ABC’s 20/20 episode “Ruby Franke: From Momfluencer to Felon” includes police interviews and interrogation footage in its account of the child-abuse investigation. The description that Franke seemed “in a trance” is an interpretation of how she appears in the footage—not a medical diagnosis established by the program materials.
Which 20/20 episode covers Ruby Franke?
The episode is 20/20, Season 46, Episode 22, titled “Ruby Franke: From Momfluencer to Felon.” ABC lists its runtime as 1 hour, 21 minutes, and 1 second, with a TV-PG rating and a date of March 23, 2024. ABC’s episode listing identifies the program.
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ABC News Media Relations announced the broadcast for Friday, March 22, 2024, from 9:01 to 11:00 p.m. EDT, with Hulu availability scheduled for the following day. The March 23 date on the episode page is the listing or streaming date, rather than the announced broadcast date. Those are historical schedule details; streaming catalogs can change, so they do not establish that the episode is currently available on Hulu. ABC’s announcement gives the original schedule.
What does the episode show about Franke’s police questioning?
ABC says the report includes interrogation tapes, police interviews and body-camera video. That material lets viewers see portions of the investigation’s recorded interactions. Calling Franke’s appearance “in a trance” describes an impression of her demeanor in the footage. The episode materials cited by ABC do not establish a clinical or psychological diagnosis, so the phrase should not be treated as one.
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ABC’s description also places the footage within a broader account of the case, rather than presenting it as a diagnosis or explanation of the abuse. Its reporting identifies crime-scene photographs and jail calls among material released in connection with the investigation. ABC News’ account and the network’s program announcement describe the evidence used.
What evidence and interviews are included?
The report draws on several kinds of records and testimony. ABC identifies:
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- Body-camera video, police interviews and interrogation tapes.
- Recorded calls and material from Franke’s journal.
- Crime-scene photographs and jail calls, identified in ABC News’ contemporaneous reporting.
- An interview with Jessi Hildebrandt, Jodi Hildebrandt’s niece.
- Interviews with Kevin Franke’s attorney Randy Kester; People senior crime writer Emily Palmer; former Hildebrandt therapy patients Adam Steed, Stephanie Jones and Trey Warner; and podcast host and author Jo Piazza.
The variety of material gives the program multiple perspectives on the investigation and its surrounding events. Interviewees’ accounts should be understood as attributed testimony, distinct from official records and the court outcome.
How the investigation began
According to ABC News, on August 30, 2023, Franke’s 12-year-old son escaped from Jodi Hildebrandt’s home in Ivins, Utah, went to a neighbor and asked for directions to a police station. The younger daughter was found in the home later that day. ABC recounts investigators’ use of body-camera footage and interviews with first responders and prosecutors as they responded to the case. ABC News’ report describes those events.
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What happened in court?
Franke and Hildebrandt each pleaded guilty to four felony counts of aggravated child abuse. The Associated Press reported that each received four consecutive prison terms of one to 15 years. Utah’s statutory cap means the total sentence can be up to 30 years; it is not a guarantee that either woman will serve 30 years. The Utah Board of Pardons and Parole determines how much of the sentence each serves. The Associated Press’ sentencing report explains the terms.
Washington County Attorney Eric Clarke said the investigation found that religious extremism motivated the abuse. That is Clarke’s characterization of this case, as reported by the AP; it should not be generalized to a religion or its wider community. The AP report attributes the statement to Clarke.
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