Ruby Franke's Handwritten Journal Reveals Severity of Child Abuse: 'Big Day for Evil'

The former YouTube star's diary entries were among the mountain of evidence that was released to the public on Friday in the child abuse case against Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt, who were both sentenced to up to 60 years in prison earlier this year in Utah.

As shown in a heavily redacted 60-page document, obtained by Salt Lake City local CBS affiliate, KUTV 2, Franke kept a handwritten journal, in which she documented -- via a timeline format -- her children's behavior, and how she and Hildebrant responded.

The diary entries -- which were dated from May until August 2023 -- primarily focused on two of Franke's younger children: her 12-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter, who were referred to as "R" and "E," respectively, in the redacted entries. She continuously wrote about both of her children being possessed by the devil, especially her son, whom she said "needs God" and was "in an out of possession."

In an entry dated June 30, 2023, she said R "refuses to do wall sits. He says he is done." The following day, Franke wrote that R s was "to stay outside" and sleep outside."

On the day before her son's 12th birthday, she said, "R turns 12 tomorrow. I never envisioned him being 12 & still pooping/peeing himself. Satanic choices lead one to become destitute -- even in the most influential homes."

Franke continued with another entry on R's birthday, claiming he "doesn't even know what month it is," before writing that her son and daughter "have been in so much deviant behavior, they won't control their bodily functions."

"I told R that he needs God. I invited him to fast & pray. R is in and out of possession," she later added.

In a more disturbing entry the next day, on July 11, 2023, Franke began her entry by noting that it was a "big day for evil."

"R was told to stand in the sun w/his sun hat," she said. "He is defiant. ... R, or I should say his demon, stays in the shade. I push R into the sun. R comes back. I come back with a cactus poker. When I poke his back to get in the sun R doesn't even flinch. I poke him on the neck. He is in a trance & doesn't appear to feel anything. Jodi taps him on the cheeks to wake him up. The devil doesn't like when you get your subject to agree to truth."

In the same entry, Franke wrote that her R was pushed in the pool, and she "put my hand tightly over his nose & mouth."

The next day, she said she "cut more off [E's] head. We doused her w/ water in the dog wash," adding that her daughter "said she wanted to run away."

"Jodi told E she has no idea what is waiting for her," she wrote.

On July 15, 2023, Franke said she discovered that R ran away in the middle of the night. She wrote that she found him "walking on the left side of the road."

She added later that day that "in order to keep my son, I will need to put him under sedation."

"The demon is still here and I purposefully put R back into a slumber. Hybernate. To watch R go into the aweful state of compliance, knowing the demon he harbors in his heart is so so sick like stitching up a patient you know you didn't get all the cancer out."

Franke went on to claim that there was a "soul-killing infection in my child."

The last entry was dated August 27. Franke's 12-year-old son escaped, and went to a neighbor for help on August 30.

Meanwhile, in addition to Franke's handwritten journal, prosecutors also released recorded phone calls from Franke and Hildebrandt's during their time in Washington County Jail.

Like the journal entries, the jail phone calls revealed disturbing details of the child abuse, and Franke's claims that her children were "evil."

"Adults have a really hard time understanding that children can be full of evil and what that takes to fight it," she explained in one recording. "And so I don’t know any other adults who are going to see the truth.”

"I am a good woman," she said in another call. "I don't do naughty things."

Hildebrandt, meanwhile, appeared taken aback that they were being accused of abusing the children.

"So now, it’s abusive to make a kid sleep on the floor," she told an unidentified person on a call. "It's ridiculous. You can’t even raise your kids anymore."

In another recording, Franke said the last time she spoke to Hildebrandt was the day she was arrested.

Franke was sentenced to up to 60 years in prison for aggravated child abuse last month, after both she and Hildebrandt pleaded guilty to four counts of child abuse in December.

"I am humbled and willing to serve a prison sentence for as long as I need," the former 8 Passengers influencer told the judge. "I am committed to unlearning my toxic behavior."

She also expressed regret for "twisting God’s words and distorting His doctrine." Franke received the maximum sentence under Utah state guidelines.

Hildebrandt got the same sentence as the judge reprimanded her for terrorizing children.

"I sincerely loved these children," Hildebrandt told the judge. "One of the reasons I didn't go to trial is I didn’t want them to relive this."