WISCONSIN — Authorities have filed four felony charges against Gary Day, the suspect in the ongoing Amber Alert for the pregnant 16-year-old from Beaver Dam.

An arrest warranted has also been issued for Day.

What You Need To Know

  • Authorities have filed four felony charges against Gary Day, the suspect in the ongoing Amber Alert for the pregnant 16-year-old from Beaver Dam

  • An arrest warranted has also been issued

  • An Amber Alert was issued for 16-year-old Sophia Martha Franklin on Monday. Police say she was last seen at her residence on Feb. 2 at 9 p.m. and is three months pregnant

  • Authorities said they believe Franklin is with Day, who is known to be the father of her unborn child

The Dodge County District Attorney’s Office late Tuesday filed two felony charges of Abduction of a Child and two counts of Child Enticement-Causing Mental/Bodily Harm. The first abduction and child enticement count have an offense date of July 29, 2024, while the other two have an offense date of Feb. 3, 2025.

16-year-old Sophia Martha Franklin. (Courtesy of Wisconsin DOJ)

An Amber Alert was issued in Wisconsin for 16-year-old Sophia Martha Franklin on Monday. Police said she was last seen at her residence on Feb. 2 at 9 p.m. and is three months pregnant.

An Amber Alert has since been issued in Arkansas, per the request of the Beaver Dam Police Department, police shared Thursday. Day's last known address was in Cabot, Arkansas. 

Authorities said they believe Franklin is with Day, who is known to be the father of her unborn child. Day was last at his residence at 7:48 a.m. on Feb. 3 and there is a no-contact order between him and Franklin.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Dodge County against Day, video from a home surveillance system showed a person — who appeared to be Day — walking near a house. The person was dressed in black pants, a black long sleeve shirt and a grey winter hat. Video shows the person walking near a home in Beaver Dam, walking up a driveway and then running as they approached the back of the house. The person is seen looking around but the clip then ends. 

The criminal complaint also stated a black Buick vehicle was parked one block south of Franklin's residence around 5:20 a.m., according to a witness. The vehicle appeared to be running. Day's mother confirmed she bought her son a black Buick. 

According to the complaint, a black vehicle matching that description was seen on Wisconsin Department of Transportation cameras traveling southbound on Highway 151 near Sun Prairie, Wis., at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 3. That would be about 45 minutes after the person matching Day's description was seen on home surveillance video.

(Courtesy of Wisconsin DOJ)

Authorities said the suspected vehicle in this case is a black 2014 Buick LaCrosse and that the vehicle has utilized various license plates. The latest license plate is listed as Pennsylvania license plate KGW5186.

Anyone with information is asked to contact authorities at 888-304-3936 or by calling 911.

Day has a long criminal history and is already a convicted felon, according to court records.

In 2020, he entered a guilty plea to a felony charge he received in 2019 for endangering the welfare of a minor.

On Sept. 15, 2019, a 4-month-old was treated for a fractured left femur, had bruising on the face and was at a severe sepsis risk, according to a probable cause statement. While Day and his wife at the time, Grace, claimed the child’s leg had become stuck in their kitchen sink during a bath, a doctor determined it to be blunt force trauma consistent with child abuse. For that case, Day was sentenced to 72 months of probation, received a $2,500 fine and community service.

In 2023, Day was charged with a felony for domestic battering in the second degree for an incident that happened on July 2, 2023. A probable cause statement states that Day’s wife said her husband lost it and grabbed a 4-year-old after the child climbed onto the entertainment center and ate toothpaste. The child had marks on his left arm and shoulder.

However, the charge in the case was dropped on May 13, 2024, after prosecutors determined there wasn’t enough evidence to prove Day caused the injuries.

Day has also had a number of traffic tickets over the years for a variety of offenses.

Court filings show Day was divorced from his wife, Grace, in 2024. He also had a previous divorce in 2014.

Most recently, Day was arrested in Lonoke County, Arkansas, on Dec. 10, 2024 for charges of interference with custody and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. His first court appearance in the case was on Dec. 13, 2024, with a bond set at $20,000. He is scheduled to be back in court on Feb. 24, 2025, for an arraignment. 

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