Girl in the Picture viewers 'devastated' by 'sickening' true crime doc

Viewers brand Girl in the Picture the ‘most horrifying and sickening’ true crime documentary on Netflix as it reveals how Franklin Delano Floyd kidnapped a six-year-old, posed her as his daughter and then MARRIED her

For over 30 years, Floyd committed a series of monstrous crimes – including kidnapping and multiple murders
Floyd took a little girl from her home in 1975, and raised her as his daughter before forcing her to marry him
Floyd was arrested in 1994, but it wasn’t until after that police uncovered the true identity of the woman
Netflix’s Girl in the Picture lift’s a lid on Floyd – who is on death row – and his crimes – leaving viewers outraged

Netflix viewers have been left ‘devastated and outraged’ by the streaming service’s latest true crime documentary, Girl in the Picture, which follows the monstrous crimes of Franklin Delano Floyd and the six-year-old he kidnapped, posed as his daughter, then married.

Audiences at home branded the production the ‘most horrifying and sickening’ watch after it was launched on the platform last week – before becoming the number one film in the UK.

For more than 30 years, American murderer and rapist Floyd committed a series of heinous crimes – including robbing a bank, sexually assaulting children, numerous kidnappings, and multiple murders.

The criminal was a pro at fleeing from the law – constantly moving from state to state, changing his name and persona, and even escaping from prison on one occasion.

One of his most abominable transgressions took place over the course of more than 20 years, beginning in 1975 when he stole four children from a woman whom he had married using a fake alias.

Floyd let three of the children go but kept one – a little girl named Suzanne Sevakis – who he raised as his daughter – as he continued to commit more shocking offenses. He eventually forced the youngster to marry him, before becoming the lead suspect in her death after she was killed in a suspicious hit-and-run at the age of 20.

He was finally arrested in 1994 and sentenced to the death penalty, but it wasn’t until he was behind bars on death row that police uncovered the true identity of the woman that was thought to be his daughter – and later his wife.

For more than 30 years, American murderer and rapist Floyd (left) committed a series of heinous crimes – including robbing a bank, sexually assaulting children, numerous kidnappings, and multiple murders. Pictured right: Suzanne Sevakis

Netflix viewers were left ‘devastated and outraged’ by the streaming service’s latest true crime documentary, Girl in the Picture

Twitter users were left shocked by the true crime documentary, with one person writing: ‘Girl In The Picture on Netflix is absolutely one of the most horrific, sickening, frightening things I’ve watched. I’m at a loss for words.’

Another said: ‘Everyone go watch Girl In The Picture on Netflix. That documentary is probably one of the most saddest stories I’ve ever heard of.’

A third added: ‘So many people failed the girl in Girl In The Picture on Netflix… Her mum, her employer, coworkers, her babysitter… they all could have stepped up. If you ever feel like something is wrong with someone and they can’t help themselves, say something.’

A fourth wrote: ‘I’ve watch many messed up crime documentaries yet Girl In The Picture on Netflix managed to keep me shocked and horrified throughout.’

Another individual said: ‘Girl In The Picture on Netflix is layers on layers of WTF! Had to keep rewinding to make sure I heard right!’

Reaction: Twitter users were left shocked by the true crime documentary, with one person writing: ‘Girl In The Picture on Netflix is absolutely one of the most horrific, sickening, frightening things I’ve watched. I’m at a loss for words.’

‘The jaw-dropping true crime story of a search to solve a 30-year old mystery: Who was Sharon Marshall, and why was her real identity unknown to everyone – even her?’ a description of the new documentary reads.

Floyd was born in Barnesville, Georgia, on June 17, 1943. His father passed away from liver failure when he was aged just one, and his mother then decided to send him and his siblings to Georgia Baptist Children’s Home – where he lived for most of his childhood – after she struggled financially.

He was sexually assaulted by the other children at the home when he was just six years old, and faced years of abuse by the staff, according to a book written about the case, called A Beautiful Child,

After leaving the home when he was 16, Floyd tried to enter the army and lied about his age – but was discharged after only six months when his superiors found out that he had faked his paperwork.

That same year, Floyd committed his first crime when he broke into a Sears department store and attempted to steal a gun. He was ultimately shot in the stomach by police, and rushed into emergency surgery. He fully recovered from the injury, and was sent to a youth institution – where he stayed for one year.

Floyd was arrested in 1994, but it wasn’t until he was behind bars that police uncovered the true identity of the woman that was thought to be his daughter – and later his wife (pictured)

He kidnapped a little girl named Suzanne from a woman named Sandi Chapman. He kept Suzanne (pictured) and raised her as his own daughter, changing her name to Sharon Marshall

In June of 1962, Floyd sexually assaulted a four-year-old girl and was convicted of kidnapping and child molestation. However, he escaped from prison after serving one year

The criminal was a pro at fleeing from the law – using fake aliases, constantly moving from state to state, and changing his name and persona. Some of his aliases are seen

In June of 1962, Floyd sexually assaulted a four-year-old girl after taking her from an Atlanta, Georgia, bowling alley. He was then convicted of kidnapping and child molestation – and was sentenced to 10 to 20 years of prison.

However, one year later, he escaped from jail while being taken out for a ‘medical errand’ and fled to Macon, Georgia, where he eventually got arrested once again – this time for robbery – after he stole $6,000 from a local bank.

In November 1972, the criminal was released from prison and sent to live in a halfway house. One week after his release, he forced a woman at a gas station to get into his car, where he attempted to sexually assault her. She was able to escape and he was arrested once again, however, after posting bail, he went on the run.

‘Franklin Floyd had been a fugitive for almost two decades. He robbed a bank, he had a history of violence,’ said one person, whose identity is unknown, in the documentary. ‘He was an expert at concealing his identity.’

Floyd then created a fake alias – Brandon Williams – and moved to North Carolina, where he met a woman named Sandi Chapman at a truck stop. They dated for a month before getting married and moving to Dallas, Texas, together.

Chapman, who had four children from previous relationships, was arrested in 1975 for using bad checks, and was sentenced to 30 days in jail.

Floyd forced Suzanne to move to Tampa, Florida, with him, where she began working as an exotic dancer. After the pair relocated, the two got married

Floyd then became the suspect in a disappearance case of an 18-year-old woman named Cheryl Ann Commesso (pictured right) – a coworker of Suzanne’s (pictured left) who was seen arguing with Floyd before she went missing

While serving her time, she left her kids in Floyd’s care – but when she was released a month later and returned home, her house was empty and her family was nowhere to be found.

She was later able to find two of her daughters at a local church group. Her son ended up being privately adopted, and only learned of his true identity in 2019 – but Sandi’s oldest daughter, Suzanne, wasn’t found.

Floyd kept Suzanne and raised her as his own daughter, changing her name to Sharon Marshall and spending years pretending that he was her father.

Suzanne graduated from high school in Forest Park, Georgia, in 1986. She earned a full scholarship to the Georgia Institute of Technology and dreamed of becoming an aerospace engineer, but never attended the school.

Instead, Floyd forced her to move to Tampa, Florida, with him after she got pregnant, where she began working as an exotic dancer.

‘She wanted to go to Georgia Tech, be an aerospace engineer,’ a friend of Suzanne’s recalled in the programme.

It was later reported that Suzanne had tried to leave Floyd and run away with a college student she was having a secret relationship with, named Kevin Brown

Suzanne’s son, Michael (pictured), was put into foster care and later adopted. But in September 1994 Floyd walked into his elementary school with a gun and took Michael

‘I remember the phone call, she said she was pregnant and, “Daddy won’t let me go to college now.”‘ Another person said, ‘This beautiful young woman was trapped in evil. She was stuck and didn’t know how to get out.’

After the pair relocated to Florida, Floyd made Suzanne change her name once again, this time to Tonya Dawn Hughes, and the two got married.

She welcomed a son, named Michael, soon after their wedding, but it was later revealed that Floyd was not the little boy’s biological father.

After the birth of her son, the family moved once again, this time to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where Floyd became the suspect in a disappearance case of an 18-year-old woman named Cheryl Ann Commesso – a co-worker of Suzanne’s who was seen arguing with Floyd before she went missing.

Commesso’s remains were found years later – in 1995 – and it was determined that she had died from two gunshot wounds in her head.

In April 1990, Suzanne was found unconscious on the side of the highway outside of Oklahoma City. She was rushed to the hospital where she later passed away, with investigators claiming that she had been hit from behind with a car.

Police searched for Floyd and Michael for weeks, and he was eventually arrested in Kentucky, after he tried to get a new license and the DMV realized who he was and alerted the FBI

He was found guilty of kidnapping Michael (pictured) and sentenced to 55 years in prison. He was later also charged with first-degree murder for killing Commesso

For years, it was unknown what happened to Michael, but in a 2015 interview with the FBI, Floyd admitted to shooting and killing the little boy on the day that he kidnapped him

Floyd was given the death penalty. He is now 78 years old and is currently on death row in a prison in Florida

It was later reported that Suzanne had tried to leave Floyd to run away with a college student she was having a secret relationship with, named Kevin Brown. Police believe that Floyd killed her, but never had enough evidence to try him for the murder.

Suzanne’s son, Michael, was put into foster care and later adopted. But in September 1994, when he was in first grade, Floyd walked into his elementary school with a gun and took Michael.

Police searched for Floyd and Michael for weeks, and he was eventually arrested in Louisville, Kentucky, after he tried to get a new license and the DMV realized who he was and alerted the FBI.

He was found guilty of kidnapping and sentenced to 55 years in prison. He was later also charged with first-degree murder for killing Commesso, and was given the death penalty. Floyd, now 78, is currently on death row in a prison in Florida.

For years, it was unknown was happened to Michael, but in a 2015 interview with the FBI, Floyd admitted to shooting and killing the little boy on the day that he kidnapped him, according to The Oklahoman.

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