ST. GEORGE — A large volume of evidence related to the case involving  Ruby Franke, 41, and Jodi Hildebrandt, 55, both of whom were convicted of aggravated child abuse last month, was released by the Washington County Attorney’s Office Friday  

The evidence included law enforcement body camera and doorbell footage, along with videos depicting the search of Hildebrandt’s home on Tawgoo Court in Ivins in August 2023.

Franke and Hildebrandt were sentenced to prison in February after the pair pleaded guilty to four counts each of aggravated child abuse.

The case was filed following an incident reported Aug. 30, 2023, when a 12-year-old rang the doorbell of a neighbor and asked if he could take him to the nearest police station. When the neighbor asked about the duct tape around his ankles, the boy said it was “personal business,” but was his fault.

The reporting party did not press any further but seeing the child’s emaciated state and the injuries, he became alarmed and called 911, according to the evidence.

A video that includes a recording of the 911 call and footage of the search and the arrests can be viewed at the top of this report. 

Paramedics responded and started treating the child at the scene while Santa Clara Ivins Police officers arrived to learn there was a second child in the Hildebrandt home reportedly in the same malnourished state as the boy. Some 30 minutes later, the boy was transported to the hospital.

Hildebrandt, meanwhile, was out searching for the boy when she came upon an officer and asked if he had seen the child. Knowing the situation, the officer told her they would try and track down the child and would let her know. Hildebrandt returned home and shortly thereafter, multiple officers responded to the residence to search for the second child.

They are shown knocking on the door, upon which she answers and the officers explain that due to “exigent circumstances,” they did not require a warrant to require her to exit her home

The girl, meanwhile, was found in a secured closet inside the home, and it took more than three hours for detectives to coax the youngster out of the room. Officers brought the youngster pizza and soda, and later she was also taken to the hospital for evaluation and treatment.

During the search, investigators asked for the code to the safe room, which Hildebrandt said she did not have since the room had been locked for a “couple of years.” But when investigators were able to enter the room, they found handcuffs, rope and other evidence of the older child being bound.

Among the documents released were more than 50 pages of Franke’s journals that summarized the living conditions and the “training program” that was taking place at the Hildebrandt home.

At the end of February, both defendants were transported to Utah State Prison to begin serving out their sentences.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

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