Malevolent Mormon Mommys | The Case Against Ruby Franke & Jodi Hildebrandt

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Dive into the shadowed intersection of faith and deception with "Malevolent Mormon Mommys." This riveting podcast unravels the startling allegations against Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt, once celebrated figures in mommy blogging and the Mormon community. Beyond their picture-perfect online personas lay dark secrets waiting to be exposed. Through in-depth reporting, exclusive interviews with investigators, police, and psychologists, we confront the unsettling truths hidden behind their devout façades. Explore the intricacies of the digital age, the complexities of religious influence, and the psychology of deception. In a world where faith meets facade, "Malevolent Mormon Mommys" challenges perceptions and unveils a tale of betrayal, prompting the ultimate question: How well do we truly know the faces we trust? Subscribe and uncover a story that redefines the lines between belief and betrayal.

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    JAN 22

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    1 min
  2. Kevin Franke and Kendall Seymour: Two LDS Dads, Two Doomsday Wives, Same Excuse

    JAN 31

    Kevin Franke and Kendall Seymour: Two LDS Dads, Two Doomsday Wives, Same Excuse

    You know Ruby Franke's case. The 8 Passengers mom who tortured her children while her husband Kevin lived separately and "trusted" her completely. He hadn't seen his kids in over a year when his son escaped through a window. Now there's another case. Elleshia Seymour—also LDS, also Utah—allegedly took her four children to Croatia based on TikTok prophecies about Salt Lake being destroyed. Her ex-husband Kendall says he had no idea she'd fallen into doomsday beliefs. The kids ended up in a state-run orphanage. An eight-year-old triggered his own rescue by telling a stranger to Google his name. Two fathers. Same church. Same state. Same answer when asked how this happened: "I didn't know." Kevin Franke's son climbed out a window. Kendall Seymour's son used a stranger's phone. The children recognized danger and found a way out. The fathers trusted, provided, gave space, and stayed oblivious. When apocalyptic thinking is your baseline, you don't recognize when someone crosses the line. But the kids do. #KevinFranke #RubyFranke #8Passengers #KendallSeymour #ElleshiaSeymour #JodiHildebrandt #LDS #Mormon #TrueCrime #DevilInTheFamily Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

    23 min
  3. Kevin Franke: Manipulated Victim or Willing Bystander? The Psychology Behind ‘Devil in the Family’ | 2025 True Crime

    JAN 4

    Kevin Franke: Manipulated Victim or Willing Bystander? The Psychology Behind ‘Devil in the Family’ | 2025 True Crime

    Was Kevin Franke a victim of psychological manipulation — or a bystander who found it easier not to look too closely? In this gripping Hidden Killers deep dive, Tony Brueski and psychotherapist Shavaun Scott analyze one of the most troubling dynamics explored in Hulu’s Devil in the Family: a father who insists he never recognized the abuse happening under his own roof.The episode begins with the psychology of Kevin’s denial. How does a spouse convince themselves that extreme parenting is “discipline” rather than danger? Shavaun Scott breaks down the mechanisms of thought-reform, coercive influence, and the slow erosion of intuition. And then the most haunting question of all: what makes a father step away from his own children for an entire year because an outside “guru” told him to?But the story doesn’t end with the collapse of the Franke family. Kevin recently announced his engagement, just six months after finalizing his divorce from Ruby — who is now serving a possible 30-year prison sentence for aggravated child abuse. The public reaction has been split: is this healing, deflection, or strategic rebranding?Tony and Shavaun examine the psychology of rapid re-partnering after trauma, the desire to rewrite personal identity, and the fine line between moving forward and bypassing accountability. We also explore Kevin’s recent support of Utah’s new “child influencer” law — a step toward protecting children exploited in monetized online content. His testimony was powerful, but does it reconcile the years he stood behind a camera while harmful parenting was broadcast to millions?This episode asks the hardest questions: Was Kevin controlled — or complicit? Is he rebuilding — or rebranding? And what does accountability look like for the children who had no choice?#KevinFranke #RubyFranke #8Passengers #HiddenKillers #PsychologicalAbuse #DevilInTheFamily #ParentalAccountability #TrueCrimeAnalysis #TonyBrueski #ShavaunScottWant to comment and watch this podcast as a video?Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

    30 min
  4. The Therapist Behind Ruby Franke: Inside Netflix's "Evil Influencer" Documentary-WEEK IN REVIEW

    12/21/2025

    The Therapist Behind Ruby Franke: Inside Netflix's "Evil Influencer" Documentary-WEEK IN REVIEW

    Netflix's new documentary "Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story" drops December 30th, and it finally shifts the focus to where it belongs — not on Ruby Franke, but on the woman Ruby herself blamed for leading her into what she called "a dark delusion."Jodi Hildebrandt wasn't just Ruby's business partner. She was a licensed mental health counselor with a documented history of ethical violations, a pattern of isolating clients from their families, and an ideology that former clients say destroyed marriages and lives for nearly two decades before she ever met Ruby Franke. In 2012, her license was put on probation for disclosing confidential patient information without consent. The LDS Church removed her from their referral list. And she just kept going — rebranding as a "life coach" and building ConneXions into an online empire targeting vulnerable people within the Mormon community.Former clients described the same playbook over and over: separate spouses, pathologize normal behavior as addiction, cut off anyone who questions her, position herself as the only source of truth. One therapist who trained under her said publicly, "I believe she is evil. I don't say that lightly."Then Ruby Franke entered the picture. And things escalated to levels that would shock even seasoned investigators — duct tape, rope, cayenne pepper in open wounds, children forced to believe they deserved the torture they were receiving.Both women pleaded guilty to aggravated child abuse. Both were sentenced to four to thirty years. But the only reason any of this came to light is because a twelve-year-old boy climbed out a window and asked a stranger for help. A child had to save himself because every system that should have protected him failed. That's the real story here.#JodiHildebrandt #RubyFranke #EvilInfluencer #Netflix #TrueCrime #8Passengers #Documentary #ConneXions #MomsOfTruth #ChildAbuseWant to comment and watch this podcast as a video?Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

    23 min
  5. The Therapist Behind Ruby Franke: Inside Netflix's "Evil Influencer" Documentary

    12/19/2025

    The Therapist Behind Ruby Franke: Inside Netflix's "Evil Influencer" Documentary

    Netflix's new documentary "Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story" drops December 30th, and it finally shifts the focus to where it belongs — not on Ruby Franke, but on the woman Ruby herself blamed for leading her into what she called "a dark delusion."Jodi Hildebrandt wasn't just Ruby's business partner. She was a licensed mental health counselor with a documented history of ethical violations, a pattern of isolating clients from their families, and an ideology that former clients say destroyed marriages and lives for nearly two decades before she ever met Ruby Franke. In 2012, her license was put on probation for disclosing confidential patient information without consent. The LDS Church removed her from their referral list. And she just kept going — rebranding as a "life coach" and building ConneXions into an online empire targeting vulnerable people within the Mormon community.Former clients described the same playbook over and over: separate spouses, pathologize normal behavior as addiction, cut off anyone who questions her, position herself as the only source of truth. One therapist who trained under her said publicly, "I believe she is evil. I don't say that lightly."Then Ruby Franke entered the picture. And things escalated to levels that would shock even seasoned investigators — duct tape, rope, cayenne pepper in open wounds, children forced to believe they deserved the torture they were receiving.Both women pleaded guilty to aggravated child abuse. Both were sentenced to four to thirty years. But the only reason any of this came to light is because a twelve-year-old boy climbed out a window and asked a stranger for help. A child had to save himself because every system that should have protected him failed. That's the real story here.#JodiHildebrandt #RubyFranke #EvilInfluencer #Netflix #TrueCrime #8Passengers #Documentary #ConneXions #MomsOfTruth #ChildAbuseWant to comment and watch this podcast as a video?Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

    23 min
  6. Ruby Franke & Jodi Hildebrandt: The Cult of “Righteous” Abuse

    10/21/2025

    Ruby Franke & Jodi Hildebrandt: The Cult of “Righteous” Abuse

    What happens when faith turns into fanaticism — and motherhood turns into control? In this searing Hidden Killers commentary, Tony Brueski unpacks the disturbing psychology behind Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt, the duo whose “spiritual discipline” of children became a criminal horror show.Ruby’s journey from YouTube mom to convicted abuser isn’t just about narcissism — it’s about moral addiction. She craved righteousness the way others crave power, and Jodi knew exactly how to feed that need. Together they built a belief system where cruelty became holiness, obedience became worship, and children paid the price.Tony explores the cult-like dynamic between leader and follower, the shared delusion (folie à deux) that turned ideology into torture, and the deeper question of why authoritarian faith systems flourish online.This is the story of how conviction curdles into control — and how easily “doing good” becomes the justification for doing harm.#RubyFranke #JodiHildebrandt #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #8Passengers #TrueCrimePodcast #ReligiousAbuse #ParentingGoneWrong #CultPsychology #UtahCrimeWant to comment and watch this podcast as a video?Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

    14 min
  7. Engaged Already? Kevin Franke’s Fresh Start After Ruby’s Prison Sentence

    10/13/2025

    Engaged Already? Kevin Franke’s Fresh Start After Ruby’s Prison Sentence

    Kevin Franke says redemption is real. He just announced he’s engaged to a new partner, just six months after finalizing his divorce from Ruby Franke — the former “8 Passengers” mommy blogger now serving a possible 30-year sentence for aggravated child abuse.In this episode of Hidden Killers, we’re digging into what this “fresh start” really means — not just for Kevin, but for the children who lived under a camera, inside a home built on discipline, doctrine, and denial.Kevin was never charged in Ruby’s criminal case. The two had separated before her arrest in 2023. But he was there for the rise of the YouTube family empire — a channel that broadcast strict, often disturbing parenting choices as content. And while Ruby ultimately took the fall with her counselor-turned-co-conspirator Jodi Hildebrandt, Kevin’s role in normalizing the platform is still under scrutiny.Now, he’s trying to course-correct. He supported Utah’s new “child influencer” law — requiring that kids in monetized content receive protected earnings and the right to have their footage pulled as adults. His testimony was powerful. But does it erase the years he spent behind the camera?This segment unpacks the psychology of quick re-partnering after trauma, the legal line between enabling and accountability, and why moving on isn’t the same as making it right. We examine the public push for “redemption,” and ask the hard question: is this genuine healing — or a quiet rebranding campaign?It’s not about punishing a man for starting over. It’s about asking what real accountability looks like when the kids didn’t get a choice.#KevinFranke #RubyFranke #8Passengers #TrueCrime #ChildAbuseAwareness #YouTubeFamily #HiddenKillers #FamilyVloggers #PsychologicalAbuse #ParentalAccountability #RedemptionArc #SocialMediaLawWant to comment and watch this podcast as a video?Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

    15 min
  8. From YouTube Mom to Felon-What Led to Ruby and Kevin Franke’s Divorce

    03/27/2025

    From YouTube Mom to Felon-What Led to Ruby and Kevin Franke’s Divorce

    From YouTube Mom to Felon-What Led to Ruby and Kevin Franke’s DivorceRuby Franke, once known as the strict but smiling matriarch of the 8 Passengers YouTube channel, is now serving a prison sentence for aggravated child abuse. In this gripping episode, we dive deep into the court documents, police bodycam footage, and the real-life consequences of a parenting philosophy that spiraled into criminal behavior. We walk through the collapse of Ruby and Kevin Franke’s marriage, the finalization of their divorce in March 2025, and the disturbing details of the abuse that unfolded behind closed doors — far from the picture-perfect family they shared online.Through verified sources and firsthand records, we unpack how Kevin Franke, Ruby’s husband of 23 years, was systematically pushed out of the home under the direction of controversial therapist Jodi Hildebrandt. We explore how Ruby and Jodi’s ConneXions parenting model took over the household, leading to extreme punishments, child isolation, and eventually, a criminal case that shocked the nation. Kevin’s role, his regrets, and his emotional police interview shed light on how one of the internet’s most-watched families became one of its most tragic stories.This episode is a must-listen for anyone searching for the latest updates on the Ruby Franke case, the truth behind the 8 Passengers channel, and how online fame, faith, and power can twist into something truly dangerous. Whether you're here for the facts or the fallout, we give you a clear, factual, and human account of one of the most disturbing family influencer scandals in recent memory.  #RubyFranke #8Passengers #TrueCrimePodcast  Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tjFollow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.comThe latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK’s Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, The Menendez Brothers: Quest For Justice, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

    30 min
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About

Dive into the shadowed intersection of faith and deception with "Malevolent Mormon Mommys." This riveting podcast unravels the startling allegations against Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt, once celebrated figures in mommy blogging and the Mormon community. Beyond their picture-perfect online personas lay dark secrets waiting to be exposed. Through in-depth reporting, exclusive interviews with investigators, police, and psychologists, we confront the unsettling truths hidden behind their devout façades. Explore the intricacies of the digital age, the complexities of religious influence, and the psychology of deception. In a world where faith meets facade, "Malevolent Mormon Mommys" challenges perceptions and unveils a tale of betrayal, prompting the ultimate question: How well do we truly know the faces we trust? Subscribe and uncover a story that redefines the lines between belief and betrayal.

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