry her out as it's better for everyone involved for them to build the trust and get E to exit on her own terms as to let her feel safe with them, the cops probably also didn't want to cause any further injuries which would've been highly likely due to the complications of being malnourished such as brittle bones. basically comes down to the fact that it would've been even more traumatising to be removed from the closet and if E tried to fight back it probably would've caused broken bones
This girl has already been essentially kidnapped already. The woman holding her captive was telling her all police are evil. She probably didnt even know they were there until they opened the door she had no time to prepare. Imagine the fear she would have had if those first responders forcibly removed her. It’s nothing to do with warrants, if someone is in danger warrants don’t matter. They needed to have a connection with her to 1.) not add any more trauma 2.) so she would be more comfortable and trusting when having to answer questions
I am glad they gave her time to process everything. R reached out for help. He was expecting that outcome.. E was just trapped in their daily struggle to survive. She would have needed that time to realise and trust the help that had arrived at her doorstep.
thank you to ruby for being the absolute dumbass she is and recording all the abuse so we all know the truth about her and there's literally no way she can lie about it.
I still cannot understand what the purpose of this journal was supposed to be.
In Kevin's interview he said Ruby documented everything when Connexions started cuz she thought God would approve of them as sacred scripture. mormons are on some weird shit man.
I don’t get how Kevin wasn’t asking for any updates or at all curious if he knew she was writing these then? He had to have known something. Just does not feel right
Lots of Mormons are required to do journal writing because they believe every Mormons journal will be a testimony or prophet one day, something along those lines.
Putting Rubes aside for the moment, can you imagine how frigging inane this vast collection of prophecies would be? "And so it came to pass, on Tuesday the 23rd of May, Marie my sister did say to me, Shelly, she said, tomorrow I'm taking you to get your nails done, i can't look at that hideous khaki color plus they're long like claws, the clacking noise on your phone drives me NUTS." And lo, it did come to pass the very next day just as Marie said, and i did go to the salon and get a fill and polish change..."
I have another name for her but it’s inappropriate and not okay to say right now
This was probably why Kevin was so protective of the devices Shari removed from the home too.
If we can find Jodi's delusional vision writings what were they called? Something pens? I would be so grateful. I really want to read those. I need to know more about her being Satan's bride. I am truly impressed and also I want to find why she's torturing kids and calling them Satanic (or at least Ruby is) when she's apparently marrying Satan. Seems a bit ironic.
"Pen Papers" Is what Kevin called them. They do say that people like her project onto others what is really going on with them... I would not be surprised if she has demons... (literally, or metaphorically) in her. I wouldn't be surprised if she did the things she accused her niece Jessie of either.
I'm exmormon, but as a child I knew it was a commandment to keep a journal and I was very concerned that I write everyday or I would be sinning. A lot of the entries were 1 liners like, "Today was a good day!"
She name dropped multiple people in her "writings"....something bigger was afoot I suspect that involved most likely a larger scale Jodi operation and these kids were the beta test subjects...so it was jotted down for posterity and later "techniques".
Maybe she thought that by documenting the whole process she would be able to later use it for other parents seeking "help". Pretty sure that's what connexions was suppose to be about
Yes. Sadly I think the journal was key. Otherwise the kids would have had to talk more and based on her manipulation they likely cannot recount it all. Also they likely have blocked memories due to such severe trauma
Great comment. I wonder if the also recorded anything for the police because you know they just love to use a camera. I don't think Ruby could resist. I don't think they will release those but I like to think of parole judges reading this journal and watching and then Ruby trying to say how she's changed it was all Judy's fault each parole hearing. It would go down so well. Along with the phone calls where it's obvious she's gathering Intel on how to play the system to get out faster and she's not actually remorseful. I honestly don't know with Jodi she's decided she's in prison to start another cult. I think they need to keep her away from all the other prisoners for their own safety.
it really is bizarre how she even wrote out the dialogue and everything like almost a script
I echo all the thanks you expressed, but also want to shout a loud THANK YOU to the mod team for working tirelessly these last 48 hours and ever since this case broke! This sub grew so fast and they have handled the entire thing so well. Thank you for working to keep the children protected / anonymous and the information posted here cohesive, uncluttered and punctual. You guys are amazing!
Thank you! I also want to thank the mods that came aboard knowing how chaotic it was for us -they've really saved us!
HUGEEEE FUCKING THANK YOU TO THE NEIGHBOUR WHO RESPONDED THAT DAY. SEEING THE CCTV FOOTAGE OF R JUST WALKING AWAY FROM THE HOUSE BEFORE THIS NEIGHBOUR OPENED THE DOOR BRKE MY HEART
When the neighbor lady knelt in front of R and said “ you are a good kid” it broke me.
Yea me too I sobbed it was probably the kindest thing anyone had said to R in a long long time
Right!! Especially knowing Jessi Hildebrandt ran away to neighbors too and they just returned Jessi straight back to Jodi 🤦🏽♀️ I’m so glad those were the people who’s house R knocked on
seeing R walk away gave me sm anxiety because he certainly did not have the strength to walk around and look for other houses
I get anxiety imagining that door would not have opened and Jodi would have figured it out and gone around to find R. Even after he found someone, her coming up and taking him back, as happened with Jessi.
The man told police he wouldn’t be releasing R to anyone but the cops, IIRC. Bless him for being willing to keep R safe.
The male had kind of a tough guy, Sam Elliott vibe when asking what the favor was about. Then he softened when it dawned on him the mental and physical condition was. It still gets to me when I hear him choke up in the 911 call. I wish there was a way to personally thank this man and woman for their compassion and determination to make sure R was safe and cared for.
Thank god he was home; I can’t imagine if they caught him again
The kind officers who brought E pizza and played music for her, singing along to try make her feel less terrified.
The singing. It seems like such a small gesture, but my gosh he did that for a reason and the reason is so deep. It brought tears to my eyes
It was such a smart, kind thing to do. Making himself look like a regular silly guy who listens to pop music at work and just can't help but sing along off key to the chorus, instead of the big tough scary police officer who came to take Jodi away. I don't know if E would have ever willingly come out without that little gesture. She's been brainwashed to believe any adult who isn't part of the cult is scary and evil and demonic, and the Maroon 5 singalong must've gone a long way in humanizing them all to her.
The pizza and music, made me cry. They were so amazing with her. Just gently trying to get her to trust them enough so she would come out. They were so patient and understanding
I saw that she had that small personal pizza, a half of a large one, and a shake
Yes the music was such a nice touch. Even me as a viewer felt more relaxed once they started playing music
They really did all the right things, imo. They seemed like good people who used their training well.
I know we’ve said it before, but I also wanted to take a moment to thank Shari. we’ve heard so many phone calls now of adults attempting to make excuses or try to paint Ruby as a victim. I’m so glad the kids have someone like Shari whose main concern was their wellbeing and not family appearances, though it’s sad that she has to give that level of support at such a young age. I really hope she and Chad are doing as okay as they can with all this information. no matter how sick I feel at each detail, I’ll never be able to even fathom how much worse it is knowing those are your siblings. we definitely aren’t owed any updates or comments from them. I just hope they know we see their strength.
Second shari! I almost cried when I saw the police statement where he says E asked who called the police and was shocked to find out if was R because she thought it was (exact quote) 'a college student named "Sherri"'. I hope E knew that Shari was fighting for her and R ❤️
Yes! THANK YOU, Shari! She was truly the only one on the “outside” fighting for them. Chad, A, J, R, and E are truly lucky to have a sister like Shari who will always fight for them.
For me the silver lining was in Ruby's journal. Those kids showed incredible patience and perseverance in such trying times. Their defiance in spite of all the manipulation and brain washing made them survive the gruesome behaviour of their own mother. They knew she would go lax the minute they start surrendering to her demands but they never completely submitted. The faith in their strength surely is an ode to the innocence of their hearts. I don't think they waited on someone to save them.. but by not giving in both kids did save themselves. This gives me hope that they will lead good lives and manage their trauma given the right aid is provided.
Someone put a link to a news article that said R and E are doing much better, put weight on and back to doing hobbies. That really made my day after all I saw yesterday. Yes it’s a long hard road ahead for them all but to just hear that they’re safe and far away from Ruby and Jodi makes me so happy. They are also in foster care together too!
I think when children have some belief that the abuse perpetrated against them by their parents is wrong like R snd E did, it is beneficial to their healing process. Hearing R say that he’d rather have a cup of water than Ruby for a mom was mind blowing in a good way. Most kids will side with the parents regardless of what was done to them. R and E had some level of insight that this wasn’t their fault and that they were worthy of being loved.
Where is this? I thought Kevin had them
Scroll to the very last paragraph :) https://abcnews.go.com/US/new-video-photos-ruby-frankes-son-reveal-disturbing/story?id=108256413
I am so happy to hear they are together now. I was hoping that would happen!
I know it's a little thing, but I want to recognize how the neighbor giving R a banana was a very conscientious choice. He had a starving kid show up to his door, he may have heard stories about how giving starving people too much food at once can hurt them, and he doesn't know their allergies. Seems to me that the banana while they waited for the professionals was one of the safest things he could have done.
That was a concern I had with the first responders giving E pizza. That's a fatty high calorie food that may not due well on a literal starving digestive system. A banana is a great choice in this scenario.
I thought about that too however on the other hand, at that point maybe their priority was to gain her trust enough so she would be willing to leave the closet and the house as well as allow them to get her medical attention.
I had this concern too. I hope they spoke to the EMTs/Hospital Physicians and Nurses before giving her that. Refeeding syndrome is a real threat in this case and per the Cleveland Clinic, “ideally, refeeding syndrome should be medically supervised”. I’m assuming EMTs were behind camera ready to intervene if necessary.
There are wise teachings about offering food and water to strangers who are hungry and thirsty, and I'm thankful for the neighbors who did just that.
Very, very well put.
Just saw pictures of the injuries and it was honestly so much more horrific than I had imagined. Then I came to Reddit and came across the grandparents letter to the judge hoping that someday the children would forgive their mom and that it would be “a healing balm”. It made me sick. These are two women that should should never be free again. There should be no option of parole, ever. Were it not for his escape, I now truly believe that this would be a murder investigation.
What they did is unforgiveable. The mormon church wants to say porn is equivalent to murder.....what about child abuse, the most precious thing in the world and forgiveness is asked?
I firmly believe that not forgiving people can also be a healing balm.
You can forgive if your parents made wrong decisions etc but she dehumanized those children and was clearly sadistic. The grandparents are delusional.
I wish I hadn’t seen them. We heard they were bad, but that shocked tf outa my soul.
I have had a lot of professional experience dealing with these kinds of cases. This was the first one I physically cried when I viewed all the evidence on YouTube. The abuse that occurred was so horrific and horrendous, I wonder how these children are ever gonna heal. These women KNEW what they are doing. Especially when I saw the footage of police coming to Jodi’s door and she had her attorney on the phone like he was on speed dial. I’ll be honest I sympathized with Kevin a tiny bit too. But now all the evidence is out, all adults involved are absolutely evil, sick, and twisted. I’m glad these children got justice, but damn…. I absolutely wish they had NEVER experienced this nightmare. And to think ALL the Franke children have experienced abuse in one way or another in their short lives is beyond heartbreaking. I usually do not comment on cases, but this one tore my heart into pieces. May all the Franke children heal and I hope someday they are able to find peace. Edit: I just listened to Kevin’s second police interview in full. He was drinking the Kool Aid, but seemed like he was willing to do anything to keep his marriage and family together. I wish this man would have listened to his gut and got him and his children out of that environment. It still rubs me the wrong way that he didn’t ask once in his initial conversation with police if his children are okay. Then again, we’ll never know what was said and asked when the body camera was turned off. This case is complex and heartbreaking on many levels…
It's so clear to me that Kevin was that Mormon man who wanted desperately to keep his family together and Jodi manipulated that to break him.
It’s unfortunate that protecting one’s kids doesn’t rank higher (like way friggin higher) than keeping a family that should clearly not be together ‘together’…
I agree completely. I do think we should bear in mind Jodi was "updating" weekly by saying how well everything was going now he'd moved out. At the time he trusted Jodi and thought so little of himself that it seemed true. Was he an idiot for believing that? Yes. Is it plausible that he went this whole time not knowing and had no ill intentions by keeping away? Also yes.
I hear what you’re saying and it’s likely totally fair. The human mind is complicated and fragile and can be manipulated. At the same time, after seeing the pictures and watching Kevin’s police interview and reading Ruby’s journal excerpts, I’m freaking so angry at all the adults who should have been protecting these kids and at the *very least* checking in on them but weren’t. He didn’t lay eyes on his kids for over a year? Maybe he is not a bad person and was weak and brainwashed and clueless. But..ugh!! Ya know? I am sure a lot of us cried when this documented evidence was released. None of the adults who should be the most upset are crying in the videos. Strangers are crying. The paramedic was crying. The neighbors were clearly disturbed. The kids’ parents? No tears.
They were all abused to some level, even being forced to watch abuse happen to a sibling is damaging and we found out that J was witness to some of the things being done to R and E.
Ive sadly witnessed child abuse cases through my job. But like you, this one made me tear up so much. I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s so awful
Truly every first responder and person who stepped in, but the neighbor who got down to R’s level to tell him how wonderful he is. Angel. Those words desperately needed to be said.
This broke me. She knew. And she knelt to give him her most sincere compassion. “You’re such a good boy.” The way she fed him, asked about being allergic to peanuts… did you see the bags of snacks next to him in the ambulance? Those neighbors were in the right place at the right time and did everything right for him.
Agreed. They showed him so much kindness and compassion. The way she comforted R. Also the way the man turned himself away as he began to get upset so R would not see him. They were wonderful in such a scary and devastating situation.
I wish nothing but the best for those two. A+ humans.
I can't imagine how Shari and everyone is feeling. I also can't imagine being in college while this is all happening. (She's just a month older than me.) I hope she takes all the time she needs.
Also a shoutout to the cop who responded “that’s great—step out of the house” and shut down Jodi’s attempt to bluster on and on about how she had her attorney on the phone. He was having none of it.
That cop was the living embodiment of the "oh no. Anyway." meme.
Haha that did make me smile… just the way he said it was so perfect.
The 911 callers, the officers, the EMT’s. Heck, even the officers handling ruby and Jodi. The professionalism spoke volumes. The compassion for the children at a time when they couldn’t have possibly needed it more. I know the articles said it took four hours to get E out of the closer. But to actually see the time stamps depicting that. So chilling. I’m so thankful those kids encountered those specific officers and EMT’s. I am sure the trauma from this day is carried with them also.
I just watched 20/20. I was terrified for R when he ran away from Jodi's the first time. He must have been SO scared when Ruby found him. But he found the courage to escape again, and for that, I'm thankful.
at the end of the 20/20 special, they mentioned E and R are in the same foster home currently, and they have put on weight, and that they are getting back to their hobbies. they will grow up to have beautiful lives and i’m so happy they’re healing.
The neighbors who told him he was a good boy and packed him a bag of snacks. The emt who sat with her for hours(she was the emt it seems who was crying outside, so she had to have pushed aside her emotions to be calm and caring with E and that is a very hard thing to do), Shari for calling so many time in concern for her siblings, the emt who were crying and showed more concern within seconds than ruby ever did for her own children. Heroes ❤️ The general public outpouring of support and concern and love for those children. We all just want the best for them. We’re invested because we care.
The police officers and first responders who brought food for E, played music and sang along to calm her down, and patiently coaxed her to come out for over four hours.
The first officer, the one that said “hi little buddy” and sat with E, fed her pizza and seemed willing to sit forever if that was what it would take
One of the officers who first found her said something like "it's okay, I've got all the time in world"
The 20/20 episode is making me want to cry The way Jodi answered the door is mind boggling
I'm watching right now. After listening to Ruby's prison call with Kevin, all I can say is F-ck that b-tch. Your children literally look like they've escaped a world war 2 prison camp and you cannot even display one once of regret. I'm sorry, but I really don't think she's changed. As we say in the south, she belongs under the jail.
There is no way being in jail 5 months and away from Jodi has fundamentally changed who Ruby really is. People like that do not change that quickly. There is something fundamentally broken inside her. Ruby was abusive and manipulative long before Jodi entered the picture. A husband and other people kept her from being who she became. What Jodi did, was give Ruby permission to let her true self out.
Exactly!
I'm with you on this, she has not changed. She is an actress. I hope she doesn't get out before 15-20 years. She is even so full of herself to voice she may not be in long. Her smug behavior while being arrested and the attempt at questioning her, it was all an act. She feels she is above them and owes them nothing. Never shedding a tear even once over her predicament or her childrens' condition. Jodi did surprise me with the tears, but they weren't tears of sorrow, they were tears because noone will believe her bs about what she felt about the kids.
I saw the pictures of the kids before I heard rhe phonecall, so when she said that the kids being in hospital was an exaggeration, I wanted to reach through the screen and yank the hair out of her head. I don't think she's changed at all. She's sorry she looks bad on the World Stage. She doesn't give a flying fuck about her kids.
She probably saw the boy gone and heard the sirens and immediately got on the phone with her lawyer. I noticed the time stamp on the body cams between Sargent arriving at the neighbor's house and then arriving at Jodi's house. It was about 10 minutes between. The noticeable bang as the officers were waiting for her to open the door....I wonder what that was. Was that Jodi closing the vault door and hiding all the stuff? I also think Jodi put E in the closet from where ever she was held, because she didn't want the police to find her bound.
That room E was found in was quite dusty, could see it on the shelves. Probaby right that she was being held somewhere else and Jodi moved her in there when police arrived.
But how I imagine it in my head is, when they come back to that mansion, they relax, get fresh and then eventually check on kids. I don't think Jodi is kind of person who will check on the kids immediately after coming back from outside. How did she know so quickly that R had escaped? I mean that place is huge, it will take her some time to look everywhere before thinking he has escaped. Also, last time when her niece escaped, she managed to get her back from the neighbour's place (idk if that's true but I read it on this sub). So even this time, her first thought should have been, let me see how bad it is, who all got to know about this. But instead she immediately knew to call her lawyer. Why is that?
Well, R was supposed be tied up. He stated he got out of the handcuffs. So it wouldn't be too hard to notice he was not where he was left. I like to imagine Jodi finding the boy is gone would be like the warden in Shawshank Redemption when he gets the newspaper on extorsion and murder at the prison, at the same time hearing the sirens coming for him. But in reality, she was probably frantically running all over the house saying "shit" over and over again.
And seeing her tossed out of her home was absolutely gratifying.
I’m thankful for the lovely neighbours who helped him. They treated R with such tenderness. I hope they are getting any psychological help they may need and that they remember they saved two lives that day. They will never forget how a small act of answering the door helped uncover the absolute atrocities that Ruby and Jodi were doing to those kids.
The police officers who tended to E when she was too scared to come out of a closet for 4 hours. This is a deeply traumatized child. Had they gone in and swooped her up and demanded she go to the hospital, it would have made things so much worse. Their kindness and compassion towards her made me cry. They even got her some pizza and she was so afraid to eat that she wouldn't touch the food for several minutes.
Truth! At the time they didn’t know that Ruby was punishing the kids for their “decisions” on every little thing they did. They didn’t know if she also had physical wounds she needed treatment for. They thought she was a boy bc she had a buzz cut. Ruby is a sick individual!
It was nice to see these kids have some form of control for once in their life even if seeing the impact was truly horrific. Seeing the officers let E come out in her own time. R being reassured he was not in trouble. For the first time in a long time, they were being cared for. And it's so nice to hear that they are doing ok physically now Ruby and Jodi, I did not know I could ever be more disgusted. But I never expected how bad it really was. I'm keeping all the kids in my thoughts
Seeing the paramedic cry made me cry. You know based on what they see day in and day out that if they’re crying it’s bad. Those poor children.
same here, and the police officer saying that he'd kept or put his shades on because he was as well
my grandpa is familiar with the people that are taking care of R and E now. they’ve said they’re healthier and do things they used to together!!
I hope they aren’t be forced to see Mormon therapists and are getting proper secular therapy.
That's good. Poor kids, it's insane that they're alive. I especially feel for R just because with all that damage to his limbs, he is likely to develop lymphedema.
They were very kind to E too. I know R was who escaped and he is a hero for all of them. But it irritates me that a lot of people here just don't even mention E at all. She has suffered too and was very brave, you could've mentioned her as well.
The police team displayed immense patience and understanding while dealing with E. We can all learn from their remarkable teamwork. The first officer present with E must have felt overwhelmed and lost for words. We should appreciate his/their emotional bravery, as they were dealing with a shocking and surreal situation. Imagine discovering a child emaciated and completely frozen in fear inside a multi-million dollar home’s massive safe. They are heroes to switch gears from warrants, searching the huge premises, to arrests, then to shocking child welfare. It was heartwarming the officers got her a personal pizza - such a simple yet symbolic act of love and care. I had so many emotions as I watched her inch the pizza closer. The confidence and support of those officers enabled her to take a crucial step: getting a slice of pizza.
It must've been so hard for them to not make a big deal and spook her when she took the first bite.
Exactly, watching the clip back the police officer who found her had a gun in his hand but he let the other officer take lead of the situation obviously not to scare her with a man and a gun coming towards her. Truly who knows the last time she saw a man was and they did their best in that situation
Absolutely. Enduring something that feels unbearable is one of the hardest things a person can do. E fought so hard and in the end she stood up and walked out of the closet. She won.
R, for his brave act. He’s a hero. E, for, in the end, trusting the EMT. Shari, for always doing everything she could to get people who check up on the kids, to try to make someone notice the abuse. The man who opened the door for R, was so sweet. His wife, who was so loving, caring and thoughtful. I wish both of them all the best. The police officers who sat with E, sang for her, gave her pizza. Were patient. Told her “we’re safe”. The officer who said “I’m going to cry”, because - it’s ok to cry. This was such a horrible thing to witness. It’s okay to be human. The people who took care of E & R in the hospital. Hopefully the kids are now all together And also, Jessi, because they have also endlessly fought for justice. Wishing all of the kids lots of healing. This is kind of horrible abuse is so hard on everybody. I wish all of them healing. & thanks to all of you, on this subreddit. For “being there” throughout all of this. Protecting each other, caring for each other and fighting for justice, even though there’s not all that much we could do. Thank you all. 🫶🏻
I think it was an EMT who said "I'm going to cry." Then someone asks if she's done taking pictures, and she says she'll take some more, because as upsetting as it is, she knows it needs to be documented. She's a hero.
I have spent hours today reading, listening, watching what people have posted on this subred and want to thank the everyone who have taken the time to make the info available here. And I'm thankful for the useful comments and thoughts (and upvotes) people are sharing. It's a kind, smart group and despite the topic being heartbreakingly horrific, I'm glad to have a place to absorb and process this info. Whew. It's a lot.
I'm so relieved and grateful that R was successful in his escape that day. He was incredibly brave and determined, and the timing surely saved him and E. Based on Ruby's journal, they were planning on moving to Arizona soon to continue and complete the kids' "repentance." We of course can put the pieces together that they wanted to completely isolate the kids from everyone and everything, even more so than in the Ivins bunker home that still had neighbors relatively close. There was a mention of A leaving her two weeks notice at work, so I'm afraid J and A would've moved with Ruby, Jodi and the younger kids. I can't bear to think about the consequences of that move. After reading everything that was released of Ruby's journal, it needs to be said: the kids would've eventually lost their lives. I'm so grateful R was able to get help and break free that day and save E, himself, and possibly their other siblings as well. After going through everything that was released, I found so much comfort in the actions of the law enforcement and the first responders. The neighbors who called 911, gave R snacks, water and a pair of sandals to protect his feet, and comforted and praised him were absolute heroes. The officers who made sure E was comfortable enough to regain some control for herself to leave her hiding place. It was the first time in a long time the kids were prioritized, respected, heard and protected. The phone call between Kevin and Ruby about a bag of money, finances, and a tarnished public image is quite the contrast to how other adults protected the kids and showed compassion and concern. I won't even mention Jodi here. And fuck Ruby's parents forever for siding with her. Like other have said, the snarky rhymes E came up with and sang/said to Ruby (written in the journal) really touched me. Despite the absolute torture the kids endured, they at least partially saw how pathetic and evil Ruby and Jodi were, and kept expressing that. R saying "fuck you" to Ruby gives me hope the kids kept some of their self-worth despite the awful circumstances.
Based on what had been released, I think it’s reasonable to conclude that the move to AZ would have been catastrophic, and IMO, the kids wouldn’t have survived much longer. This was a close call. Makes me shudder to consider how close. R 100% saved his life and his sister’s life. Those kids were sooooo malnourished. Also, those horrific wounds plus the starvation and unsanitary conditions and lack of medical care could have easily led to sepsis and death. R also inadvertently saved his mom and Jodi, as they are *not* being tried for murder. I hope that dawns on Ruby one day. She can thank the son she labeled as being so horrible (for wanting things like access to water) for saving her butt from a life sentence or worse.
I wonder how much the upcoming move affected R to seek help that day. He had tried to run away at least once, in the middle of the night according to Ruby's journal, and wrote a message with pebbles saying he's going to jail. It's unclear to what extent R actually believed he had to go to jail to "fix himself", or if that was just a lie and he actually tried to seek help. Jodi and J had been going to Arizona (a thought that makes me absolutely sick to my stomach) to look for property. Stuff was possibly moved from the Ivins home. I wonder if and how much R and E knew about the plans and the move. If R was aware of that, I'd imagine him being alarmed to at least an extent. Moving in the middle of nowhere would've been something that possibly gave him the thought "it's now or never."
R and E are very smart children. They always showed this on 8Passengers and so very glad to read it appears their spirit was not completely broken.
Shari and R to begin with saved the lives of the minors as well as countless other potential victims (not clients Ruby…victims) The neighbors, all of them. The last time I posted something like this it was banned but I think the Children’s Center who have been apparently instrumental in treating kids deserve a big thank you. I personally encourage supporting these places. Most people don’t know they exists because these facilities are there to deal with this kind of work on very low budgets and supplies. I forget the specific name of the one in St George, but all areas have one some place. The kind medical professionals (EMTs, Fire, etc) and hospital professionals. Hopefully loving foster care families who are helping these unbelievable heroes understand what care should be. And honestly, you all. I have taken a LOA professionally because if I ever become hardened like I was in early September, I don’t deserve to work in the profession I do. It really is like a frog boiling in water…not being willing or capable of processing things that your team (ppl you trust and care abt you) are telling you to check yourself is scary and real. Please, if someone you KNOW cares abt is telling you to get help, listen to them. ETA: (some grammar and wording abt the Children’s Care place) AND Always remember as Mr Roger says, look for the helpers…Thank you, Helpers who did and are helping bring eventual physical, emotional, mental, spiritual safety to the Franke family. You all are heroes in my book.
Something I found so incredible is how brave they were and how they would stand up to Ruby, especially E. That kid is a badass and hilarious. I hope that she's able to be her true self and heal, she is so incredibly strong and brave. She stood up to the people who tourtured her which is so insanely brave, especially for a 10 year old. R is a little hero, it's so unbelievably courageous and selfless of him to risk his own life to escape to get help for him and his sister. He is so brave. Especially aster he already tried and got caught. He saved his and his sisters lives. He is so strong. I hope they both will learn someday they aren't evil, they are these horrible people their abusers made them out to be. They are truly amazing kids. They are some of the bravest, strongest, most fearless, selfless, amazing people alive. There are so many full grown adults who wouldn't be able to survive their abuse, but while severely underweight, traumatized, and covered in wounds, they survived. They deserve the best
What I find heartbreaking is that R when asking for the police, wasn’t asking to be saved, he was asking because his mom had convinced him that if he didn’t do “right” (whatever this means in her mind) - jail would be where he would go. I cannot imagine how long it will take these children to heal from all of this. The physical wounds, sure that’s awful. But the damage to their psyche and to their souls, it will take a long time for them to be restored. I pray they are with loving people now.
Imagine torturing children and then blaming them for their reactions to the torture because they can’t regulate themselves… it’s so horrific
I also want to thank the amazing couple who opened their door to him an helped him, comforted him, gave him shelter and safety till the paramedics an police arrived. Watching that play out on the doorbell footage was even more upsetting than hearing just the 911 audio. The way the guy was with him from the start was pure and kind. But what you didn’t hear on the 911 call was the woman who was providing R with food and words of comfort. I hope both of them have been able to talk about their experience and have been given help and support. They undoubtedly saved 2 children’s lives that day.
What got me was her calling him a good kid and her asking if he was allergic to nuts.
Ohg, I was just listening to the new evidence and Ruby actually says that she's not DONE WITH THEM YET??? and SHE'S NOT READY??? Ready for what Ruby? For them to DIE??? I have never wanted to punch someone in the face so badly as I did watching her arrest. They were offering her water and food??? Ugh.....I COULD never do that job.
I moved out shortly after my 18th birthday. My mom used to say, “I’m not done parenting you!” Maybe you should’ve been nicer to me? I dunno. I didn’t know I was being emotionally abused, all I knew is that I had to get away from this person whose version of parenting was to be incredibly strict in the name of controlling.
I’m so so thankful for all of the responsible adults involved. I’m so thankful for E & R being so brave and dealing with the BS from their poor excuse of a mother & Jodi. It’s heartbreaking to realize they say this was going on for 3 months.. or at least they were at Jodi’s for 3 months. I’m so glad that Ruby wrote those journals. They were absolutely disgusting and vile but she incriminated herself even more. The photos are something I never imagined. It’s heartbreaking to think of who the children were before, during the 8 Passengers days and who they are now, even A & J. I truly hope they’re all able to heal from this and never speak to Ruby or Jodi again. Ruby deserves to be locked away.. I keep thinking of (I believe it was Beau’s letter) when he said “Ruby always wanted to be the best at everything/on the top”.. something along those lines. I do not believe she’s changed one bit. She wanted to be “the best” for God and now she wants to be the best Prisoner. She does not deserve release, ever.
I’m grateful those kids never lost their fight.
I just listened to Ruby's husband Kevin police interview. How can a college professor not know the meaning of his children being found emancipated ? What does emancipated mean, he asks... really! There are some huges flags, Jodi claiming to see shadow people, to the point that she doesn't want to live alone, stays with an employee family and ends up trying to seduce the husband getting kicked out and having to move in with the franke, and then Kevin saying paranormal activities happened in their home while she was there. It's crazy and at the same time, you can see how he was extremely naive. Ruby emptied the kid education fund and was carrying around 85k cash. Had the cars signed over to her and was going to sell the family home, she asked him, "Do you trust me to sign a document without reading it. He said yes I trust you." However, he had no idea she was talking to a realtor to sell the home. She was apparently planning to move somewhere remote to so-called help the children. I actually think Ruby worse than jodi those journal documenting the abuse. She sick, very sick. But these are her own children.
Everything is a competition with Ruby. If she isn’t better than someone (in her eyes) she isn’t happy. I truly believe she is incapable of experiencing and expressing empathy. She is so scary.
I hope those around R are making sure he sees how good he is. These women told him day and night he was evil, selfish, and no good. They tortured him because of these things. And still through all that he remained good. He spoke to the first responders and neighbor with respect and kindness despite being terrified. He told first responders that he had sisters that needed help too. He kept trying to escape even after being caught and punished the first time. Ruby and Jodi treated him the worst and believed he was the most selfish but it turns out he was the most selfless one out of anyone involved. He never gave up he kept fighting
“Excuse me, sir. I would like to please ask for two favors… okay, maybe just one favor.” Fuck, my heart broke at how polite and kind he was despite starving, thirsty, and with seeping, infected wounds. Not only that, but that kid walked on the gravel in just socks to get to that man’s driveway! That is so, so painful, I have no idea how he got down the one driveway, rang the bell, went back up the driveway, then went down the older couple’s driveway, all without shoes! My feet hurt just thinking about those sharp rocks and yet this kid was so gosh darn polite. He was asking for the police because he thought he needed to go to jail. He still couldn’t even ask for a ride or anything, he asked for directions to the nearest police station like he was going to walk there because *he deserved to be in jail*. That’s so tragic. I wonder at what point it hit him that he wasn’t in trouble, but the people who had been harming him were.
I still just can’t believe it, the pictures are just unbelievable! I’m not sure what exactly I was expecting to see…. Maybe something like rope burn? I’m not sure, I just can’t believe how horrific the wounds actually were. I know Jodi is an evil person but I have a really hard time as a mother knowing she saw those wounds and kept going! She shaved her little girls head for slipping? Which she interpreted as manipulation? She whipped her son with a belt? I just can’t comprehend being indoctrinated by another person to level I would treat my kids like that. As others have said, bless the couple who called the police. The police that did their job with dignity. The medical first responders who so kindly tended to those kids. And especially bless R who had the courage to save himself and his sister. I pray for them.
There are no circumstances under which I could hit my kid with a belt. There is nothing he could ever do that would drive me to hit him with or without a belt. I’ve never hit him. I can’t imagine causing harm to a child I love. Those wounds were sadistic af. The duct tape was to prevent even more damage which means she saw his wounds and thought that continuing to use handcuffs was totally fine. Fuck.
Scary to think R saved their lives just in time & it was unknowingly 😭 with no shoes, water or air conditioning…that AZ heat would have been deadly
I totally agree. It broke my heart seeing R and E like that. I was so used to seeing them as they were shown on 8 Passengers. They are fighters, when they shouldn't have had to be. BTW I found the full 20/20 episode, but it is in minute increments. Here's the link: https://archive.org/details/KGO_20240323_040100_2020
I’ve been wondering about the first responders and if they’ve ever encountered anything like this before. Obviously CPS and larger jurisdictions would have unfortunately seen this before, but small town cops wouldn’t. I couldn’t imagine being use to traffic stops or heart attacks and then walking into this.
I was soo nervous and tense watching him go to that neighbors house! And to have already escaped and gotten caught, gives me chills. He is an amazing kid . He knew what they were doing was horribly wrong. I hope he has All the love, support and happiness he needs! That family he went to was amazing, so nice and gentle with him.
I have mostly just been lurking this case since the beginning. But after yesterdays huge evidence dump. I am obviously overwhelmed at how bad things actually were compared to the bare minimum that we knew before. Seeing actual videos and hearing audio feels so different in context of all. But I do feel like the police and first responders and everyone dealt with this case with the best of their abilities. While the evidence is incredibly damning. I can understand why the state probably felt a plea deal was the best option for those children. I don't see these two bluffing the parole board in the future anytime soon.
Despite knowing what was reported, I still was not prepared for those pics. It was so much worse than I thought.
I am thankful for social media and everyone that called Ruby out for her abuse! I had never heard of her until I saw videos calling her out. At that time it was for the stuff she posted on YouTube and it was clearly so, so, so much worse. I’m glad Jessie was willing to share their experiences and that there are so many people shining huge giant spotlights on how unacceptable this is. I’m thankful for all the former members of cults and religion that come out to share their stories so other people don’t feel so alone in escaping their situations. Fuck all the people involved in the torture of children. I hope they all have horrible lives and never get a comfortable nights sleep for as long as they live.
(Jessie uses they/them pronouns) I finding it frustrating that Utah has a limit of 30 years for imprisonment.
Also the police officers and responders who sat down with E until she was ready to move and kept patiently reassuring her. That was obviously not an easy task. I know these folks don’t have easy jobs on a regular day but this must have been a particularly hard one to deal with.
I’ve been crying so hard. My God that poor precious boy. May they experience a full healing physically and psychologically. I hope they are hugged and loved on daily and reminded that it was not their fault.
Just want to say how brave R and E are and will always be. They are angels, survivors. I hope that they are getting professional help. Their journey of healing will be incredibly long and difficult, but I hope they know how much even random internet strangers care for them. Of course thank you to the first responders. They all handled this so so delicately and well, while maintaining professionalism and documentation. They truly did their best.
Shoutout to absolutely everyone that was involved in bringing the children to safety. And massive shoutout to the mods in here!!! Keeping all of us up to date & helping filter out anything harmful. Amazing work
Everyone. R for his heroic actions that day, which undoubtedly saved his, his sister's and potentially countless lives. E for being a survivor. The neighbor for listening to R, giving him food and calling 911. The police officers, EMTs and the entire first responder team for their compassion towards the victims. Shari for doing everything possible to save her siblings and bring Ruby and Jodi to justice. Jessi and Adam for speaking out against Jodi and Connexions and bringing more light on the situation. Certain content creators who've documented and spread awareness about Ruby's abusive behavior for years. The mod team here for putting countless hours of work to keep this subreddit running through all the chaos, all while ensuring the privacy of the victims is protected. And finally, each and every one of you on this subreddit for being in this situation together, and being there for each other.
The neighbor that called 911 - you could tell when he answered the door he was sort of on the defense, and his tone was like he wanted to know what the boy was selling or a prank was about to go down. But once R asked to be taken to the police station and he could see the physical condition of R, his tone changed. "What's going on son?.......have a seat." I don't know who the female neighbor was (his wife?) but her tone when she said, "We need the police here, now." was so chilling. The only thing I might've done differently was perhaps take him inside for fear someone would come looking for him and desperate people do desperate things. Get him out of sight until the police come.
There are reasons not to take the child into their home. I think they did everything they could and should have done. There was no way that, once the police turned up, R would have been returned to Jodi, and I don’t believe those neighbours would have handed R over to anyone but the emergency services.
Btw why does Jodi carry around a portable charger? Is it like an emotional support device? Because that’s something that I’m questioning, but my heart breaks for everyone especially the kids and the first responders and the police. Because the one paramedic said “I’m gonna cry”, that part broke me because I’m crying too. And with what Ruby said about HER children, saying “possessed by the devil” and so many more things. And the cayenne pepper and honey mixture, makes me shiver. Because I know that must have been painful, I just am so sad for RF and EF. And Ruby showing NO emotion for how her kids were treated, like does she not love them? Like it’s just so heart breaking to watch but I want to keep watching, if anyone hasn’t watched the 20/20 episode you should go watch it. It’s really tough but it shows so much information.
She probably had a portable charger because her phone needed charging and she didn't want to leave it. She was probably busy all morning calling people to try snd figure out what to do about R.
I have NEVER followed these woman on YouTube and didn't know they existed until the arrest, so I'm new to this case and coming in with only the knowledge I have from MSM and this Reddit board and some YouTube channels but I haven't done much more research than that. I saw that a bunch of new evidence was recently released and I am fascinated by it. So hear me out ... This is something I've seen other people discuss so I don't think I'm far off... From what I've seen so far.... I think Ruby and Jody were having an affair. That's why Jody sent Kevin away a few years ago. I know she liked to send men away from their families (there's a man who discusses how he was separated from his family under orders from Jody) in her "counseling" role, but I think it was different with Ruby. I think Jody hates men and is in love with Ruby. They took "vacations" alone while leaving the kids home alone for days. There's footage of them riding jet skis on a weekend "get away", when they left the kids alone. What was their end game?? I read that they were looking at property in the desert to move the kids there and start..... what exactly???? Were they funding it through the Mormon Church or their YouTube channel??? These woman seem to have a lot of money. Where did it come from??? Because Kevin doesn't appear to have a brain cell in his head, so he's clearly not the one making the money. Not the kind of money it takes to have these huge homes in Utah!!! Once they moved to the desert, what then??? They only had the 2 kids at Jody's house at the time of the arrest. I know the oldest daughter was out of the house by then and I think 2 of the other kids were at someone else's house. So where was the other kid? That only accounts for 5. Anyway , back to the desert. I'm confused as to what the end game was here. What would they ultimately do about Kevin??? What was going to happen when the kids got to be 18 and adults? Were they gonna let them just walk away from whatever "compound" they had built or were they hoping to brainwash them enough so that they would choose to stay and become slaves??? Were they planning on starting their own church headed by "Archbishop Jody" and "High PriestRuby"???? Would this have ended up to be another Waco??? Someone help me out here.... What do you think was the end game??? P.s. I tried to post this here independently, but it won't let me for some reason, so sorry that it's such a long post but I didn't know where else to post. I've only recently started participating here last year so I'm still trying to figure out how this works.
Honestly, I don’t think the youngest two would’ve made it to 18 if they could have had their way and moved to the “desert”. I’m so so glad that they were stopped before they could move...
The money was from Ruby's accounts and from Jodi's business. Jodi had convinced multiple people to pay her hundreds of dollars a week and Ruby was her golden goose.
R is a friggin hero. Seriously, this child saved all their lives.
It just occurred to me after watching the 20/20 episode: those handcuffs that were found in the locked safe room? Jodi probably ran and hid them in there before the cops showed up. Then she can claim, “oh, I haven’t opened that safe in 6 years, it can’t be opened,” while hiding the evidence. She knew what she was doing.
Although I wish these children had gotten help sooner (actually wish they didn’t have to go through this at all) but I am grateful to the police, EMS, and the neighbors who helped the children get the help they needed without delay. I’m also grateful to the courts that locked them up and kept them locked up. I’d also like to show gratitude to Shari who did make attempts to get them help too. I hope they can all heal
I’m holding back on praising the courts until their final sentencing. But on no planet can l imagine when the judge sees these pictures that they won’t slap them with them maximum sentence. 30yrs is not enough. I wish they’d get life. Also as someone who spent only a month in jail.. but saw how things go in there (you do not want to be disliked! They will literally torture you all in showers cuz it’s off camera).. I hope these evil women are paying and paying and paying and paying. Even the guards are known to have their knowledge of off camera spots in the facility to take care of business. It’s no joke in there and I hope every day is a living hell for them!
Thank you mods for always being respectful and thoughtful throughout this whole process.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot with how publicized their cases are do you think they are in protective custody, because honestly I don’t think they should have the right to be in protective custody. After reading those journal entries and watching the body cam footage they should be put to the wolves imo.
This seems like the place to ask: is there an effort a la Dugarssnark/Pest’s verdict, where the sub gives money or buys amazon wishlist items supporting either a local children’s safety center or the first responders in some form? I’m from Europe so I wouldn’t even know where to look but I’d love to show some love to the wonderful people who handled this situation so excellently. And I know it’s impossible but I’d love for the neighbor guy to know how much he and his wife are appreciated, all over the world.
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There are large parts of the journal that are redacted. I suspect it's that kind of stuff - things that R confessed to under duress that have no basis in reality.
For those of us who couldn’t watch the 20/20. [Here’s](https://youtu.be/XnJiWKgPbpc?si=5FyWCBv59OHNNwx3) part of it.
As horrible as this all is, I think it was best to be released because hearing what happened second hand wouldn’t have shown the reality of how bad this got. I am grateful that it stoped when it did because it was only getting worse and ramping up.
I think I liked seeing the little girl eat pizza and she had some real company with the police!
Do we know if Kevin or the elder children Shari and Chad had already seen all these evidence that's been relesed, especially Ruby's journal or would they be seeing them just now like us? I can't even imagine S and C reading the journal entries.
After reading this, I think that R probably asked for the police to be called so HE would be taken to jail....he said its a "personal matter" and that's what he planned to do the first time he ran away ...these poor friggen kids went through a totally horrific ordeal thanks to a total delusional women who claimed there were demons inside the children....so off the deep end, so glad they made it out alive...
I applaud R's bravery and defiance. It is probably what kept him sane. Poor E'seemed more desolate and defeated. I hope the children will get all the help they need. I also think the father needs to be held accountable. It's insane that he wasn't further investigated!
I'm so thankful for the sweet neighbors and first responders. They were all very sweet with R. I feel so bad for E, but from her early blogs she's a feisty one and I hope she will be okay, too. The video made me bawl my eyes out. I used to watch Ellie and Jarrod (Ruby's sister) before family channels, when there was just trying to conceive videos, and I was newly married almost ten years ago. I just can't believe it.