They call themselves and their YouTube channel the “8 Passengers” — mom Ruby, dad Kevin, and their six kids in tow. By all appearances, they’re your stereotypical American Mormon family, but there’s something simmering under the surface. Loyal fans of the 8 Passengers page have been picking up on something startling over the years, and it’s not long before the genie is out of the bottle.

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You can listen to all episodes of The Rise and Fall of Ruby Franke ad-free on Wondery+. Find Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start Your free trial by visiting https://wondery.com/links/the-rise-and-fall-of-ruby-franke/ now. 

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Ruby Franke, a Utah mom turned YouTube “momfluencer” who amassed 2.6 million subscribers, was known for her strict disciplinarian parenting style. But authorities now say that her "tough love" was actually child abuse. Ruby Franke's son escaped from the Utah home of her self-help business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt. The boy was reportedly starved and tied up with duct tape along with his 10 year old sister. As law enforcement dug deeper, they uncovered injuries, torture, and emotional harm inflicted by both Franke and Hildebrandt. Law&Crime takes you behind the scenes, from Ruby and Jodi's path to internet stardom, to the investigation that brought them down. 

This 7-part series releases weekly on Mondays exclusively on Wondery+.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.