Curious Case of Jodi Hildebrandt to examine Ruby Franke partner’s “evil” abuse

❘ Published: 2025-02-10T13:27:44

Instagram: @moms_of_truth

The Curious Case of… is gearing up for its next episode, which will turn focus to the disturbing case of 8 Passengers vlogger Ruby Franke’s partner in crime, Jodi Hildebrandt.

A spinoff to The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, Investigation Discovery’s new true crime docu-series dives into six real-life stories of stranger-than-fiction events.

So far, we’ve seen deep dives into: Bam Margera and Lima Jevremovic; the girl who died twice, Mary Day; conman Nicholas Rossi; and funeral home fraudsters Jon and Carie Hallford.

Now, the series is turning attention to one of the biggest American true crime cases of the past two years. Warning: some may find this content distressing.

The Curious Case of Jodi Hildebrandt will expose “bizarre beliefs”

The Curious Case of Jodi Hildebrandt is set to explore her relationship with Mormon momfluencer Ruby Franke and the depths of their disturbing doctrines.

Both women are currently behind bars, having been sentenced to up to 60 years in prison back in February 2024 over child abuse charges.

Prior to this, Franke was known for sharing her family life on the 8 Passengers YouTube channel. Even before the arrest, she came under fire for the questionable disciplinary techniques she used on her six children.

However, this was just the tip of the iceberg. Although 8 Passengers died down, Hildebrandt and Franke struck up a relationship, launching a channel together in 2022 called ConneXions.

In 2023, Franke’s 12-year-old son Russel jumped out of a window and sought help from a neighbor, leading to a police investigation that uncovered the full extent of the abuse the pair had inflicted on a number of Franke’s children. They were both swiftly arrested, and are now locked up for their crimes.

While there have been a number of documentaries on the former vlogger, the new episode of The Curious Case of… is set to focus on Hildebrandt.

As per the synopsis: “Therapist Jodi Hildebrandt’s crusade against masturbation drives a wedge between couples in crisis. She forms a dark alliance with Mormon mommy vlogger Ruby Franke, but a horrifying 911 call exposes the depths of their bizarre beliefs.”

A teaser trailer for the episode sees an interviewee discussing the moment Hildebrandt moved in with Ruby and her now-ex-husband Kevin Franke.

Kevin says, “The moment she showed up at my house, the weirdest crap started happening. Lights turning on and off, sounds like footprints going up walls and across the ceiling.”

Another talking head states, “Jodi starts saying some shadowy figures are visiting her at night, or are after her. Jodi then starts asking Kevin Franke to help her perform exorcisms.”

“It was weird and I hated it, and I don’t have any way to explain it other than there’s some crazy sh*t going on,” adds Kevin.

The teaser has received a number of comments from viewers, with one describing Hildebrandt as “the face of evil”.

One thing that’s not highlighted in the trailer is whether or not the documentary will examine the nature of the relationship between Hildebrandt and Franke. However, daughter Shari Franke did express that there was something “strange” between them earlier this year.

In her new memoir, The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom, she alleges to have found messages on Ruby’s laptop “that confirmed for me the truth about the nature of her relationship with Jodi and how it had spilled over into the physical.

“Ruby, expressing her frustration about having to cater to Jodi’s needs for physical affection without getting anything in return.”