He’s 47.
Actually, if we’re being precise, Kevin Franke is currently 47 years old as of early 2026. He was born in 1978. It feels weirdly specific to track the age of a former BYU professor, but when you’ve been at the center of one of the most disturbing internet scandals in recent memory, people tend to count the years.
For a long time, Kevin was just the dad in the background of the 8 Passengers YouTube channel. He was the guy talking about civil engineering or helping Ruby manage a household of six kids in Utah. But after the 2023 arrests and the subsequent media firestorm, the timeline of his life—and specifically how old he was when everything crumbled—became a focal point for everyone following the case.
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The Timeline of the Franke Family
Kevin and Ruby Franke got married back in 2000. He was roughly 22 at the time. They spent over two decades building a brand that, at its peak, reached millions of subscribers. By the time the channel was deleted and the family fell apart, Kevin was in his mid-40s.
It’s a bit of a trip to look back at the old videos. You see a man who seems to be aging in real-time under the pressure of a "perfect" digital life. People often mistake his age because he spent so many years in the academic world. He was a rising star in geotechnical earthquake engineering at Brigham Young University. Usually, you don't reach those professional heights until your late 30s or early 40s, which aligns perfectly with his 1978 birth year.
Why Does His Age Even Matter?
Honestly, it’s about context. When the news broke about the horrific abuse of his youngest children at the hands of Ruby and Jodi Hildebrandt, the public started looking for someone to blame. Many wondered how a man in his mid-40s—someone with a PhD and a background in complex engineering—could be "clueless" about what was happening.
His legal team has always maintained that he was separated from Ruby and living in a different home for over a year before the arrests in August 2023. At that point, Kevin was 45. He has since claimed that he was "manipulated" and "brainwashed" by the same ConneXions philosophy that led to Ruby's downfall.
Where is Kevin Franke Now?
Life looks a lot different for Kevin at 47 than it did at 42. He isn't at BYU anymore. Reports surfaced that he left the university around June 2023, just months before the scandal hit the national news. Since then, he has been rebuilding.
The biggest update? He’s remarried. Just this past December 2021, 2025, his eldest daughter Shari shared photos of Kevin’s wedding to Becca Bevan. He’s starting over in a very literal sense. He also has full custody of the four minor children. While Ruby serves her sentence in the Utah State Prison—where she’ll likely stay for at least four years, and possibly much longer—Kevin is the one navigating the teenage years and the trauma recovery of his kids.
The Reality of the "New" Kevin
There’s a lot of debate about Kevin’s role in the family’s history. Some see him as a victim of a cult-like influence; others see a father who failed to protect his children. Regardless of where you land, the facts of his current life are these:
- Current Age: 47 (Born 1978).
- Marital Status: Remarried to Becca Bevan (December 2025).
- Residence: Still in Utah, though he was awarded the family's Springville home and some property in Scofield as part of the divorce.
- Career: Transitioned from academia to the private sector/consulting.
It’s easy to get lost in the sensationalist headlines, but the numbers tell a story of a man whose entire "first half" of life was erased. He spent 25 years with Ruby. That's more than half his life. Now, he's in the middle of a second act that involves courtrooms, documentaries, and intensive therapy for his children.
Actionable Insights for Following the Case
If you’re trying to keep up with the latest on the Franke family or child safety in the digital age, here are a few things to keep in mind:
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- Check the Source: Documentation like the Hulu series Devil in the Family features interviews with Kevin and his son Chad. It provides the most direct look at their perspective, though it's important to remember it's their side of the story.
- Watch Legislative Changes: Kevin has become active in advocating for child welfare reform in Utah. This is a real-world outcome of the case that goes beyond internet gossip.
- Respect the Kids: While the parents are public figures, most of the children are still minors or young adults dealing with significant trauma. Following the case through reputable news outlets rather than "snark" forums usually provides a more balanced view.
The "8 Passengers" era is dead, and the people involved are aging into a very different reality than the one they vlogged about for a decade. At 47, Kevin Franke is no longer the "YouTube Dad"—he's a man trying to manage a very public and very painful legacy.
If you want to stay updated on the legal side of things, keep an eye on the Utah Department of Corrections portal for Ruby’s status, as that will be the next major milestone in this timeline.