OMG. I hadn't really been following this, but I'm working on some crafty items today and listening to some YouTube things. I decided to get familiar with this 8 Passengers thing because it seems to be all over the legal YouTubes at this time and I thought I'd like to have an idea what it's about.
Turns out there is a serious Mormon connection, which none of the legal YouTubes seem to have come across. But it's knee deep steeped in Jodi Hildebrandt's version of Mormon combined with what I gather is normal Mormonism. Enough that she got away with things for quite a while.
There is a Mormon/Boy Scout (CSA)/State Legislature angle as well. I am including a rather lengthy video that wraps up the Mormon/CSA/Boy Scout angle rather well. Also including an interview with one of Jodi Hildebrandt's nieces. She is so well spoken and gives so many insights into her aunt's methods.
The first one may be triggering to victims of CSA. It's a difficult interview for the interviewee because he clearly is having a hard time throughout the interview. He and his father are responsible for increasing the statute of limitations for CSA in Idaho (Sorry, I originally had "Utah" and realized that was incorrect). The Mormon powers that be punished him and his father for speaking up about his abuse by Boy Scout leaders who were Mormon. He was even told that he would be personally responsible for ruining Boy Scouting if he told anyone about the abuse.
Edit: I should have mentioned - the first video, which is more than 5 hours long - gives much detail about the Mormon connection. The second one gives more insight as to the kind of things that Ruby Franke's children likely have suffered at the hands of her mother and Hildebrandt, who was her "business partner". The niece is convinced that her aunt was a great influence in how the Franke's treated their children. Oh, and the Franke's also "broke up". After listening to Adam's experience I suspect the breakup of the Franke marriage probably was encouraged the same way Adam's wife was convinced to leave him and then set him up for serious accusations regarding their own children. It's chilling.
Edit: I should have mentioned - the first video, which is more than 5 hours long - gives much detail about the Mormon connection. The second one gives more insight as to the kind of things that Ruby Franke's children likely have suffered at the hands of her mother and Hildebrandt, who was her "business partner". The niece is convinced that her aunt was a great influence in how the Franke's treated their children. Oh, and the Franke's also "broke up". After listening to Adam's experience I suspect the breakup of the Franke marriage probably was encouraged the same way Adam's wife was convinced to leave him and then set him up for serious accusations regarding their own children. It's chilling.
There was a lot of commentary on Twitter about how the one woman encouraged other women to become alienated from their spouses-isn't that a typical cult tactic?
Edit: I should have mentioned - the first video, which is more than 5 hours long - gives much detail about the Mormon connection. The second one gives more insight as to the kind of things that Ruby Franke's children likely have suffered at the hands of her mother and Hildebrandt, who was her "business partner". The niece is convinced that her aunt was a great influence in how the Franke's treated their children. Oh, and the Franke's also "broke up". After listening to Adam's experience I suspect the breakup of the Franke marriage probably was encouraged the same way Adam's wife was convinced to leave him and then set him up for serious accusations regarding their own children. It's chilling.
There was a lot of commentary on Twitter about how the one woman encouraged other women to become alienated from their spouses-isn't that a typical cult tactic?
Yes, it is. There can't be anyone between the cult leader and their followers. Hildebrandt even emotionally separated Ruby Franke from her own children. Both Hildrebrandt and Franke warned the police not to allow Franke's children around any other children because of how "bad" they are, they will pollute other children, etc. This is how Franke eventually came to view her children.
I wonder if baby Cyrus' parents follow Hildebrandt's methods of child rearing. The arrest came after Franke's 12 year old boy escaped out a window, ran to a neighbor, starving, and asked for food. He had duct tape still attached to his ankles or feet where he had been subdued and also had deep wounds from being tied up. But two things made me wonder if baby Cyrus parents are following Hildebrandt. One, she is highly recommended by higher ups in the Mormon community and her name gets passed around to people of the Mormon faith as someone from whom to learn parenting "skills" and "techniques". Also, the fact that Cyrus and Franke's child were emaciated. Hidebrandt clearly approves of withholding food as a punishment. Although Franke's YouTube channel has been taken down some of the YouTube that I listened to yesterday were playing some clips from her channel and it's surprising how many different situations she believed called for withholding food from her kids.
In Adam's video (the longer one) he talked about how many times he would meet men his age who were all separated or divorced and would make a comment about how they were recommended to this "crazy family therapist" and the next thing they knew they were divorced or on their way to a divorce. I do absolutely believe Hildebrandt is basically a cult leader.
8 Passengers - Ruby Franke - Jodi Hildebrandt
Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2023 12:17 pm
by Maclilly
Glad you started this thread. Can't wait to follow the trial. It is a dep rabbit hole for sure.
8 Passengers - Ruby Franke - Jodi Hildebrandt
Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2023 5:33 pm
by RVInit
yes, this case is really interesting. I had included links to Adam Steed's interview with the Mormon Stories podcast as well as Jodi's niece's interview. The Mormon Stories podcast received a court order to temporarily remove Adam Steed's interview and they were not at liberty to say why. Interestingly, they were not asked to remove the niece's interview. Both interviews include details of the interviewee's alleged experiences with Hildebrandt. I am not sure if other interviews with Adam Steed are ordered taken down. So, that link is currently broken. If they put the interview back up I will re-link it in another post. It is fascinating and I believe both Steed and the niece. Partly because I've also seen videos of Franke and Hildebrandt that they uploaded themselves that show how abusive (IMO) they both are. So when they are voluntarily demonstrating how whacked their own parenting ideas are, and others are corroborating those same things, it doesn't sound good for Hildebrandt.
What will be interesting is to find out exactly when Hildebrandt started influencing Franke and whether some of Franke's earlier 8 Passenger's videos where she is using extreme punishment were done before or after Hildebrandt started influencing her. The trial should be interesting.
8 Passengers - Ruby Franke - Jodi Hildebrandt
Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2023 6:29 pm
by Annrc
Thank you for sharing.
8 Passengers - Ruby Franke - Jodi Hildebrandt
Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2023 10:51 pm
by Tiredretiredlawyer
Smaclilly wrote: ↑Tue Oct 03, 2023 12:17 pm
Glad you started this thread. Can't wait to follow the trial. It is a dep rabbit hole for sure.
Hi, Smaclilly! Welcome aboard!
8 Passengers - Ruby Franke - Jodi Hildebrandt
Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2023 4:47 am
by Kriselda Gray
For anyone interested, I noticed tonight that Hulu has an "Impact x Nightline" episode about Ruby Franke that is now available for streaming. I don't know if the show is available anywhere else, though. I haven't really been following the case, so I haven't watched the episode yet, so I don't know if it's any good, but I thought I'd at least mention it's there.
8 Passengers - Ruby Franke - Jodi Hildebrandt
Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2023 12:20 pm
by RVInit
Kriselda Gray wrote: ↑Fri Oct 06, 2023 4:47 am
For anyone interested, I noticed tonight that Hulu has an "Impact x Nightline" episode about Ruby Franke that is now available for streaming. I don't know if the show is available anywhere else, though. I haven't really been following the case, so I haven't watched the episode yet, so I don't know if it's any good, but I thought I'd at least mention it's there.
ABC News
MARK GUARINO
December 16, 2023 at 5:33 PM
For the first time since her arrest, Ruby Franke and her attorney have broken their silence regarding her criminal charges. The popular YouTube celebrity who is charged with several counts of aggravated child abuse said through her attorney LaMar Winward on Saturday that she will plead guilty to the charges against her Monday at the Washington County 5th District Court in Utah.
ABC News
MARK GUARINO
December 16, 2023 at 5:33 PM
For the first time since her arrest, Ruby Franke and her attorney have broken their silence regarding her criminal charges. The popular YouTube celebrity who is charged with several counts of aggravated child abuse said through her attorney LaMar Winward on Saturday that she will plead guilty to the charges against her Monday at the Washington County 5th District Court in Utah.
She will likely get a sweet deal to testify against her sidekick. She made very clear to blame Jodi Hildebrandt for everything. I think all of her videos from 8 passengers have been removed, but she was pretty far down the path of child abuse before ever getting involved with Hildebrandt. But I agree that Hildebrandt is a special piece of work as far as abusers are concerned.
Edit: I should have mentioned - the first video, which is more than 5 hours long - gives much detail about the Mormon connection. The second one gives more insight as to the kind of things that Ruby Franke's children likely have suffered at the hands of her mother and Hildebrandt, who was her "business partner". The niece is convinced that her aunt was a great influence in how the Franke's treated their children. Oh, and the Franke's also "broke up". After listening to Adam's experience I suspect the breakup of the Franke marriage probably was encouraged the same way Adam's wife was convinced to leave him and then set him up for serious accusations regarding their own children. It's chilling.
There was a lot of commentary on Twitter about how the one woman encouraged other women to become alienated from their spouses-isn't that a typical cult tactic?
Yes, it is. There can't be anyone between the cult leader and their followers. Hildebrandt even emotionally separated Ruby Franke from her own children. Both Hildrebrandt and Franke warned the police not to allow Franke's children around any other children because of how "bad" they are, they will pollute other children, etc. This is how Franke eventually came to view her children.
I wonder if baby Cyrus' parents follow Hildebrandt's methods of child rearing. The arrest came after Franke's 12 year old boy escaped out a window, ran to a neighbor, starving, and asked for food. He had duct tape still attached to his ankles or feet where he had been subdued and also had deep wounds from being tied up. But two things made me wonder if baby Cyrus parents are following Hildebrandt. One, she is highly recommended by higher ups in the Mormon community and her name gets passed around to people of the Mormon faith as someone from whom to learn parenting "skills" and "techniques". Also, the fact that Cyrus and Franke's child were emaciated. Hidebrandt clearly approves of withholding food as a punishment. Although Franke's YouTube channel has been taken down some of the YouTube that I listened to yesterday were playing some clips from her channel and it's surprising how many different situations she believed called for withholding food from her kids.
In Adam's video (the longer one) he talked about how many times he would meet men his age who were all separated or divorced and would make a comment about how they were recommended to this "crazy family therapist" and the next thing they knew they were divorced or on their way to a divorce. I do absolutely believe Hildebrandt is basically a cult leader.
I wonder if baby Cyrus' parents follow Hildebrandt's methods of child rearing.
While Ammon still claimed in his recent video, Cyrus had either cyclical vomiting syndrome; a protein issue; a food allergy; or only needed mothers milk (It varies)..........Marissa posted a year ago that he has/had a Mitochondrial disorder. She is also aware that untreated is could have caused other organs to shut down. A bit of snark that the Drs at St Lukes or the others didn't know this, bad hospital.... Only took a few months in FL. and lot's of vitamin supplements.
8 Passengers - Ruby Franke - Jodi Hildebrandt
Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2023 5:39 am
by sugar magnolia
pipistrelle wrote: ↑Tue Sep 19, 2023 8:25 am
In Adam's video (the longer one) he talked about how many times he would meet men his age who were all separated or divorced and would make a comment about how they were recommended to this "crazy family therapist" and the next thing they knew they were divorced or on their way to a divorce. I do absolutely believe Hildebrandt is basically a cult leader.
Gah. Bad memories. My husband's asshole brother recommended some church-affiliated therapist that followed some book on relationships. We hit a rough spot with his undiagnosed mental issues and his brother was convinced I was the root of all evil, not the panic attacks and depression. This is the same brother who told him a week before our wedding that he was making the worst mistake of his life. This from a man who is in the process of divorcing his fifth wife as we speak. My husband and I will be married 40 years in about 2 weeks. The therapist told him the only way his life would be fulfilled is if he left me (and our 3 kids) and quit letting me control him and make decisions in our relationship. He also sold him a stack of books that explained everything. Yeah, no. I gave him one month to make and keep an appointment with a doctor and do whatever he said to. He found a psychiatrist that he still sees 25 years later. He tried to get off the meds twice over the next few years and I could absolutely tell by the second week. He continued to see the counselor for another month or so until he decided on his own that was doing nothing but harm. He spent about 6 months listening to this guy tell him that his life would be rainbows and glitter if he left me. He came home and threw the books away and we haven't looked back.
I'm pretty convinced that any "therapy" or "counseling" that involves buying books or tapes or whatever to follow the path is a crock of shit.
8 Passengers - Ruby Franke - Jodi Hildebrandt
Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2023 8:34 am
by bill_g
I'm happy yall made it through the rough parts still together Sugar. That stuff can get bumpy and ugly. My sister's adult daughter got religion and suddenly couldn't talk to her mother anymore. It's been going on for two years. I don't have any details on what group got their hooks into my niece and her husband.
8 Passengers - Ruby Franke - Jodi Hildebrandt
Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2023 8:44 am
by pipistrelle
I'm fascinated that red alert buttons don't go off when someone tries to separate you from friends and family, and especially your spouse. I'd be asking why. At heart I'm a skeptic.
8 Passengers - Ruby Franke - Jodi Hildebrandt
Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2023 9:59 am
by bill_g
Charismatics are dangerous that way.
8 Passengers - Ruby Franke - Jodi Hildebrandt
Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2023 1:55 pm
by RVInit
Jodi Hildebrandt was recommended to members of the LDS church specifically because her brand of counseling fell in line with the basic values, beliefs, and attitudes of the LDS church. I do not mean that the LDS church condones the specifics of what she was doing, I think that they agreed with her basic "take" on it. So, when she would advise the husbands that each of them were dangerous to their families because they may have masturbated or thought about it, or looked at pornography or thought about looking at pornography. All of those things are considered very bad by the LDS church. So, the husbands were primed for it. She took it much further, but they really didn't question the separations because she was basing it on things they already knew to be highly sinful.
In addition to separating men from their families, Jodi had a history of manipulating parents into giving her their children so she could discipline them, because, of course, they were also "doing sinful things" and again, because she was recommended by LDS bishops, her tactics were not questioned. Really sad.
And just like when some of the truths about Tim Ballard started coming out, the LDS church backed away from him, they are also backing away from Jodi Hildebrandt. Seems like as long as these things aren't in the news they don't worry so much about it, even when people are telling them. But when it starts hitting the newspapers and people are connecting these bad actors with the LDS church, and rightly so because the LDS church was actively promoting both of them, well, now it's a problem for them.
8 Passengers - Ruby Franke - Jodi Hildebrandt
Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2023 2:10 pm
by RVInit
Ruby Franke is pleading guilty to 4 counts of aggravated child abuse. The other two counts are dropped. She will serve prison terms. Technically, 1 - 15 years per count, but that is flexible. Also, her sentences for each of the four counts will be served consecutively, not concurrently. She will also testify against Jodi Hildebrandt.
8 Passengers - Ruby Franke - Jodi Hildebrandt
Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2023 6:58 pm
by RVInit
Oh, wow. I am going to include a warning here. This video includes a reading of the four charges to which Ruby Franke has pleaded guilty today. It includes some of the details of the specific abuses and tortures the two younger children were subjected to. The four charges are for the two youngest children.
Warning: the details that are included here are difficult to hear. I was actually surprised, had no idea these two young children were subjected to anything quite as cruel as what happened to them. The details start partway through, so you could listen to just the basic description of the four counts and then stop the video when it gets tot he details.
8 Passengers - Ruby Franke - Jodi Hildebrandt
Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2023 7:33 pm
by Resume18
RVInit wrote: ↑Mon Dec 18, 2023 6:58 pm
Oh, wow. I am going to include a warning here. This video includes a reading of the four charges to which Ruby Franke has pleaded guilty today. It includes some of the details of the specific abuses and tortures the two younger children were subjected to. The four charges are for the two youngest children.
Warning: the details that are included here are difficult to hear. I was actually surprised, had no idea these two young children were subjected to anything quite as cruel as what happened to them. The details start partway through, so you could listen to just the basic description of the four counts and then stop the video when it gets tot he details.
Yeah, you don't understand; the kids were possessed and needed to repent.
RVInit wrote: ↑Mon Dec 18, 2023 6:58 pm
Oh, wow. I am going to include a warning here. This video includes a reading of the four charges to which Ruby Franke has pleaded guilty today. It includes some of the details of the specific abuses and tortures the two younger children were subjected to. The four charges are for the two youngest children.
Warning: the details that are included here are difficult to hear. I was actually surprised, had no idea these two young children were subjected to anything quite as cruel as what happened to them. The details start partway through, so you could listen to just the basic description of the four counts and then stop the video when it gets tot he details.
Yeah, you don't understand; the kids were possessed and needed to repent.
FFS, what's wrong with these people?
I knew they were going to be bad when after this broke I saw a TikTok video she did where she's hoping her kid (5?) who forgot her lunch won't get fed at school.Starving a kid for being a kid.
And just like when some of the truths about Tim Ballard started coming out
His movie was all the rage, talked about non stop, but nary a peep about the truths. I'm just shocked, shocked I tells ya.
I think Vice is the only media that is really covering this. Aside from that pretty much only the former Mormon YouTubers are covering it. They are frustrated that more of the Utah media are not reporting it. It's probably because the LDS church was promoting Tim Ballard so vociferously and now he's an embarrassment to them, mums the word.
8 Passengers - Ruby Franke - Jodi Hildebrandt
Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2023 4:53 pm
by terrastomp
8 Passengers - Ruby Franke - Jodi Hildebrandt
Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2023 10:24 pm
by RVInit
Jodi Hildebrandt has also taken a plea deal. Ruby Franke had agreed to testify against her. Their plea deals are almost identical with the exception of some of the wording indicating that prosecutors believed Hildebrandt to be more culpable than Franke.
Prosecutors also agreed to stay neutral with regard to any Pardon and Parole board hearings as to Rube Franke only. They made no such agreement with Hildebrandt.
The 11 year old boy is lucky to have survived. She admitted to having deprived him of water for the several days he was forced to be outside in the heat at her house in the desert. no shade. These abuses took place between May and August, so we are talking about severe heat.
Thanks!
And just like when some of the truths about Tim Ballard started coming out 
