Nebraska
Wisconsin teen found safe, man arrested thanks to stranger in Nebraska
MILWAUKEE – A pregnant teen from Beaver Dam will return home safe after weeks of searches and investigations, which spanned multiple states, thanks to a tip from a stranger nearly 500 miles from home.
The backstory:
An Amber Alert was issued in Wisconsin after Sophia Franklin was last seen at her home on Feb. 2. At the time, she was 16 years old and three months pregnant. Amber Alerts were later issued in Arkansas and Missouri.
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The teen was found on Wednesday – her 17th birthday – near Omaha, Nebraska. She was with 40-year-old Gary Day, who is now in custody. Police said he is the father of the unborn child, and the two began talking online roughly a year ago.
How were they found?
What they’re saying:
Nearly 500 miles from Beaver Dam, the “see something, say something” mantra ended the search for the missing teen.
“They observed an adult male and juvenile female, and they just thought it was suspicious – that maybe they just didn’t go together,” said Lt. Dennis Svoboda with the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office.
After talking with the teen, a 911 caller went online and saw an Amber Alert for her, along with a photo of the man investigators said she was with.
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“They provided false information, some variety of names. Our people ran them through databases, couldn’t find them,” Svoboda said.
That is, Svoboda said, until a mobile fingerprint scanner confirmed Day’s identity, and he was taken into custody.
Dig deeper:
Police said Day was seen on surveillance near Franklin’s home in February. His booking photo looks a lot different from the photos shared in police social media posts and prior Amber Alerts.
Beaver Dam Police Department
“He definitely was trying to elude investigation and subsequent arrest, which makes him even more problematic,” said Stan Stojkovic, professor emeritus of criminology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Day also changed license plates on the car he was driving, and Svoboda said the two may have hitchhiked around the country. That’s partially why Stojkovic gave kudos to all involved law enforcement agencies.
“This is a victory for law enforcement,” he said.
In custody
What’s next:
Day remains in custody in the Sarpa County Jail, where he faces misdemeanor charges. He has outstanding child abuse charges in Arkansas against a different child, on top of felony charges in Wisconsin tied to Franklin.
FOX6 News asked the Dodge County District Attorney’s Office about extradition for Day but did not hear back by the deadline for this story.
The Source: FOX6 News interviews Lt. Dennis Svoboda with the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office and Stan Stojkovic, professor emeritus of criminology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Information from prior coverage of the case was also referenced.
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Like his father, Zack Erstad is a Husker. Erstad, the son of Hall of Fame baseball player Darin Erstad, joined the Nebraska men’s golf program on Tuesday.
Zack signed with the Huskers one month after winning a state championship at Lincoln East. With the Spartans, Erstad was a two-time NSAA champion. He was Class A’s individual runner-up in 2026. The previous year, Erstad claimed the Nebraska Junior PGA Championship title.
Erstad said joining the Huskers is a dream come true. The Nebraska newcomer grew up playing baseball and hockey. However, he focused solely on golf while in high school.
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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
Nebraska
Hilgers says Nebraska, Colorado water dispute could take years, but Perkins County Canal should progress
It could take years for the U.S. Supreme Court to resolve Nebraska’s water dispute with Colorado. But Attorney General Mike Hilgers said in the meantime, work on the Perkins County Canal should continue.
Hilgers’ comments on Tuesday came one day after the Supreme Court said it will consider Nebraska’s complaints that Colorado’s not sending enough water across the state line on the South Platte River and is blocking Nebraska’s attempt to build a canal to bring more. Hilgers said it could take three to five years for a special master to make a recommendation and the court to decide. And he said while it’s up to the Legislature, it would make sense to proceed with planning and construction on the canal.
“We need to be able to show the court, which is ultimately true, which is Nebraska is committed to doing this. I do see the policy wisdom, but even more importantly… from our perspective, it’s critical from a litigation perspective to really be able to push forward on this,” Hilgers said.
The Legislature has set aside $630 million for the canal. Separate from the court case, the Army Corps of Engineers must still decide whether to issue a permit for the project.
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