Sharon Marshall story: 5 quick facts to know

Netflix's upcoming true-crime documentary by the veteran filmmaker Skye Borgman is all set to look into the case of Sharon Marshall, a girl who died without knowing her real identity after a lifetime of abuse at the hands of a monstrous perpetrator, Franklin Floyd. In one of the most bizarre cases in the history of the country, Floyd kidnapped and raised Sharon, only to marry her later.

The documentary, titled The Girl in the Picture, will premiere on Netflix on July 6, 2022. Though this complicated case has almost too many angles and facts, the ones we have compiled below may help you follow the case better. After all, Franklin Floyd committed many crimes over the three decades he evaded the law, two of them as a fugitive.

Read on for more details about the Sharon Marshall case.

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Five facts about Sharon Marshall's case

Here is a list of facts that would help one understand the case better. These may not cover the entire story in detail, but they can give an insight into the lesser-known side. The Netflix documentary will take a more detailed approach to the case, but before that comes out, here are the things you would need to know.

1) Franklin Floyd was guilty of more crimes other than Sharon Marshall's kidnapping and subsequent murder

Franklin Floyd, the perpetrator of this case, committed many other heinous crimes over three decades that involved multiple murders, assaults on children, and robberies. Even after kidnapping Sharon, he continued to commit other crimes in addition to regularly abusing and assaulting the little girl.

One such crime was the murder of Cheryl Ann Commesso, a mother of three from Florida. He was also convicted of abducting and assaulting a 4-year-old kid in Georgia.

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2) Sharon's identity was not discovered for nearly two decades after Floyd's arrest

After the police apprehended Franklin Floyd in 1994, it took nearly 20 years for them to uncover the identity of his wife, who he had also raised as his daughter. Though authorities could not link Floyd to Sharon Marshall's murder, they believed he killed her after she made plans to escape.

Authorities linked Sharon to Sandi Chipman's missing daughter in 2014, 19 years after Sharon's death.

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3) Sandi Chipman's other missing child, a baby boy, is still alive

Sandi Chipman had four kids, all of whom Floyd kidnapped. After Sharon's identity was discovered, Phillip was the only one whose whereabouts were unknown. In 2019, a man came forward and claimed that he could be Phillip. After running DNA tests, authorities confirmed that it was indeed Phillip, the missing boy.

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4) Franklin Floyd was caught after he kidnapped Sharon Marshall's son from his school

After avoiding the law successfully for two decades, Franklin was finally caught in an extensive manhunt, which began after he allegedly entered Sharon Marshall's son's classroom with a gun and took him by force.

He was arrested two months later in Kentucky. He admitted to killing the young boy the very day he kidnapped him.

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5) Franklin Floyd had a rough childhood, which is perhaps something that sparked his affinity for crime

Franklin Floyd's life was filled with crime. One of the reasons could be the abuse and neglect he faced as a child. Though this cannot explain the monstrous tendencies in the man, it could be one of the reasons. After Franklin lost his father as an infant, he struggled financially as a child. He was soon sent to the Georgia Baptist Children’s Home, where he allegedly faced regular abuse and assault at the hands of the staff and other students.

He resorted to crime after the army discharged him for faking his documents.

There is plenty more in the Sharon Marshall case that the upcoming Netflix documentary will explore once it airs on July 6, 2022.