The internet has been waiting for the Ruby Franke book for a long time. Well, not a "book" in the traditional sense of a glossy memoir you’d pick up at an airport bookstore, but the actual, raw words of a woman who went from being a multi-millionaire YouTube parenting icon to a convicted child abuser. When the Washington County Attorney’s Office released hundreds of pages of Ruby Franke’s personal journals and documents in early 2024, it served as a brutal, unfiltered manuscript of a descent into madness. People call it the 8 Days of Hell. It isn't a story of a mistake. It is a terrifying look at how someone can use "truth" and "principles" to justify the unthinkable.
Honestly, reading through these entries is nauseating. You’ve seen the headlines, but the depth of the delusion is something else entirely. It’s not just about a woman who lost her way. It’s about a systematic, ideological brainwashing that occurred under the influence of Jodi Hildebrandt and the Connexions program.
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The Ruby Franke Book That No One Expected
When we talk about a Ruby Franke book, we’re mostly talking about the digital and physical evidence used in the criminal case. This includes her handwritten journals from July and August 2023. These aren't just diaries. They are a record of what she perceived as a spiritual war. She wasn't just "disciplining" her children; in her mind, she was "saving" their souls.
She wrote with a chilling level of detachment.
The journals detail specific dates where she describes her children as "manipulative" or "possessed by spirits." It’s a far cry from the "8 Passengers" vlogs where she’d complain about a kid forgetting their lunch. Here, she’s documenting days of starvation and physical labor in the desert sun. One of the most haunting aspects of the journals is her handwriting—it’s neat. It’s organized. It shows a person who was completely convinced that her actions were not only legal but divinely mandated.
Why the Connexions Influence Matters
You can't understand the content of these journals without looking at Jodi Hildebrandt. Hildebrandt was the licensed therapist who founded Connexions Classroom. She preached a brand of "Truth" that was essentially a high-control group environment. Ruby didn't just stumble into this. She sought it out.
The journals reveal how Ruby had completely outsourced her moral compass to Jodi. If Jodi said a child was lying, Ruby believed it. If Jodi suggested that "pain is a teacher," Ruby applied it. This wasn't a sudden snap. It was a slow, agonizing erosion of maternal instinct. Experts in cult behavior, like Steven Hassan, often point to this kind of "thought reform" as a way to bypass a person's natural empathy. In Ruby's writing, empathy is treated as a weakness. A sin.
Basically, she thought being a "good mother" meant being a prison warden.
The Reality of the "8 Days of Hell"
The media dubbed the final period before the arrest as the "8 Days of Hell." This refers to the specific window in late August 2023 where the abuse reached its peak at Jodi Hildebrandt’s home in Ivins, Utah.
Ruby's journal entries from this time are a fever dream of religious fanaticism. She describes one of her children as being "under the influence of the devil." She writes about them having to stand in the sun for hours. She mentions "the wall." It’s a specific type of punishment where the child had to stand facing a wall for days on end.
- July 10, 2023: Ruby writes about her daughter being "full of pride."
- July 18, 2023: She describes a "fast" that was actually forced starvation.
- August 2023: The entries become increasingly focused on "exorcising" the children's "evil" through physical suffering.
It’s dark. It’s heavy. And it’s a warning about how easily "self-help" can morph into "self-destruction."
The Legal Aftermath and the Public Record
Some people wonder if there will ever be a formal, published Ruby Franke book—a memoir written from prison. Currently, Franke is serving four consecutive sentences of one to 15 years. Under Utah law, the "Son of Sam" statutes generally prevent criminals from profiting from their crimes. This means if she ever did write a formal book, the proceeds would likely go to her victims—her own children.
The 400+ pages of evidence released by prosecutors are currently the only "book" we have. It contains photos of the duct tape used on the children, images of the "panic room" environment, and the letters Ruby wrote to her husband, Kevin Franke, who has since filed for divorce.
The documents show a woman who was obsessed with her own "perfection." She wasn't just trying to fix her kids; she was trying to curate a version of reality where she was a martyr.
Digital Footprints and the "Mommy Blogger" Trap
The Ruby Franke case changed how we look at the "mommy vlogger" industry. For years, people watched "8 Passengers" and saw red flags. The "No Lunch" incident. The "Taking Away the Bed" incident. But because it was wrapped in a package of Mormon family values and high production quality, people looked away.
The journals prove that the online persona was a total lie. While she was posting about "Truth" on Instagram, she was living a nightmare. This discrepancy is what makes the "Ruby Franke book" (the evidence files) so vital for digital literacy. It proves that what you see on a 16:9 screen is often a carefully constructed facade designed to hide the most uncomfortable truths.
How to Access the Actual Information
If you are looking for the actual primary sources—the real "book" of evidence—you don't need to buy anything. Most of it is public record.
- Washington County Attorney’s Office: They released the bulk of the investigative files in early 2024.
- Court Transcripts: These provide context for the journals and explain the plea deals.
- Police Bodycam Footage: This visual "book" shows the moment the children were found and the state of the Hildebrandt home.
It is important to approach this material with caution. It is graphic. It is disturbing. But for those studying the intersection of social media fame and psychological manipulation, it is essential reading.
Identifying High-Control Groups
The biggest takeaway from the Ruby Franke story isn't just about one family. It’s about how "principles" can be weaponized. If you or someone you know is involved in a group that demands you cut off family, labels children as "inherently evil," or insists that "pain is the only way to truth," those are massive red flags.
Ruby’s journals show how she slowly cut off her parents, her siblings, and eventually her own husband. She was isolated. And in that isolation, the abuse thrived.
Actionable Insights for Digital Consumers
The Ruby Franke case is a tragedy, but it offers a brutal education in discernment. To avoid the traps that led to this situation, consider these steps:
Question "Absolute Truth" Platforms. Any creator claiming they have the only way to parent or live is a risk. Real growth is nuanced. It isn't found in a $5,000 "Connexions" seminar.
Audit Your Influencer Intake. If a creator’s lifestyle seems too perfect, or if they frequently "discipline" their children for the camera, stop watching. Attention is the currency that funded Ruby's lifestyle for a decade. By withdrawing attention from exploitative "family" channels, you reduce the incentive for parents to use their children for content.
Understand the "Son of Sam" Laws. If a book does eventually hit the shelves with Ruby’s name on it, verify where the money is going. Supporting the victims is the priority; fueling the notoriety of the perpetrator is the danger.
Monitor Parental Control Content. The shift from "parenting advice" to "parental control" is a slippery slope. True parenting is about building a relationship, not breaking a will. If a system teaches you that your child is an "enemy" or a "liar" by nature, walk away immediately.
The real Ruby Franke book isn't a story of redemption. It’s a cautionary tale about what happens when we stop listening to our hearts and start listening to extremists who claim to speak for God. The journals are closed now, but the lessons they contain are permanently etched into the public record.
If you are looking for the evidence files, they are hosted on various public records repositories and through major news outlets like KSL and the Salt Lake Tribune, which have archived the hundreds of pages of journal entries for public scrutiny. Read them to understand the psychology of control, but remember that behind every page of "Truth" Ruby wrote, there was a child suffering in silence. That is the only fact that truly matters.