Overview

• Jessi Hildebrandt, Jodi’s niece who uses they/them pronouns, appears in Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence to describe control and punishment they say they endured as a teen.
• Jessi alleges their aunt confined them to a small room to write out “sins,” forced them to sleep outside in winter, restricted personal expression and contact, and used fear to enforce compliance.
• The series emphasizes Jodi Hildebrandt’s rise through her ConneXions program and influence in a Mormon community, positioning that history as key to understanding Ruby Franke’s actions.
• Franke and Hildebrandt remain imprisoned on child-abuse convictions after authorities rescued two malnourished children in 2023; prosecutors detailed forced labor, deprivation and harmful wound treatments.
• Related legal fallout continues as Kevin Franke files a malpractice suit alleging professional misrepresentation, Jodi challenges her conviction citing ineffective counsel, and both have parole hearings set for December 2026.