Keeping track of aliases and identities in Girl in the Picture is not a simple challenge. Franklin Floyd's wicked deeds made it next to impossible for investigators for nearly 30 years.
The new Netflix docu-series follows the criminal's abduction and eventual murder of Sharon Marshall, born Suzanne Marie Sevakis, who was never able to reunite with her birth mother, Sandi Chimpan. But before determining who's who in this twisted story, the web of lies needs to be detangled.
Who is Suzanne Marie Sevakis' mother?
Floyd was going by Brandon Williams at the time he met Sandi Chipman, Suzanne's mother, in the early 70s.
The mom of four had crossed paths with the deranged man while she was experiencing terrible hardships. She had given up her kids to the state after a natural disaster caused her severe trauma. Floyd pretended to be a good soul and offered to marry Chipman in order to help her care for her family.
However, he did just the opposite. While Chipman served a 30-day sentence for writing a bad check, he kidnapped her four kids: Allison, Amy and Philip Brandenburg, whom she shared with Dennis Brandenburg, and Suzanne, whom she shared with Cliff Sevakis.
Suzanne's half siblings, Alison and Amy, were discovered in an orphanage. Philip was adopted by Mary and Bob Patterson when he was a little over one month old; he had been assumed missing, and his true identity wasn't uncovered until nearly 40 years later. Floyd kept Suzanne for himself and raised her as his own, changing their names to Sharon and Warren Marshall, never letting on to her true identity.
Sandi Chipman, who is now referred to as Sandra Willet, could never get her child back, though she and her former husband, Cliff, appeared in the Netflix project to discuss their daughter. Ultimately, not being able to regain custody of Suzanne lead to tragedy.
In the 20 years she was alive, Sharon faced unimaginable treatment at the hands of her "father," Floyd. He sexually abused the young girl, forced her to work as an exotic dancer for his financial benefit, denied her an education and even changed their names again to Clarence and Tonya Hughs around the time she and another man welcomed a baby boy, Michael. What's more is this new name change brought a new title: Floyd now considered the girl he raised as his daughter to be his wife.
Ultimately, Sharon died in a hit and run, and many suspect Floyd to have had a hand in her untimely death. Marshall's true identity wasn't uncovered until 2014, though she was murdered in the 90s. Floyd did eventually admit to killing her young son, Michael, and her former colleague, Cheryl Commesso. The young woman had three children; Megan Dufrense, who is alive today and appeared in the documentary, and a third who was not able to be identified.
Not much is known about Chipman, now Sandra Willet, but her former husband has been jailed for his atrocities: in 2002, the now 79-year-old was convicted of Commesso's murder. Currently, Floyd is on death row at the Union Correctional Institution in Florida.
One of the best true crime on Netflix, Girl in the Picture is gaining buzz for its unthinkable reveals. Though the material is far from easy, if you are curious to learn more about the case, do be sure to check out the "Girl in the Picture" podcast, which examines the wild tale even closer.
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