Where is Franklin Floyd now? The kidnapper from Netflix’s Girl in the Picture

Where is Franklin Floyd now seems to be the question on everyone's lips, as the subject of Netflix true crime documentary Girl in The Picture receives global attention  

Skye Borgman’s latest investigation into the disturbing crimes of Franklin Floyd, is available to stream on Netflix entitled Girl in The Picture. When Tonya Hughes is found unconscious at the roadside, authorities believe they are investigating an apparently straightforward hit-and-run incident. When Hughes later dies from her injuries and her mother is notified, she tells them Tonya died as a toddler. The ensuing investigation uncovers a chilling web of lies, sexual violence, and murder.

Not the only true Netflix crime documentary gripping viewers this month - Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey delves inside the dark world of America's FLDS religious sect led by Warren Jeffs (opens in new tab). That's in addition to the new docu-series about Kai Lawrence (opens in new tab), plus the true story of Robert Freegard (opens in new tab) which has inspired film Rogue Agent.

Where is Franklin Floyd now?

Convicted murderer and rapist Franklin Delano Floyd is currently imprisoned on death row, at the male-only Union Correctional Institution in Florida. Now aged 79 years old, Floyd is still awaiting an execution date to be set. 

The largest prison in Florida and the third largest state prison system in America, Floyd is one of 80,000 inmates at Union Correctional. And - according to the Florida Department of Corrections (opens in new tab) - he's been a prisoner there for 20 years.

Floyd suffered a turbulent childhood, with his alcoholic father dying aged 32. When his mother struggled to cope, Floyd was placed in the care system. Petty crimes from a young age led to robbery, sexual crimes, and abduction. He was initially tried for kidnapping and a string of related crimes, and was sentenced to 52 years in prison.

When he was later linked to a 1989 murder of an exotic dancer, he was re-tried. He was found guilty of a capital crime, and charged with first-degree murder in Florida - where the death penalty has been retained. He has since confessed to another murder that he was suspected of, but lack of evidence existed at the time for a conviction.

Franklin Floyd: Aliases

• Franklin Delano Floyd 
• Clarence Hughes
• Warren Judson Marshall
• Trenton B. Davis
• Brandon Cleo Williams
• Preston Morgan
• Kingfish Fly   

According to the same Florida Department of Corrections report, Floyd went by a number of other aliases. Some of the names he used above were taken from tombstones.

The Sharon Marshall story - what happened? 

Sharon Marshall was abducted as a child by Floyd, who was her stepfather at the time. According to National World, Sharon Marshall was born Suzanne Marie Sevakis, in September 1969. She was one of four children - whose mother Sandi Chipman was married to Floyd - although he was not the biological father of the children. 

In 1975, when Chipman was sentenced to 30 days in prison for a petty crime, Floyd abducted all of the children. He placed 3 in care, and took Suzanne with him who was approximately 6-years-old at the time.

Floyd changed Suzanne’s name to Sharon Marshall, to prevent her being found, presenting her to the world as his own daughter. He also gave her the alias Tonya Dawn Hughes along with the name Sharon Marshall. 

He is said to have subjected her to years of abuse before marrying her when she was 16. Sharon gained a scholarship to university, but was unable to attend when she fell pregnant by another man. Floyd forced her to work as an exotic dancer, and they were raising her son together when Sharon was found dead at the roadside aged 20.

Unable to tie Floyd to her death, it remained a mystery for decades, until her true identity was revealed in 2014. Although Floyd has not admitted to killing Sharon, it is believed he killed her because she was attempting to leave him for another man. Although this remains an unproven theory.

When was Franklin Floyd arrested? 

Franklin Floyd was arrested in November 1994. Five years after the death of Cheryl Ann Commesso, a mechanic found photographs of Cheryl's body in a car he had bought. Cheryl Ann and Sharon Marshall had worked at the same location as exoctic dancers, and were known to each other. 

Witnesses later reported seeing Floyd and Cheryl Ann Commesso falling out, and Floyd had physically assaulted her during the altercation. 

Her remains were found in 1995, the same year the photos of her body were discovered in the second hand car. At the time of her body being uncovered, police were unable to identify her body. However, when the pictures emerged, the wounds seen were consistent with those found on the remains. The car was traced back to Floyd, and already in prison, he was re-tried and convicted of her murder.

What did Franklin Floyd do to Michael Hughes? 

Michael Hughes is presumed dead, murdered by Floyd. Michael Anthony Hughes was Sharon Marshall’s son, and was 2-years-old when she died. He was placed in the foster care of Merle and Ernest Bean, who appear in the documentary. 

In September 1994 when Michael was 6-years-old, Floyd gained access to his school, holding the principal at gunpoint. He kidnapped Michael, and tied principal James Davis to a tree in woodland found nearby.

Michael was never seen again, and Floyd was arrested for his kidnapping. In 2014, he admitted to the murder of Michael, stating that he’d shot him twice in the back of the head. He told police the location of the remains, but despite a lengthy search of the area, his body has never been found.

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