A man at the center of a multi-state Amber Alert has ties to Independence County, where he faced child endangerment charges in 2019 after his infant son suffered multiple fractures.
Gary Day (pictured above, right), 40, is now sought in connection with the disappearance of 16-year-old Sophia Franklin (left) of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Franklin, who is pregnant, has been missing for more than 72 hours.
Court records show Day was charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor in Independence County after doctors discovered his four-month-old son had a broken femur along with other bruising and fractures consistent with blunt force trauma. Day was placed on 72 months probation in that incident. (Earlier this week, a petition to revoke that probation and an arrest warrant for Day were filed in Independence County Circuit Court.)
The suspect’s criminal history has expanded since the Independence County case. In 2023, Day was charged with second-degree domestic battery involving his then-four-year-old son in Lonoke County, Arkansas.
Authorities first encountered Franklin at Day’s Lonoke County residence during a probation check in December, when she fled through the back door before being apprehended.
Day was subsequently charged with interference with child custody and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Franklin was returned to Wisconsin at that time.
On Monday, Franklin’s father reported her missing again after surveillance footage showed her entering a vehicle believed to be driven by Day. Dodge County, Wisconsin authorities have filed charges of child abduction and enticement.
According to the criminal complaint, Day and Franklin began communicating online in April 2023. By late July, Day had transported Franklin to Arkansas.
A recent court petition alleges Day violated multiple bond conditions, including lying about his sexual relationship with a minor from Beaver Dam.
The Amber Alert was extended to include Arkansas as authorities continue their search for Day and Franklin.
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