National cases give families hope missing kids still alive

November 6, 2012 at 1:00 am

Kin optimistic despite cops' belief they're dead

By George Hunter and Christine Ferretti
The Detroit News

“As the boys’ mom, my gut tells me that the boys are still alive,” says Tanya Zuvers, whose three sons — Tanner Skelton, 7, Andrew Skelton, 9, and Alexander Skelton, 10 — were reported missing in November 2010. (John T. Greilick / The Detroit News)

Detroit — A flier offering a cash reward for the safe return of Bianca Jones still hangs in the front window of the house on Custer, even though law enforcement officials insist the little girl was murdered.

The 2-year-old's father, D'Andre Lane, was convicted of murdering the girl, whose body was never found, but her mother maintains police and prosecutors made a mistake.

"A conviction is not proof," said Banika Jones, who is trying to raise money to hire a private investigator to find Bianca. The girl was reported missing Dec. 2 by her father, who told police armed carjackers had kidnapped her.

"I absolutely still believe my daughter is alive," Jones said.

Jones is among the relatives of missing children who hold out hope their loved ones are alive, even though law enforcement officials believe they have been slain.

"The police still look at it as a murder investigation, and I respect that," said Tanya Zuvers, whose three sons — Tanner Skelton, 7, Alexander Skelton, 9, and Andrew Skelton, 10 — were reported missing in November 2010. "But as the boys' mom, my gut tells me that the boys are still alive."

The relatives' optimism is buoyed by national incidents, such as those involving the disappearances of Elizabeth Smart and Jaycee Dugard, both of whom were presumed dead until they turned up alive — in Dugard's case, 18 years after she was reported missing from South Lake Tahoe, Calif.

More recently, Miguel Antonio Morin of Houston, Texas, who disappeared in 2004 when he was 8 months old, was found safe in March. Police closed the case in 2006, but the boy was discovered in the custody of his baby sitter and godmother, Krystle Rochelle Tanner. Miguel has since been reunited with his family; Tanner is awaiting trial.

About 2,000 children are reported missing each day, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. The agency continues to search for Bianca and the Skelton brothers and points to cases like Dugard, Smart and Morin as examples of why it's important to stay vigilant.

"We face the same realities that everyone else does; the likelihood that the children are still alive is not always great, but it doesn't mean that we have to assume the worst has happened," said Robert Lowery, senior executive director of NCMEC's missing children's division. "Those cases remind us that we've got to continue searching very aggressively. We won't rest until the children have been physically found."

Despite Jones' assertion that her daughter is alive, police and prosecutors are certain Lane killed her. "Lane was convicted because the prosecution proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Bianca's brief life was taken when he brutally murdered her," said Maria Miller, spokeswoman for Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy. "The jury clearly rejected any alternative theory presented by the defense."

What started as a missing persons case when the Skelton brothers disappeared in the rural farm community of Morenci in 2010 eventually turned into a homicide investigation by Police Chief Larry Weeks.

Weeks said the department has received nearly 1,300 tips in the Thanksgiving Day disappearance of Andrew, Alexander and Tanner, who were last seen playing in their backyard Nov. 25, 2010. "We are still actively investigating … we would love to bring them home if we could," he said.

Their father, John Skelton, is serving 10-15 years in prison after pleading no contest to three counts of unlawful imprisonment. Skelton has claimed he gave his sons to a secret child protection organization. Authorities say the organization doesn't exist and Skelton's conflicting statements have convinced police the boys are likely dead.

Zuvers said she knows her ex-husband could face a similar fate as Lane: Being charged in the deaths of the boys without a body.

"John could very well be charged with murder without (police) having my boys' bodies if that's what they think he truly did," she said. "When I hear of the Bianca Jones case, my heart breaks for that mom. I know what she's going through, and it's the worst thing a mom could ever have to face."

Tangena Hussain, 2, disappeared Oct. 2, 2008. Her mother, Nilufa Begum, has since returned to her native Bangladesh, but she never gave up hope the girl would be found alive, said her attorney, Shawn Patrick Smith.

"She was a different person when she left than when I first met her; it changed everything for her," Smith said. "She has kids back in Bangladesh, so she felt it was better to go take care of them. But she told me she believes her daughter is still alive.

"You never know. Sometimes when people think someone is gone forever, they turn up. I don't know if Tangena is still alive, but I'm keeping every possibility open. I've seen too many cases where people are found after months, or even years."

Banika Jones said she's holding on to the same philosophy. "Until someone proves to me my daughter is dead, I'm going to keep looking for her," she said.

And she said the flier offering the reward for Bianca's safe return will remain in her window.

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I am sure I would be just like the above parents.

Yep, me too. Bet the majority of us would be. I would love Cory's thoughts here.

Yes I would too.