Police in Wisconsin have issued an Amber Alert following the disappearance of a pregnant teenager. Investigators believe Sophia Martha Franklin, 16, left home with her unborn baby’s father, 40-year-old Gary F. Day. The pair allegedly began an inappropriate relationship months prior to her disappearance. It appears Day knew Sophia’s age all along, but he didn’t seem to care.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Sophia and her family’s relationship was strained. The teenager met Franklin online in April 2024, and he allegedly drove from Arkansas to Wisconsin to pick her up in July. Sophia’s family told police they didn’t know their daughter was living with Day until December.
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Per court documents, her parents believed their daughter lived with a friend and declined to place her on the missing person’s list because they remained in “constant contact with her” despite not seeing her for months, the Journal Sentinel reported. In December, police found the teenager at Day’s home in Arkansas. She allegedly said her boyfriend knew “from the get-go” she was 16.
The Journal Sentinel initially reported that the teenager told police she and Day did not have a sexual relationship. She then changed her story and said they traveled to Arkansas before engaging in sexual activity because they knew it was illegal in her home state of Wisconsin. Police returned the teenager to her family in December. They reportedly felt shocked knowing their daughter was in Arkansas all that time.
On February 1, 2025, Sophia’s father reportedly told Beaver Dam police that his daughter was doing well at home. But he and her mother allegedly discovered an email account and turned the concerning contents over to the police.
Day allegedly sent the teen messages that said, “I want nothing to do with you.” “Suicide, you win, goodbye.” and “No one will care.”
The teenager reportedly replied that she would care and that she’d named their unborn baby Ava.
“I know how much you wanted a girl and I know how much you care for your children,” Sophia reportedly wrote, according to the Journal Sentinel.
“Tell her I’m dead,” he responded.
The final message Sophia sent read, “I stayed out past curfew. Probation. And I didn’t notice. I’m done.”
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Day faces two counts of child abduction and two counts of child enticement.
Beaver Dam Police Chief John Kreuziger, told the Journal Sentinel, “Right now, we don’t know where they are. We are getting tips from all over the place. Our goal is to get her back as quickly as we can and as safely as we can.”
Police say Sophia and Day may be traveling in a Black Buick Lacrosse.
“Investigators have discovered the suspect vehicle has utilized various license plates. The vehicle was seen on the morning of 2/3/2025 in Wisconsin with a Pennsylvania license plate of KGW5186,” read a Beaver Dam Police Department post on Facebook. “Anyone having information about this alert should call 888-304-3936.”
The Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office in Arkansas posted a warning to residents on Facebook that read, “We have reason to believe this individual may be coming to the Austin area of Lonoke County. Please keep your eyes open, and if you see him, contact law enforcement immediately.”
