Jodi Hildebrandt’s $5m house of horrors fortress where partner Ruby Franke’s children were tortured goes up for sale

JODI Hildebrandt’s mansion where her business partner Ruby Franke’s children were tortured is on the market for a nearly hefty $5 million price tag.

The five-bedroom, six-bathroom house of horrors in Ivins, Utah covers more than 10,100 square feet on a 1.43-acre lot.

It was originally listed at $5.3 million in January, however, the price dropped to $4.9 million, according to Zillow.

Franke’s 12-year-old son escaped from the home last August, saying that he had been tied up and starved by his mother and Hildebrandt.

The boy was emaciated and had lacerations on his body.

He was found with duct tape around his ankles and wrists, said police in a search warrant.

Police eventually found the boy’s little sister sitting on the floor in a dark closet near one of the bathrooms.

Hildebrandt, a former life coach, and Franke pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree aggravated child abuse in December 2023 and are now facing one-to-15-year sentences.

Prosecutors accused the women of starving and subjecting Franke’s children to harsh punishments.

The pair forced the children to do hard manual labor in the hot summer heat with no shoes on.

Other punishments included being tied up and beaten, forced to run barefoot on dirt roads until their feet bled, and even made to jump on a cactus.

While this was happening, Franke and Hildebrandt created a YouTube channel called ConneXions, where they offered mental health and parenting advice.

Franke previously ran a channel called 8 Passengers, which gained more than 2.5 million subscribers.

However, viewers became concerned by Franke’s behavior such as withholding food from one of her young children after they forgot to pack a school lunch or banning her son from his bedroom, forcing him to sleep on a bean bag for months.

Soon, 8 Passengers declined in popularity and was eventually deleted in 2022 by Franke following her separation from her husband, Kevin.

FORTRESS OF TERROR

Hildebrandt’s home, located at 854 West Tawgoo Court was listed for sale about a week after she and Franke pleaded guilty.

The sprawling home has a large mahogany front door, 15-foot ceilings, and views of the surrounding desert landscape.

Inside, the kitchen has double ovens, high-tech appliances, and a large counter space with a stainless steel sink.

The primary bedroom is described as “a true oasis” in the listing with a five-foot horizontal fireplace and walk-in closet with it a washer and dryer.

The ensuite bathroom “is equally impressive, with a free-standing luxury soaking tub, wall mounted TV, a beautifully customized shower/ steam room.”

In the lower level of the home is another full-sized kitchen, home theater, and family room.

The home also features a pool, spa, fire pit, outdoor kitchen, and five-car garage.

However, not listed as one of the amenities, is the “panic room” investigators found as they searched the home last summer.

The room has a vault-like door that locks from the outside, hiding a bed, toilet, microwave, fridge, and freezer.

It was in the cramped room that investigators found metal chains connecting to a set of handcuffs.

Franke’s son was able to crawl through a window and ask a neighbor for help.

The boy said he tried to escape once before and his mother bound his wrists and ankles with handcuffs.

His younger sister, whose head was shaven, was found sitting inside a dark closet and had to be coaxed by officers for four hours.

Adults are supposed to protect children. Adults with specialized children in particular are supposed to protect children

Judge John J. Walton

Police were able to get the girl out of the room by ordering her pizza, however, she wouldn’t eat it at first, only taking it after officers told her it was OK.

Investigators found that Hildebrandt and Franke would often withhold food from the children as crime scene photos showed a fully stocked pantry with snacks and goods.

MOTHER’S APOLOGY

Franke gave a shocking statement during her sentencing on February 20, where she apologized for her involvement in the abuse while shifting the blame on Hildebrandt.

“I was led to believe this world was an evil place filled with church leaders that lie and lust, husbands who refuse to protect, and children who need abuse,” Franke said.

“My choice to believe this led to criminal behavior.”

The mother of six said she never made any money from the videos she and Hildebrandt created, stating the two weren’t business partners.

“My choice to live in fear of the world has created a blind spot for me,” she said.

“Watching my community respond to my charges with justice, mercy, grace, and love… this world is full of really great people.

“I’m sorry for twisting God’s words and distorting his doctrine.

“I am willing to serve a prison sentence as long as it takes to unravel what I believed.”

However, Franke’s words were challenged by Hildebrandt’s statement with her lawyer saying that this client is “not the person she was portrayed to be.”

“I sincerely love these children. I desire for them to heal physically and emotionally,” Hildebrandt told the court.

“One of the reasons I did not want to go to trial, is that I did not want them to emotionally relive the experience which has been detrimental to them.

“My hope and prayer is that they will heal and move forward to have beautiful lives.”

Hildebrandt was admonished by Judge John J. Walton, who said she was mainly to blame for the abuse.

“This circumstance is tragic. It’s largely, of course, by your making,” said Judge Walton.

“Adults are supposed to protect children. Adults with specialized children in particular are supposed to protect children.

“You didn’t do that in this case.”