A luxury mansion in Utah, where Ruby Franke allegedly abused her children, remains on the market a year after being listed. The property is owned by Jodi Hildebrandt, Franke’s business partner and convicted conspirator. It was first put up for sale with an asking price of $5.3 million in January 2024, shortly before both women were sentenced to prison terms that could extend up to 30 years.
The Ivins property gained notoriety when police found one of Franke’s children there in August 2023. The child was suffering from severe wounds, malnutrition, and neglect after Russell, Franke’s 12-year-old son, escaped through a window to seek help from a neighbor. Following the neighbor’s call to the police, Russell was hospitalized while his sister Eve was discovered hiding in a closet at Hildebrandt’s home under similar conditions.
Both Franke and Hildebrandt faced charges of aggravated child abuse following their arrests. “The women were arrested after Ms. Franke’s 12-year-old son climbed out of the window of Ms. Hildebrandt’s Ivins, Utah residence,” stated the police report.
Franke became known as a parenting influencer through her YouTube channel “8 Passengers.” At the time of their arrest, she had been living with Hildebrandt after separating from her husband.
The home listing was initially withdrawn due to legal proceedings but returned to the market with a reduced price of $4.995 million since March 2024. Despite its chilling history involving torture devices uncovered by police, the real estate listing highlights luxurious amenities and scenic views without mentioning past events.
In recent developments, Shari Franke spoke about her abusive childhood on “Good Morning America” coinciding with her memoir release titled “The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom.” She described instances of physical violence from her mother and expressed relief over justice being served.
Shari has been vocal about seeking intervention for years and shared her sentiments on Instagram: “Hi all. Today has been a big day… Kids are safe, but there’s a long road ahead.”
