Ruby Franke's 'Petrified' Daughter Took Hours to Coax Out of Closet: Authorities Detail Efforts

Both Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested in August 2023 with both ultimately pleading guilty to four counts of child abuse in December. They face up to 60 years in prison after being given four consecutive one to fifteen year sentences each.

In new footage released by the Washington County Attorney's Office, it becomes clear how long it took police and emergency responders to coax Franke's "petrified" nine-year-old daughter from the closet in Hildebrandt's house where they found her.

In one clip from August 30, as covered by E! News, the same day that Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested, police can be seen discovering the young girl, identified only as "E," in the closet off of a bathroom. "You doing okay?" an officer is seen asking the girl, who does not respond.

"You don't want to talk to me? That's okay. Can you come with me?" When this doesn't work either, the officer sits near the girl and tells her to take her time.

"I'm a police officer. I don't mean to hurt you at all," the officer tells the girl. "Are you scared? Yeah?"

Nearly two hours later, the girl appears to have still not moved, with authorities making no efforts to forcibly make her do so. Instead, the new video clip shows a different officer playing music (Maroon 5's "Payphone") and bringing the girl pizza and a drink.

"You're more than welcome to eat," the officer tells the girl in this second video when the girl does not respond to the food placed in front of her. "Eat all you want, sweetie. That's all you." Finally, the girl does start to eat.

The final video, timestamped about four hours after she was first discovered in the closet, shows two EMT first responders sitting in the closet with the girl, reassuring her that they're all there to help her. "We helped your brother," one tells her. "We want to get you some help, too."

Finally, the girl stands and comes out of the closet. It's a heartbreaking sequence of events as well as a testament to the patience of the authorities in allowing this child time to process and have agency in her own rescue.

The brother is likely the 12-year-old boy who'd escaped the home and made his way to a neighbor's home seeking help and appearing "severely emaciated."

Other videos in the case have been released to the public in the past week, including the police raid on Hildebrandt's home, the arrests and police interviews of both Franke and Hildebrandt, as well as an interview with Ruby's estranged husband, Kevin, who was not charged in the case. Get a full breakdown of that footage here.

Ruby's diary entries were also released, in which she said one of her children was "in and out of possession" and "needs God," and wrote about how she punished them by making them stand in the sun and by shaving off their hair. See more from those here.

Audio of Franke's jail calls were also released, showing the conversations she had with estranged husband Kevin just one day after her arrest for child abuse. In them, she called the case a "witch hunt" and argued she and Hildebrandt were "completely misunderstood." You can read more about those calls here.

Over time, though, Franke changed her tone. According to her plea agreement, Franke has "actively engaged in an introspection that has allowed her to reset her moral compass and understand the full weight of her actions." Further, she "is committed to taking responsibility for the part she played in the events leading up to her incarceration."

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

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

You can find more details from this tragic story below.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse or violence, get help. The National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in need.