The story of Suzanne Marie Sevakis sends chills down the spine to this day. Undoubtedly, it is one of the most disturbing and tragic criminal cases to ever exist in American history. She was kidnapped as a young child and lived her whole life in fear. The sad part is that she was abducted by her own step-father named Franklin Delano Floyd. He stripped Suzanne of her identity and honour. She had to face years of abuse and was forced to live under fake identities. Franklin is among the most dangerous criminals and he controlled her life completely.
For multiple decades, the authorities struggled to uncover her true identity. Meanwhile, they referred to her as Sharon Marshall or Tonya Hughes. These fabricated identities made her real past a mystery. Suzanne Marie Sevakis’ real name was discovered 24 years after her death through DNA testing. When Netflix released the documentary Girl In The Picture, it attracted more attention towards her case. Keep reading further if you are curious to know what exactly happened with Suzanne Marie Sevakis.
Who Was Suzanne Marie Sevakis? What Was Her Life Like Before The Kidnapping?
She was officially born as Suzanne Marie Sevakis on September 6, 1969. Her birthplace was located in Michigan, USA. Reportedly, Suzanne was the eldest daughter of Sandra Chipman and Clifford Ray Sevakis. After her parents got separated, she was mainly raised by her mother who married another man, Brandon Williams. They didn’t know this but it was a fake name. His legal name was Franklin Delano Floyd.
Unfortunately for Suzanne and her mother, he was a fugitive criminal who was actively avoiding the law authorities. It seemed like a normal marriage initially but later turned into a tragic story. Franklin kidnapped Suzanne at one point which led to one of the longest-running child abduction cases. Plus, there were many instances of identity theft in this case. Suzanne Marie Sevakis only got to live a few years of her normal childhood as herself. During that time, her mother had financial struggles.
Sandra married this criminal believing that he was a good man who could provide for the family. In reality, Franklin was a convicted criminal who escaped and started using false identities for evading the authorities. Sandra was sent to jail for 30 as she used bad checks. When she was imprisoned, Franklin abducted Suzanne and her three siblings. After being released from prison, Sandra found out that her whole family had disappeared.
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Suzanne Marie Sevakis |
| DOB | September 6, 1969 |
| Place of Birth | Michigan, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Parents | Sandra Chipman and Clifford Ray Sevakis |
| Forced Aliases | Sharon Marshall, Tonya Hughes, and Tonya Tadlock |
| Kidnapper | Franklin Delano Floyd (Stepfather) |
| Children | Megan Dufresne and Michael Anthony Hughes (Born during her abduction period) |
| Died on | April 30, 1990 |
| Age At Death | 20 years old |
The Abduction Story & Suzanne Marie Sevakis’ Aliases
The kidnapping completely changed and ruined the life of Suzanne Marie Sevakis. The abductor, Franklin Delano Floyd, had also kidnapped her three siblings. Speaking of whom, her sisters named Allison and Amy were abandoned by him. Authorities later discovered both of them through child welfare services. Similarly, Suzanne’s younger brother also disappeared into the abduction system before getting identified through DNA testing. On the other hand, Suzanne Marie Sevakis remained with Franklin.
She wasn’t in contact with any of her biological family members at this point. In fact, he erased her identity completely and imposed different false identities. As her captor, Franklin constantly moved between different states along with Suzanne. Every time they used to relocate, she used to get a new identity. He did all this to avoid being detected by the authorities. Her main aliases were Sharon Marshall and Tonya Hughes.
Understanding The Mysterious Death of Suzanne Marie Sevakis
Suzanne died on April 30, 1990. She was near Oklahoma city back then. In custody, Franklin Delano Floyd claimed that they had car troubles when Suzanne exited the vehicle. Allegedly, she was seeking help and lost her life in a hit and run. Her unconscious body was discovered at the side of the highway by motorists. They took her to the hospital for medical treatment but Suzanne Marie Sevakis didn’t make it out alive.
She was just 20 years old at the time. Due to inconsistencies in Franklin’s statements, the authorities felt that the official cause of death wasn’t true. It was later concluded that she was a victim of physical abuse. Due to a lack of evidence, they couldn’t charge Franklin Delano Floyd with Suzanne’s murder. Hence, her death remained an unsolved case.
How Was The True Identity of Suzanne Marie Sevakis Uncovered? & Gravestone Correction
The authorities and investigative journalists tried very hard to find out her true identity but they failed. Eventually, she was buried as Tonya Hughes due to a lack of information. All of her documents had been under false identities. This includes her birth certificate, Social Security record, etc. Franklin Delon Floyd was extremely careful while erasing her past. It was DNA testing that finally solved the mystery.
Certainly, investigators used the DNA from her remains with cases of missing family members. And, they got a hit. Indeed, DNA testing allowed them to find Sevaki’s family and realised her true identity, i.e., Suzanne Marie Sevakis. After her identification, even the other siblings were reunited. They had all been separated after being abducted by Franklin. Soon, her gravestone was replaced and it now had her real name.
Conclusion
Suzanne was just a kid when she faced abduction, identity theft, and physical abuse. She remained in the captivity of Franklin Delano Floyd for many years. He forced her to live under false identities. What’s tragic is that her real cause of death hasn’t been uncovered to this day. Authorities had their suspicions that Franklin was responsible but they didn’t find any evidence against him. As they couldn’t figure it out, Suzannes’ death is still a mystery even though it was ruled out as a hit and run.
FAQs
Who were Suzanne’s parents?
They were identified as Sandra Chipman and Clifford Ray Sevakis.
When did she die?
Her death took place on April 30, 1990.
Where was she from?
Originally, Suzanne was born and raised in Michigan, USA.
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