Shari Franke's book, The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom, details her discovery of the relationship between her mother, Ruby Franke, and business partner Jodi Hildebrandt.

In her memoir, Shari says that after her mother’s arrest, she found messages on her laptop confirming the true nature of their relationship.

The abuse the children endured came to light when a 12-year-old boy climbed out of a window and ran to neighbors, begging for food and water.

The boy is the son of Ruby Franke, a popular blogger known for the YouTube channel 8 Passengers. The home belonged to Franke’s business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt.

Neighbors called police. Officers said the boy appeared emaciated and malnourished. They also noted he had “deep lacerations from being tied up with rope” and duct tape around his wrists and ankles. After searching Hildebrandt’s home, police found Franke’s 10-year-old daughter in a similar condition. Both children were taken to a hospital.

Franke’s parenting channel, 8 Passengers, which once had over 2 million followers, offered parenting advice. In one video, she admitted to withholding food as a form of punishment.

Both women were convicted of aggravated child abuse.

Joining Nancy Grace Today:

• Donna Kelly – Former Utah Senior Deputy District Attorney and Attorney for Crime Victims Legal Clinic; Helped form the Utah County Sex Crimes Task Force
• Dr. Dana Anderson – Forensic Psychologist and consultant, court appointed expert witness, Twitter: @psychologydrcom, TikTok: @psychologydr
• Jason Jensen – Private Investigator (Jensen Private Investigations), Cold Case Expert (Salt Lake City, UT), and Co-founder: “Cold Case Coalition;” Investigations; Twitter: @JasonJPI, Facebook/Instagram: “Jensen Investigations” 
• Dr. Free N. Hess – Pediatrician/Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Child Safety Expert & Consultant, Founder of www.PediMom.com
• Emily Ashcraft- Reporter for KSL.com in Utah; Twitter: @emilyjaneen3