Where is Michael Hughes from 'Girl in the Picture' now?

Where is Michael Hughes now? 

Those familiar with the Sharon Marshall case are curious how her young son fared after her death. However, uncovering Michael's story means peeling back layers of his mother's tragic life, which we recount in Girl in the Picture. 

Now one of the titles on the list of best true crime on Netflix, the Skye Borgman documentary delves into a story that almost went unsolved. Marshall, born Suzanne Marie Sevakis in 1969, was abducted by her step-father, Franklin Floyd, at 5 years old while her mother, Sandi Chipman, served a 30-day sentence for writing a bad check.

Floyd not only kidnapped Suzanne, but her three half-siblings: Allison, Amy and Philip Brandenburg. The two sisters were later discovered in foster care, but Floyd held onto Suzanne and her baby brother. Eventually, Philip was assumed missing, though in reality, he was adopted at six weeks old. His real identity wasn't uncovered until 2019. 

Chipman was never able to regain custody of her daughter, and things only get worse from there. Floyd changed his name to Warren Marshall, and his "daughter's" to Sharon Marshall. Throughout her life, the young girl was sexually abused and forced into exotic dancing as a means to provide for Floyd. Though she wanted to study aerospace engineering at Georgia Tech, she was denied an education from Floyd.

Unfortunately, the abuse and mistreatment are not the only parts of the story. Marshall was then forced to change her name once more to Tonya Hughes, and Floyd to Clarence Hughes. With this new alias came a new title, as he claimed Sevakis to be his wife. When she became pregnant with another man's child, Floyd claimed the baby, Michael, to be his son.

Sevakis, whose true identity wasn't uncovered until 2014, died in a hit and run that many suspect was orchestrated by Floyd. When her son was placed in foster care, Floyd kidnapped him in 1994, storming Indian Meridian Elementary School in Choctaw, Oklahoma, and holding Michael's principal at gunpoint. 

Where is Michael Hughes now?

In an even more heartbreaking development, the story reveals that Michael met a similar fate to his mother. 

After the young boy was taken from his foster parents, Merle and Ernest Bean (who appear in the documentary), Floyd was arrested in 1994 for the child's kidnapping, and claimed Michael was still alive. However, remains were nowhere to be found. 

"He is placed where his dad deems to be in his best interest," he said to FBYI agents, according to The Oklahoman (opens in new tab). "It's none of your business where he is, nor do I care how much any of you in Oklahoma miss him or love him."

But as time went on, Floyd eventually confessed to killing Michael.

"I shot him twice in the back of the head to make it real quick," he further revealed to FBI agents. 

One of those agents, Nate Furr, recalled telling Floyd that history was repeating itself.

"You wanted him [Michael] to be your new Sharon. Sharon's out of the picture, this is your new Sharon. Michael's the one that's going to replace her," he said.

The young 20 year old was also a mother to Megan Dufrense, who appears in the documentary, and a third child who's identity is unknown.

Currently, Floyd is on death row at the Union Correctional Institution in Florida, but the 79-year-old has not received a sentencing. 

Girl in the Picture, which is all about Sevakis' heartbreaking life, is streaming on Netflix. A further investigation of this story via the You Can't Make This Stuff Up (opens in new tab) has a five-part project; the "Girl in the Picture" podcast is available on Apple.