Mother held her children tied up with rope, duct tape and extremely starved because she believed “children need abuse” before her son escaped the “treatment” and appeared at a neighbor’s home with open wounds around the extremities; sentenced
Court records show that a 41-year-old woman, later identified as Ruby has admitted to the severe abuse of her own children. The legal proceedings in court have culminated in a sentence that may confine Ruby to prison for up to three decades. The case against Ruby unfolded with grim details, as she, along with her former business partner and co-defendant Jodi, faced allegations of abusing Ruby’s children in ways that prosecutors described as occurring in a “concentration camp setting.” The charges, to which both women pleaded guilty, included four counts of second-degree felony child abuse.
The abuse came to light after Ruby’s 12-year-old son managed to escape from the home, in an emaciated state, with open wounds, and bound with duct tape. Officers responded to a call at a residence regarding a possible case of child abuse. The calling party told the dispatcher that a juvenile had shown up at their door, asking for food and water. The caller said that the child “appeared to be emaciated and malnourished, with open wounds and duct tape around the extremities.” The child who escaped from the home was identified as a 12-year-old boy with “deep lacerations” due to being tied up with rope and duct tape. Police said the 12-year-old’s condition was “so severe” that EMS personnel were dispatched to the scene and examined him before transporting them to the hospital for medical treatment.
Investigators then learned that there was a 10-year-old girl who was also believed to be “in a similar condition” still at the home from which the 12-year-old escaped. “Officers arrived at the home and searched the residence, locating another juvenile in a similar physical condition of malnourishment,” police said. “That juvenile was also transported by EMS to the hospital for treatment.” The other child found in the home was said to be the 12-year-old boy’s younger sister. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the home in connection with the condition of the children. During that search, police said they recovered evidence “consistent with the markings found on the juvenile.” This shocking discovery led to Ruby’s arrest and the subsequent investigation, revealing a pattern of neglect and abuse fueled by a twisted belief system and manipulation.
Ruby’s involvement with Jodi, a self-help guru known for her extreme parenting workshop class “Connexions Classroom,” turned toxic as Ruby claimed to have been manipulated into abusing her children. Ruby said “I was led to believe this world was an evil place filled with church leaders that lie and molest….and children who need abuse…” Jodi’s teachings, which included isolating children who do not conform to certain beliefs, played a significant role in the abuse, according to Ruby’s statement through her attorneys. Before receiving her sentence, Ruby addressed the court, expressing remorse for her actions and the pain they caused. She attributed her behavior to a misguided fear of the world, shaped by Jodi’s influence, and expressed a willingness to accept the consequences of her actions to unravel the beliefs that led her astray.
Prosecutors highlighted the severity of Ruby’s crimes, emphasizing the cruel nature of the abuse and the deliberate efforts to conceal it. Ruby was sentenced to one to 15 years on each count of child abuse, with the sentences to be served consecutively, meaning one after the other. While her plea agreement did not specify a specific prison duration, the document did state that Ruby would serve time in detention for each of the aforementioned charges and that the sentences would be consecutive. While the sentence is capped at a maximum of 30 years, the state board of pardons and parole will ultimately determine the sentence length at a later date.
