Warning! This article contains references to sexual assault, child abuse, kidnapping, and homicide.
Netflix's The Girl In The Picture tells the tragic story of a young girl, but the latest true crime documentary leaves out a few key details. The director Sky Borgman also directed Unsolved Mysteries, "Lady in the Lake," and Abducted in Plain Sight, which told of the kidnapping and long-term abuse of Jan Broberg by her neighbor Robert Berchtold. Borgman takes on The Girl In The Picture, another kidnapping story full of twists and unfathomable abuses.
Suzanne Sevakis was a bright and friendly young woman who never knew her own identity. In fact, she never learned her real name was Suzanne. Known by the names Tonya Hughes, Sharon Marshall, and Linda Williams, The Girl In The Picture delves into the mystery and deception that surrounded Suzie's life. Suzanne's body was discovered in April of 1990 on the side of the road in what appeared to be a hit and run. She was rushed to the hospital, where her much older husband "Clarence" arrived. Suzie died five days later and left behind her young son, Michael.
Netflix's true crime documentary The Girl In The Picture explores the following investigation surrounding Suzanne's life after she died and Michael was kidnapped by Clarence. As the FBI searched for the young boy, they soon learned Clarence's real name was Franklin Floyd. Floyd went by many aliases, including Warren Marshall. Throughout the investigation of Michael's kidnapping, the FBI also discovered that the woman they thought to be Clarence's wife Tonya was also known to some as Warren's daughter, Sharon Marshall. It took many years after her death and Floyd's sentencing for the kidnapping of Michael, but Floyd admitted to killing Michael and lead investigators to Suzie's real identity. While The Girl In The Picture gives a detailed overview of her life, many aspects of her story were left out.
What Were Frank Floyd's Previous Crimes?
The Girl In The Picture mentions Frank Floyd's crimes that occurred prior to the kidnapping of Suzanne, but it doesn't go into much detail. The brutal true-crime documentary leaves out that Floyd's first crime was breaking into Sears to steal a gun at the age of 16. Floyd was shot in the stomach by police and sent to a youth institution. He was arrested about a year later after violating his parole to go fishing in Canada. The brutal At the age of 18, Floyd kidnapped a four-year-old girl from a bowling alley in 1962. He received a 10-to-20-year sentence for the sexual assault and kidnapping of the young girl. In 1963, he used a medical visit as an opportunity to escape and robbed a Citizens & Southern National Bank for 6,000 dollars. He was not successful and stayed in prison until his release in 1972. Two months later, he sexually assaulted a woman at a gas station in her car. The woman was able to escape and Floyd was arrested. As told in Netflix's true crime documentary, a former prison friend posted bail and Floyd fled, using many false identities to avoid arrest.
Did Floyd Take Suzanne Alone?
Floyd was able to take Suzanne and her siblings after her mother, Sandra Brandenburg, received 30 days in prison after writing a bad check at 7-Eleven. The Girl In The Picture briefly mentions Suzanne's two sisters, Allison and Amy, who were also taken by Franklin Floyd. Unlike Suzanne, Allison and Amy were dropped off at an orphanage by Floyd. The Girl In The Picture leaves out Suzi's brother, Phillip. Floyd took Phillip when he kidnapped Suzi and their two sisters. Unlike Allison and Amy, as mentioned in the true crime story, Phillip was not immediately placed into foster care. The one-year-old boy was taken with Floyd and Suzi. Some believed he had been murdered by Floyd, while others believed he was dropped off somewhere. In 2019, a man came forward and after DNA testing, he was confirmed to be Phillip. He had been adopted privately as a baby in North Carolina.
Did Franklin Floyd Kill Suzanne?
On April 25, 1990, Suzanne was injured outside of the hotel she was staying at. The hospital was suspicious that this was just a hit-and-run, due to Suzanne's injuries, but Floyd claimed she was hit while out getting groceries. She had scratch marks on her chest and bruising, though she had good vitals for someone who had supposedly been hit by a car. While she was in a stable condition, a visit from Floyd behind closed doors resulted in her taking a turn for the worse, and she died the next day. The true crime documentary, The Girl In The Picture, never reveals if Floyd killed Suzanne and that's because he has not been convicted for her murder. He claims he had an alibi, as he was waiting in their motel room. He remains a person of interest in her death and her case remains open. Though he has never admitted to killing her, Floyd has admitted to killing Suzanne's son, Michael.
Who Was Michael Hughes' Father?
Frank Floyd claimed to be Michael's father and after Suzanne's death, he fought hard to gain custody. Michael's foster parents, Merle and Ernest Bean, said in The Girl In The Picture that Michael would get extremely upset before visits with Floyd, calling him "that mean man." It was only after a paternity test that the visits stopped because it was revealed that Floyd was not the father. There is evidence via legal documents that may prove Michael's father is a man named Gregory Higgs. Suzanne had a relationship with Higgs when she and Floyd lived in Phoenix. During this time, Suzanne became pregnant and she and Floyd moved to Tampa. Though his name was changed to Michael Anthony Hughes, he was originally named Michael Gregory Marshall. His middle name could be a hint to his father. After Suzi died, Floyd called Higgs and told him he was the biological father and asked if he wanted to raise Michael and after Higgs agreed, he never heard from Floyd again. Suzanne also had a relationship with a name named Kevin Brown, who could be Michael's father. DNA testing is not possible to uncover who his father is, as Michael's remains have still not been found.
Who Was Cheryl Commesso
Cheryl Commesso's murder is the only murder to date that Floyd has been convicted of. Cheryl was a young woman and a dancer who worked with Suzanne at Mons Venus. The true crime story tells how she became involved with Floyd after he promised he could get her a job as a model for Playboy, which was Cheryl's dream. Heather Lane, another dancer at Mons Venus, says in The Girl In The Picture that she saw Floyd and Cheryl in an argument and that was the last time she saw her alive. Floyd was apparently angry because Cheryl reported Suzanne for misstating her income, which caused them to lose government benefits. Cheryl went home after the fight, before leaving to spend the night at a friend's house, promising to call in the morning. The phone never rang. Cheryl's Corvette was found abandoned and her family reported her missing. Mons Venus told her mother that she probably left to dance in Miami, but the family knew she wouldn't leave her car. Later, her remains were discovered by a landscaper taking a break from clearing a brush on Interstate 275.
Franklin Floyd's Neighbors
The Girl in The Picture claims that while Floyd was on the run after kidnapping Michael, he lived in an apartment, which was actually a converted Victorian house, and that he never spoke with neighbors. A 1997 news article, however, claims that his neighbors often noticed him and could hear him walking around his apartment all night long. Neighbors said Floyd never mentioned having a son, but he would show pictures of and talk incessantly about his daughter, who Floyd claimed was a "prostitute." Terry Evans was even friends with Floyd until one night when Floyd stayed to watch The Fugitive and then refused to leave.
Where Is Franklin Floyd Now?
As told in The Girl In The Picture, investigators only had circumstantial evidence and could not try Floyd for the death of Michael or Suzanne. Instead, they charged him with kidnapping and tacked on a few other charges. Much like Warren Jeffs in Keep Sweet, Pray and Obey, Floyd decided to represent himself, which resulted in a 53-year sentence with no possibility of parole. Later, photos were found of Sharon as a young girl and with the photos were pictures of Cheryl Commesso. A skeleton found off Interstate 275 in Florida was identified as Cheryl and Floyd was charged. He was deemed incompetent to stand trial, but he appealed, arguing he was sane. This ultimately backfired, as he was convicted of First Degree Murder. He was sentenced to death and is currently on death row, though The Girl In The Picture did not mention that no date has been set for his execution and he will likely die from natural causes.