Featured image: Gary Francis Day
A Wisconsin police department has confirmed that Sophia Franklin (pictured below), the juvenile subject of an Amber Alert issued on Feb. 3, 2025, has been located safely in Nebraska.
According to the Beaver Dam Wisconsin Police Department, Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a tip on April 2 regarding a possible sighting of Franklin near Omaha, Nebraska.
Law enforcement officers contacted a juvenile who was accompanied by an adult male matching the suspect’s description, Gary Francis Day, 40. Their identities were positively confirmed, leading to Day’s arrest. Franklin was taken to a secure facility while awaiting reunification with her family.
Day was booked into the Sarpy County Nebraska jail early April 3.
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. (A petition to revoke that probation and an arrest warrant for Day were filed in February in Independence County Circuit Court.)
The suspect’s criminal history 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.
In early February, 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 Beaver Dam Police Department expressed gratitude to the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies involved in the search, as well as community members across multiple states who provided leads and shared information to aid in Franklin’s recovery.
Have a news tip or event to promote? Email White River Now at news@whiterivernow.com. Be sure to like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. And don’t forget to download the White River Now mobile app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
Get up-to-date local and regional news/weather from the First Community Bank Newsroom on Arkansas 103.3 KWOZ every weekday morning and afternoon. White River Now updates are also aired on weekday mornings on 93 KZLE, Outlaw 106.5, and Your FM 99.5. Catch CBS News around the top of every hour on 1340 KBTA.
