Ruby Franke Update: Franke Enters Plea Deal on Dec. 18

The Ruby Franke case reached a pinnacle yesterday, Dec. 18 in St. George as the mother of six pleaded guilty on four accounts of child abuse.  

The St. George Court House was flooded with reporters on Monday afternoon, drawing St. George residents' attention. Since August, Franke has been in the public eye for child abuse charges after Santa Clara- Ivins Police found her son emaciated in the home of her friend Jodi Hildebrandt.  

CBS News reported on Monday that Franke entered a plea deal to give the details of her abuse including convincing her children they were possessed. The original charges were six counts of child abuse, but Judge John J. Walton accepted the plea deal and Franke will serve each charge consecutively.  

 The plea deal also included Franke admitting to torturing her son from May to August with physical labor, outdoor work without sufficient water, and denying him food and proper meals. Her son was also kept away from other people and not allowed access to books, notebooks, or electronics.  

Franke’s law firm, Windward Law released a statement that said Hildebrandt had twisted Franke's desire to be a good mother into something heinous.  

She was promptly taken back into custody after the plea deal was entered. Judge john. J Walton scheduled sentencing for Franke’s plea deal on Feb. 20, 2024.  

Hildebrandt is also currently in custody and her court date is set for Dec. 27. 

The plea deal for Franke also detailed more abuse not just for Franke’s son but her daughter as well. To see the full CBS News article click here.