Netflix’s upcoming true crime documentary Girl in the Picture debuts today. It explores the death of Sharon Marshall (AKA Suzanne Marie Sevakis) and the following investigation of which led to a series of disturbing crimes being uncovered.
Marshall, who was killed in a hit-and-run at the age of 20 in 1990, turned out to be Suzanne Marie Sevakis – a girl who was kidnapped by criminal Franklin Delano Floyd in the ’70s.
After changing her name several times and passing Sevakis off as his daughter, Floyd went on to marry her and later kidnapped her son Michael. He has since confessed to Michael’s murder.
With Netflix‘s Girl in the Picture looking at the “mystery that unfolds like a nightmare”, here’s everything you need to know about Franklin Delano Floyd, from a breakdown of his heinous crimes to where he is now.
Who is Franklin Delano Floyd?
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Franklin Delano Floyd is an American criminal who was convicted of murdering Cheryl Commesso in 1989 and for kidnapping six-year-old boy Michael Anthony Hughes in 1995.
According to the FBI, he had been a federal fugitive for breaking parole on a bank robbery charge since 1973.
Floyd, who had a criminal history of robbery, abduction and sexual assault, was also considered the lead suspect after his wife Sharon Marshall (one of the new names used by Sevakis) was killed in a suspicious hit-and-run at the age of 20.
Following the death of his wife, he put her son Michael up for adoption, but a DNA test in 1994 proved that Floyd was not Michael’s biological father. This led to Floyd kidnapping six-year-old Michael from school on 12th September that year, after leaving prison for his parole violation.
Authorities found Floyd in Kentucky two months later, however Michael was not with him and Floyd would not reveal what happened to him. He was found guilty on a federal kidnapping charge and admitted in 2015 to FBI agents that he had murdered Michael on the same day that he kidnapped him.
Special Agent Scott Lobb said on interviewing Floyd in an FBI article: “He turned and looked at me and said, ‘I shot him twice in the back of the head to make it real quick.’ I think he just ran out of excuses.”
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During the investigation into Michael’s kidnapping in 1994, police discovered pictures of a “bound and beaten” woman who was later identified as Cheryl Commesso – a mother of three whose remains were found by a Florida motorway in 1995. Commesso, who had worked at the strip club where Marshall was an exotic dancer, was killed by Floyd in 1989.
Police also discovered during the investigation into Michael’s kidnapping that Floyd’s wife, Sharon Marshall, had also been a kidnapping victim of his. She was taken by Floyd at some point in the ’70s. Whilst searching Floyd’s truck, authorities found child pornography, including pornographic pictures of Marshall, according to a court document.
He began introducing Marshall as his daughter in Georgia and in 1989, the pair married in New Orleans. Marshall then went by Tonya Tadlock while Floyd went by Clarence Hughes, according to The Oklahoman.
Marshall was working at Passions strip club in Tulsa at the time of her death, and while Floyd was a suspect in the case, he was never charged.
Speaking to FBI agents, Floyd also confirmed that Marshall was really Suzanne Marie Sevakis – the daughter of a woman he had married in 1974. After her mother was sent to jail in 1975, Floyd took Marshall and her siblings, dropping off her sisters at a children’s home.
After being charged with Commesso’s murder, Floyd was convicted and sentenced to death in 2002.
Where is Franklin Delano Floyd now?
Franklin Delano Floyd is currently serving his life sentence in a Florida prison, where he is sitting on death row.
He is currently 79 years old and while a date has not yet been set for his execution, some believe Floyd will most likely die of natural causes.
Girl in the Picture is available to stream on Netflix from Wednesday 6th July. Check out our dedicated documentary hub, our guide to the best true crime series, or see what else is on with our TV Guide.
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