True Crime Vault: Ruby Franke: From Momfluencer to Felon

The Shocking Arrest and Initial Discoveries

The episode begins by setting a chilling scene: a 12-year-old boy, identified as R, appears at a neighbor's door in Ivins, Utah, on August 30, 2023. He is emaciated, covered in wounds, and has duct tape around his ankles and wrists. The neighbor, visibly distressed, immediately calls 911. The dispatcher notes the homeowner's voice cracking as he describes the boy's condition, highlighting the severity of the situation. R tells the homeowner that he just came from a neighbor's house and that his mother's name is Ruby Franke.

Within minutes, EMTs and officers arrive. Officer Pickyavich's body camera captures the initial assessment of R, who appears severely malnourished and injured. The boy's joints are abnormal, indicating malnutrition and insufficient food intake. He reveals that his mother, Ruby Franke, and another individual, Jodi Hildebrandt, bound his arms and feet to weights on the ground, restricting his movement. Later, detectives confirm that R was also handcuffed. R states he escaped by unlocking the handcuffs and exiting through a sliding glass door. His motivation for escaping? He was hungry and thirsty and saw an opportunity to leave.

Upon being treated, R informs officers that he has two siblings who he believes are still at the house. This immediately raises concerns about their well-being. The house R escaped from, however, does not belong to his mother, but to Jodi Hildebrandt. Ruby Franke, R's mother, is nowhere to be found at this initial stage.