Girl in the picture

If you are reading this, then I am inclined to believe you know your true identity. My guess is that you could tell me something about yourself, such as your birthdate and other pertinent information. The question is, how do you know you are who you say you are? Could your entire life be a lie? You always hope everything you know about your life is true, but is it? For many years, there has been a photograph of a man and a child that I have seen many times. You've probably seen it before. It wasn't until last week that I learned the backstory.

This is a story about a woman who died without ever knowing her true identity. Her knowledge was limited to what she was told. In 1990, an Oklahoma newspaper reported that a hit-and-run driver had killed Tonya Dawn Hughes, 22, near a highway in Oklahoma City.

However, this story became more than just a hit-and-run. Recently, Netflix released a documentary titled "Girl in the picture." The film explores Hughes' tragic and horrific life.

Hughes and her husband, Clarence Hughes, stayed in a motel with their son Michael. Her gravestone would simply say Tonya. But the dead woman's name wasn't Tonya, and Clarence Hughes wasn't her husband. In addition, Clarence Hughes was not Michael's father. He was actually a convicted criminal named Franklin Delano Floyd. His criminal record included child molestation and armed robbery convictions.

Following Tonya's death, Michael was placed in foster care with a loving family. After caring for Michael for three years, his foster family wanted to adopt him.

In 1994, Floyd tracked Michael to his foster family. He went to Michael’s school and abducted the 6-year-old boy from his Oklahoma elementary school in Choctaw, Oklahoma. Tonya and Floyd's true story would emerge during the investigation into recovering Michael.

The couple were father and daughter Warren and Sharon Marshall before they became Tonya and Clarence Hughes. During Sharon's teenage years, the Marshalls lived in Georgia. While in high school, she excelled academically. With a scholarship, she looked forward to attending Georgia Tech and achieving success there. It was not to be. Sharon’s plans for college would become derailed after she became pregnant.

Warren took Sharon to Arizona to place the child up for adoption. Throughout the documentary, Sharon's friends and family guide you through the stages of her life. Law enforcement eventually learned the truth. Floyd abducted Sharon as a child and told everyone she was his daughter. She endured years of sexual abuse and torment from him. Following a lengthy investigation, it was revealed that Sharon Warren and Tonya were both aliases. Suzanne Marie Sevakis was her real name.

Floyd is currently on death row at Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, Florida. He was convicted of abducting Michael and killing Cheryl Commesso, who was friends with Sevakis. In 2013, Floyd confessed to murdering Michael by shooting him to death. Michael's remains have never been recovered, and his mother's murder remains unsolved. However, authorities suspect Floyd killed Suzanne.

Her entire life had been a lie. She knew never that Floyd had abducted her or that she was Suzanne Marie Sevakis. After watching this documentary, you may find yourself wondering if there are other children out there in a similar situation as Suzanne Sevakis. And if there are children in similar situations, how many of these stories will never be uncovered?

Fortunately, Suzanne’s identity is no longer a mystery. Proof of her identity can be found on her gravestone. Originally marked Tonya, the grave stone now has Suzanne Marie Sevarkis etched into it. There is no longer any doubt about her identity, and her name has been restored.

Marc is a longtime resident of Clermont County and an avid reader. Contact him through his website at www.themarcabe.com or through Facebook: www.Facebook.com/themarcabe or his twitter account @themarcabe. Marc also has a podcast called Catch my Killer where he interviews family members seeking justice for their murdered loved ones. You can listen at www.catchmykiller.com.