Andrew, Alexander & Tanner Skelton missing/ John Skelton, Father Of 3 Missing Morenci Boys, Pleads No Contest To Unlawful Imprisonment/ Father of 3 missing Mich. boys gets 10-15 years

This guy needs to start talking and start talking NOW!! Enough already w/the "they are with a friend" or whatever his latest lie is. He is like a male Casey Anthony. Perish the thought.

Those 3 little boys make me think of my 3 little grandson's and what I would do if this happened to them. OMG, I would be a basket case!!!

I don't care if they get a divorce, stay married or whatever...these boys Need to be found. I have some doubts about the local LE as I lived in Toledo very briefly a long time ago and they left a lot to be desired. Maybe they've stepped up to the plate. Wish this idiot would!!

'We need to know where the boys are'
Hope fading for missing Morenci brothers

Updated: Tuesday, 03 May 2011, 11:34 PM EDT
Published : Tuesday, 03 May 2011, 11:34 PM EDT

Jennifer Steck
FOX Toledo News reporter
MORENCI, Mich. (WUPW) - The family of Alexander, Tanner and Andrew Skelton, the young brothers from Morenci who were last seen on Thanksgiving, had a strong message for John Skelton, the man believed to be behind their disappearance.

"We need to know where the boys are and you hold the key," said Bev Zuvers, grandmother.

It's been almost six months since the Skelton brothers were last seen together on Thanksgiving and their family is still asking - where are they?

With each holiday that comes and goes, the hope that the boys are found alive is slowing changing. With Mother's Day this weekend, the boys' family is hoping their father will give them some closure.

"I believe John, that you know where the boys are," Zuvers said. "I believe that you know what you did with them. The hurt and the pain is already inflicted, you can't make it any worse by telling us where they are at."

The father is accused of kidnapping his three sons in November 2010. The Skelton brothers, ages 5-9, were last seen on Thanksgiving playing in the yard of their home in Morenci.

The 39-year-old father, who has refused to tell authorities and the court repeatedly where his sons are, is jailed on a combined $90 million bond on kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment charges in the disappearance.

"I believe John, that you know where the boys are, I believe that you know what you did with them. The hurt and the pain is already inflicted- you can't make it any worse by telling us where they are at." Says Zuvers.

Hundreds of volunteers and law enforcement from Michigan and Ohio have been working tirelessly for months to locate the boys alive. In February, Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks said the search has turned into a homicide investigation.

"Yes I do believe the boys have left this world," Zuvers said. "But that doesn't mean that I don't have hope that, that miracle couldn't happen because, wow, if they would walk in and say, 'Stop talking like that grandma!,' it would be wonderful. But I don't expect that to happen."

Zuvers says the boys' mother, Tanya Skelton, John's estranged wife, will never give up hope her sons will return home safe and sound. That's why the family is still asking the public to keep an out for anything suspicious.

"Keep an eye open, but if you're out there with your children, do not let them wander off," the grandmother cautioned. "I do not want a child to discover these boys."

There's a reward of nearly $60,000 for information that leads to the boys' whereabouts. If you have any information, you're being asked to call Morenci Police. The phone number is (517) 458-7104.

A divorce trial between John and Tanya Skelton in Lenawee County Circuit Court in Adrian is expected to start June 7.

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Police Take List Of Items From John Skelton's Morenci Home
3 Boys Have Been Missing Since Thanksgiving
POSTED: Wednesday, May 4, 2011
UPDATED: 7:46 pm EDT May 4, 2011

MORENCI, Mich. -- Police removed evidence from the home of the father of three missing boys from Morenci.
John Skelton's three sons, Alexander, 9, Andrew, 7, and Tanner, 5, have been missing since November. They were last seen by their father on Thanksgiving Day.
Skelton, 39, faces three charges of parental kidnapping in the disappearance of his sons.
Officers removed dozens of items, including a noose, rope, bottles of bleach and clothing from Skelton's Morenci house.
Tom Berry, a retired veteran police officer, said the police took the items before anyone could try to destroy possible evidence.

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They are JUST NOW collecting these things!? :tongue in chee

This video explains that the items were taken from the home a few days after the boys were reported missing, but the search warrant and list of items taken were just made public.

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Search warrant documents obtained by a Detroit television station show what police took from John Skelton’s home in Morenci in the days after his three sons disappeared.

Among the items seized from the house were a noose made of white rope, a .22-caliber bullet, a Bible and Skelton’s will, according to the documents, many of which are hard to read. The bullet was found on a stairway, the noose in the upstairs part of the house, the Bible on a living room table and the will in Skelton’s dresser.

The list did not say if the bullet was spent or not.

Skelton tried to hang himself the day after Thanksgiving. His boys, Andrew, Alexander and Tanner, were last seen at his home on Thanksgiving.

John Skelton is being held in the Lenawee County Jail on $90 million in bonds. He faces kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment charges. He has claimed he gave the boys to an organization called United Foster Outreach and Underground Sanctuaries, but police have been unable to identify any such group.

The boys’ maternal grandparents and family friends this week asked people to be vigilant as they start doing outdoor activities as the weather warms.

WDIV did not say who gave them the documents, which have been suppressed by a court order signed by Lenawee County District Judge James E. Sheridan. WDIV has sued the district court, claiming the documents should be made public.

The documents appear to be copies of those that would have been left in the house by police as required by law. Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks said that when a search warrant is executed, copies of the documents showing what was seized are left at the search location and given to the district court and the judge who signed the warrant. The original documents are maintained by the police agency that requested the warrant.

“The only unattended documents we left behind were those required by law,” Weeks said.

Weeks said his department did not release the documents and would not comment on the copies WDIV has due to the suppression order. Assistant Lenawee County Prosecutor Douglas Hartung said neither the prosecutor's office nor the district court released them.

At the request of Lenawee County Prosecutor Jonathan Poer, Sheridan issued the suppression order on Jan. 6, which was the end of the time period set by state law when search warrants are kept from public view. The order suppressed the documents until the investigation is completed or 180 days after the order was signed, “whichever first occurs.”

Sheridan said his understanding of the law is that he is not allowed to even acknowledge that there is a search warrant and related documents.

“If they say they have something, that’s fine,” he said. “If they did in fact get something, I can’t tell you whether it’s authentic. I can’t comment on something I’m not allowed to comment on.”

The WDIV lawsuit over the search warrant documents is still pending with an Aug. 2 trial date in Circuit Judge Margaret M.S. Noe’s courtroom.

Hartung said from what he saw of WDIV’s broadcast Wednesday evening, the documents appear to be legitimate.

Poer was unavailable for comment.

Weeks said WDIV let the FBI know it had copies of the documents and the FBI told him.

Weeks said he still has concerns that releasing the documents would jeopardize the investigation.

Police searched the residence at 112 E. Congress St. three times, the documents say. The Nov. 27 search warrant gave police authority to collect “any and all evidence to assist in the location of the three missing children belonging to John and Tanya Skelton.”

John and Tanya Skelton are in the process of being divorced.

The Nov. 30 warrant sought pajama pants and shirts presumably belonging to the boys.

The Dec. 3 warrant sought “any and all poisons, acids, cleaning supplies or chemicals, whether solid or liquid form, which are hazardous or potentially hazardous to humans.”

The list of items seized Dec. 3 contains many common household cleansers and other chemicals taken from the kitchen, two bathrooms and a computer room.

All three warrants were signed by Poer and Noe.

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Mother gets sole custody of 3 children still missing


ADRIAN -- John Skelton, whose three sons have been missing since Thanksgiving weekend, denied Tuesday during his divorce trial that he had any role in the boys' disappearance.

"As far as the children are concerned, I didn't take the kids," Mr. Skelton, acting as his own attorney in the civil case, told Judge Margaret Noe when asked why he desired joint custody of Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner.

Judge Noe rejected arguments from the father that he should share in the parenting of the missing boys, and instead ruled that the boys' mother, Tanya, will have "sole legal and physical custody" if the boys are found alive.

"It is in the best interest of the three minor children to be in the sole legal and sole physical custody of their mother," Judge Noe, of Lenawee County Circuit Court, said as she made her ruling from the bench. "It is hoped they will be returned quickly and safely."

Mr. Skelton, 39, is charged with three counts each of kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment. An arraignment for the defendant that was scheduled Wednesday on the unlawful imprisonment charges, which carry sentences of life in prison, was canceled after he waived his appearance in court.

He is being held in the county jail in lieu of a $30 million bond.

Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner, who were 9, 7, and 5 years old, respectively, when they disappeared, were last seen in the backyard of their father's home in Morenci on Thanksgiving Day.

Mrs. Skelton reported to police that her sons were missing after her ex-husband failed to return them, igniting an extensive search involving local, state, and federal investigators as well as hundreds of volunteers who combed fields and lakes in Michigan and Ohio.

The issue of joint custody of the boys sent the divorce complaint Mrs. Skelton filed Sept. 13 into Tuesday's proceedings after Mr. Skelton backed out of a signed agreement he had made with David McFarland, Mrs. Skelton's attorney.

Mrs. Skelton took the witness stand to answer questions, first from her own attorney, and then from Mr. Skelton. She avoided eye contact with her estranged husband when he asked her questions. She looked and talked directly to Judge Noe.

When Mr. Skelton asked if she believed the boys are safe, she replied: "No. Because they are not with their legal parent," and when asked by Mr. Skelton if she believes he knows the boys' location she said "Yes."

Mrs. Skelton left the courtroom immediately after the trial.

Her mother, Beverly Zuvers, said she was pleased with the ruling ending the marriage and giving custody to her daughter.

"I feel that it is was very positive. For the children and Tanya this is a good thing. We are thankful that she got the legal custody," she said outside the courtroom.

Mr. Skelton has given different accounts of what happened to his sons. In December, he told Judge Noe during a contempt hearing in the divorce case that he had given the boys to a person from an unnamed "organization" who came to his house.

The inconsistencies in his statements were among the reasons given by Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks in concluding that investigators no longer believe the boys are alive and their father is a prime suspect in their deaths.
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Weird to get legal custody of children that are missing. I suppose it was a matter of law and that had to be done in case they are ever found.

A Morenci man whose three sons have been missing since November pleaded not guilty Thursday to child kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment charges.
John Skelton filed written not guilty letters at a Lenawee County circuit court.
The boys have been missing since Thanksgiving Day.
Skelton and his wife, Tanya Skelton, are also in the middle of a divorce case.
John Skelton is scheduled to appear in court Aug. 16.
He is jailed under a $90-milllion bond.

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I am having one of those days where I am sick to death of these lying parents. Skelton Knows where his son's are. If I were his mother, I would do all I could to get the truth out of him. He Knows and would rather stay locked up on a 90 million dollar bond. I don't think I've ever heard of such a high bond unless there is NO bond.

I have a very, very hard time reading about this case and his "missing" "my 3 sons".

I do not think he will Ever come clean and we will never know what happened..just like little HaLeigh Cummings, Hailey Dunn, Trenton Duckett and Kyron Horman.

Wrapitup wrote:I am having one of those days where I am sick to death of these lying parents. Skelton Knows where his son's are. If I were his mother, I would do all I could to get the truth out of him. He Knows and would rather stay locked up on a 90 million dollar bond. I don't think I've ever heard of such a high bond unless there is NO bond.

I have a very, very hard time reading about this case and his "missing" "my 3 sons".

I do not think he will Ever come clean and we will never know what happened..just like little HaLeigh Cummings, Hailey Dunn, Trenton Duckett and Kyron Horman.

I agree, Wrap. It seems like one case breeds another, got a problem wife or child?, just throw them away somewhere noone can find them and no matter how guilty your actions are there is nothing anyone can do.....at least some "guilties" are in jail.

John Skelton said at a divorce hearing Tuesday his wife will not see their three missing sons again if legal custody is given to her.

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Oh, Please!! Is he threatening her? What an ass he is.

She wouldn't see them again either way.

I am sick and tired of these people thinking they are fooling everyone.

The list:
Terri Horman
John Skelton
Shawn Adkins and Possibly Hailey Dunn's mother
Casey Anthony aka "tot mom/not mom"
Misty Croslin, Ron Cummings, Mother Teresa.
Elizabeth Johnson
Joshua Powell


There are more, but these are the ones that come to mind immediately.

The boys are gone.

He doesn't want their mother to have custody.

And he can't get his sons back from the people harboring them until he's out of jail.

That is John Skelton's account.

But police say they believe he is guilty of murder.

Skelton of Morenci sits in the Lenawee County Jail, awaiting trial on charges of kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment in the disappearance of his three sons.

In a series of interviews with the Free Press at the jail, Skelton maintained that the boys, missing since late November, are in the custody of members of an underground sanctuary group.

Skelton said they intervened and took Andrew, 9; Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5, before he could make that decision. He said he feels guilty "that I let these people come into my life."

Still, Skelton insists he does not know where his boys are and won't until he is released. But he faces up to life in prison if convicted of kidnapping.

Police say Skelton is just telling a variation of a tale authorities have already heard.

Many questions in the case linger.

One rises to the top: Where are they?

Father of 3 missing Morenci boys tells his story

The details of his story may change, but the theme remains constant: Andrew, Alexander and Tanner are safe.

John Skelton insists that he wouldn't hurt his sons, who disappeared in late November.

But the father says he doesn't know where the boys are and only has the first names of the people who took them.

Skelton, who has said he does not want the boys in the custody of their mother, maintains that his sons are being harbored by members of an organization.

Police say they believe Skelton killed his sons and are treating the case as a homicide investigation, but Skelton has not been charged with murder. He is awaiting trial on kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment charges.

In a series of interviews from the Lenawee County Jail, Skelton told his story to the Free Press.

He disputed details of the case, some released by authorities.

Police said he attempted suicide after the boys went missing. He said he didn't.

A noose reported to be found in Skelton's home was for an apparatus he was building, he said.

Police searched for the boys in Williams County, Ohio, because information from Skelton's cell phone led them there, they said. Police have said they cannot account for his whereabouts between the afternoon of Nov. 25 and 1:30 p.m. Nov. 26 -- around the time the boys disappeared.

Skelton said he wasn't in Ohio.

"I just want to say I wasn't there, my phone was," he said. "That morning when I woke up, it was back."

He also insists he didn't give his sons, ages 9, 7 and 5, to the organization -- members of the group intervened and took them.

A call to work together

Skelton's accounts to the Free Press are variations of a story authorities have heard, Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks said. If Skelton wants his sons returned safely, he needs to work with police, Weeks said.

"If he has a desire to talk, we're certainly here," Weeks said. "We want to find those boys desperately."

Hundreds of people searched for the boys after they disappeared.

On Saturday, a volunteer search and rescue group from Shiawassee County will lead another effort to look for them as part of a training exercise, Weeks said. They will be joined by other volunteer search and rescue groups and public safety officials, but no civilian volunteers.

Skelton said he does not know where his boys are and will not know until he is released. He is facing up to life in prison if convicted of kidnapping.

So what if he never gets out?

"Then," Skelton said, "nobody will see them again."

Fond memories

While he's sitting in his jail cell, Skelton thinks about his boys, he said.

He said he was in truck-driving school when Andrew was born, but made it to the hospital in time to cut his umbilical cord and give him his first bath.

"Actually, it was almost like a dream in itself," Skelton said. "It was wonderful."

He said he nearly missed Tanner's birth when he took a smoke break.

The boys, Skelton remembers, always wanted him to tickle them, especially Alexander.

"I think I've been an excellent father," he said. "I was an excellent husband."

Troubled times

By the time of the boys' disappearance in November, financial troubles plagued John and Tanya Skelton, and their relationship had soured.

They were losing their home and John Skelton wasn't working.

About two months earlier, he had taken two of their sons to Florida without permission, and his wife, Tanya, filed for divorce. It became official last month. Her pastor, Donna Galloway, said Tanya changed her name back to Zuvers after the divorce.

Skelton said he became depressed when she moved to end the marriage -- just as he had been after the marriage to his first wife failed.

In interviews, Skelton has accused his ex-wife of abusing their children and said he went to Morenci police to report her in September.

But police said no such report was ever made, and Zuvers has not been accused by authorities of any wrongdoing in this case.

Weeks said he had a conversation with Skelton about his ex-wife, but not about any alleged assaults. He declined to elaborate.

Zuvers did not want to comment for this article, but said in an earlier interview that Skelton wanted her to stop the divorce.

"I told him that at this point, I couldn't do that," she said. "There was something broken."

Disturbing words

Skelton left a cryptic message on his Facebook page before anyone knew the boys had vanished:

"I love my wife very much," it read. "May God and Tanya forgive me."

Jack Levin, a professor and co-director of the Brudnick Center on Violence and Conflict at Northeastern University in Boston, said there are several catastrophic blows in cases where a father kills his family: loss of a job, a failed marriage, a custody battle for his children.

A father, Levin said, may decide to commit suicide and believe he needs to protect his children by taking them, too.

"If a husband, father feels the need to control," he said, "if he sees himself as the breadwinner and as the alpha parent, then he may decide to take matters into his own hands and determine the fate of his own children."

Conflicting information

Skelton said he began talking to members of a group called United Foster Outreach, part of an organization named Underground Sanctuaries, weeks before his boys were taken.

He mentioned a couple named Sue and Elijah from either Hillsdale or Jackson. Skelton said he doesn't know their last name.

"Just for the reasons of security," he said.

In one interview, he said he met them at a truck stop. In another, he said a woman introduced them. Skelton said her name is Judy -- a woman he acknowledged he originally referred to as Joann Taylor. Police have said Joann Taylor does not exist.

He said Sue and Elijah spoke to him and his boys, but he was still exploring his options and hadn't made a decision.

Skelton said those people intervened and took his sons before he could make up his mind.

"I believe that they implemented their program because I wasn't doing my job," he said. "I was letting them go back to Tanya."

Skelton's account doesn't sit right with Faye Yager, who, for years, was involved in an underground network that hid abused children. She said she's been involved in thousands of cases, but is now running an inn in North Carolina and has become less involved on the front end.

She told the Free Press that if the children are with a group, there would likely be a contact person, and networks wouldn't take children without a guardian's involvement. Any such group, Yager said, would also likely require medical records or court documents to support an abuse claim.

"I'm telling you that no network that I worked with or know of would do such a thing," she said. "There's something wrong there. ... I'd be very worried about the children."

Some supporters

Skelton said he's a Christian -- born again as a teen -- and has faith that his children are safe.

He isn't the only one. Skelton's parents and sister have stood by him, saying they, too, believe the boys are safe.

But Skelton vows to stay in prison until he dies rather than let his sons go back to his ex-wife. In a meeting after the couple's final divorce hearing, Skelton expressed contempt for his ex, but denied harboring anger toward her.

"She can take those divorce papers and she can go to the park and push them around; she can push them on a swing," he said, later admitting he regretted the statement. "That's as close as I ever want her to get to these kids again."

Skelton said he prays every day and wishes people wouldn't believe he harmed his sons.

"I know I'm going to heaven," he said. "Let's just put it that way."

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I'd love to believe those children are alive but I don't think so. In this case I think water boarding should be allowed, we are took kind to some of these people.

7/10
Law enforcement officials aren’t giving specifics, but they say a routine training session Saturday may have turned up items tied to the case of three missing brothers.

Morenci was the site chosen by the Shiawassee County Search and Rescue team to carry out its routine training Saturday, a decision made in large part because searchers could sweep the area for any evidence connected to the case of the three Skelton brothers — Alexander, Andrew, and Tanner — who were 9, 7, and 5, respectively, when they were last seen, at Thanksgiving.

Morenci fire and police departments teamed up with Shiawassee County for the sweep, along with several volunteers from around the area.

Michigan State Trooper Andrew Coohon said items were found during the sweep by the search and rescue team, but he cautioned it is too early to tell if they are related to the case.

“The items found were all at one specific location,” Trooper Coohon said. “The items found will not be released until further testing to determine that they are related to the case.”

At this point, Trooper Coohon said, the items have been locked away in a secure location and will be sent to a crime lab in Lansing for more analysis.

He would not give specifics on what type of items may have been found.

“The amount of time it takes just depends on the DNA analysis,” he said. “However, major cases like these are expedited.”

The prime suspect in the boys’ disappearance is their father, John Skelton, who has said the boys are alive and are being held by a sanctuary group.

He is being held in the Lenawee County jail in lieu of $30 million bond, awaiting trial on charges of kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment.

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Skelton's plea deal leaves door open for murder charge in Morenci boys' disappearance

A Morenci man is headed to prison in the disappearance of his three young sons after entering into a surprise plea deal Thursday.

John Skelton pleaded no contest to charges of unlawful imprisonment, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Under a plea deal, charges of kidnapping -- punishable by up to life in prison -- were dismissed.

Some legal experts say prosecutors' decision to strike a deal is a prudent one, especially if murder charges could be on the horizon. If the case had gone to trial and Skelton -- whose young sons Andrew, Alexander and Tanner have been missing since late November -- had been acquitted of some or all of the charges, it could have been detrimental to any future case if the boys are found, dead or alive, experts say.

In a joint statement Thursday, the Lenawee County prosecutor and Morenci police chief said the plea deal doesn't interfere with the ongoing investigation.

"We believe the plea agreement in this case represents what a jury would likely have concluded based upon the facts and evidence as currently developed," the statement said.

Experts: Plea deal gives officials more time to build a case against Skelton
Prosecutors struck a plea deal with a Morenci father Thursday in the disappearance of his three young sons, but that agreement doesn't preclude murder charges.

Legal experts say it was a prudent decision -- by allowing John Skelton to plead no contest to unlawful imprisonment charges, he'll be sent to prison as law enforcement officials continue to build a murder case against him.

The Lenawee County prosecutor and Morenci police chief said in a statement Thursday that the agreement reflected what they believe a jury would have ultimately concluded. Under the plea deal, kidnapping and parental kidnapping charges were dropped.

The plea deal in this case comes in the wake of the national headline-grabbing case against Casey Anthony, the Florida woman acquitted of murder charges in the death of her 2-year-old daughter.

One expert said the Skelton case may have been even more difficult to prosecute than the Anthony case because the girl's body was found. Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton -- ages 9, 7 and 5, respectively -- disappeared while in the custody of their father over Thanksgiving. They haven't been seen since.

Wayne State University Law professor Peter Henning said it's difficult to say how an acquittal or conviction, particularly on the kidnapping charges, would have impacted any future charges against Skelton. Now, he said, the prosecutor won't have to worry about that as the homicide investigation continues.

"You live to fight another day," Henning said. "That's not a bad approach here."

During the hearing Thursday, Lenawee County Circuit Judge Margaret M.S. Noe read aloud from police reports.

Some of the details were familiar.

Skelton has told the news media, including the Free Press, that he gave his sons to members of an underground sanctuary group and doesn't know where they are. Skelton has said his children wouldn't be returned as long as he's in jail and as long as his ex-wife, Tanya Zuvers, has custody.

Skelton, who has said he does not want his sons in the custody of their mother, has said that he couldn't get the boys back from the people harboring them until he is released from jail. New details also emerged Thursday.

Noe said Skelton told investigators at one point that he wrapped each son in a blanket, gave each a stuffed animal, placed them in his van and drove them away.

Noe said Skelton reportedly took his sons' winter coats and toothbrushes to his aunt's home and told her he didn't need them anymore. Noe said Internet records show Skelton searched for information on how to break a neck about one week before the children went missing.

Noe said Skelton reportedly told investigators: "The children will hibernate until they graduate."

A jury, one expert said, may have found it difficult to convict Skelton on certain charges based on the circumstantial evidence.

"I wonder about the decision to plead him guilty here, rather than roll the dice on the part of the defense," said criminal defense attorney David Griem, a former state and federal prosecutor.

Skelton's attorney, John Glaser, declined to comment Thursday about his decision to take the plea agreement.

On the unlawful imprisonment charges, Skelton could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison. He is to be sentenced Sept. 15.

If he had been convicted of kidnapping, Skelton could have faced life in prison.

But he also could have been acquitted.

Asked why the deal was made, Lenawee County Prosecutor Jonathan Poer said: "We had full conversations with the law enforcement and the family."

John Freeman, a defense attorney and former federal prosecutor based in Troy, said the prosecutor has now left the door open to charges that could lead to a mandatory life sentence.

He speculates that if prosecutors thought they could prove murder, they would not be satisfied with a 15-year-sentence -- so they may have concluded that the strongest evidence they have is on the charge he pleaded to.

"They simply don't want to run the risk of letting somebody, who they believe may be responsible for the death of three young children, they just don't want to see him walk," Freeman said.

Poer's office and Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks released a joint statement, saying the plea agreement does not interfere with the ongoing investigation.

"We consider this just one more step toward everyone's goal of fully resolving this case," it reads.

A spokeswoman for the family of the boys' mother released a statement saying the family supports the decisions made by law enforcement.

"There is a sense of discouragement that John will not receive the sentence we believe he deserves," it reads. "However, our focus is still on Andrew, Alexander and Tanner, and this will not be over until the boys are home. We are grateful for the support of everyone and ask for your continued prayers."

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IDK about this...I would have liked to see him get life in prison. I guess they're saying that they're not sure that a jury would find him guilty of kidnapping with the current evidence. At least he'll be in prison for 15 years and maybe some hard evidence will be found.

Hibernating?
Are there caves in the are where they live?

Good thought charm? I am glad he is going to prison for a number of years and hopefully someone finds those little boys before he gets out.

Last updated at 10:38 AM on 29th July 2011

Bizarre new details have emerged about the Michigan father who was the last to see his three sons before they disappeared last November.

John Skelton, of Morenci, pleaded no contest in Lenawee County Circuit Court Thursday to three counts of unlawful imprisonment.

Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner Skelton, 5, went missing over Thanksgiving weekend in 2010.

In court, Judge Margaret Noe said she has read investigative reports by the FBI and state police, the Detroit Free Press reported.

Judge Noe said records show Skelton searched for information on how to break a neck about a week before the children vanished.

She added that Skelton reportedly told investigators: 'The children will hibernate until they graduate.'

Mr Skelton also told authorities he wrapped each boy in a blanket, gave them a stuffed animal, placed them in his van and drove them away.

Skelton has been detained at an Ohio hospital, where he is receiving treatment for an alleged suicide attempt.

The boys’ family reacted with understanding but disappointment after hearing about the plea deal.

No sign of them: Volunteers in two states have joined the search for the boys, but to no avail

Family spokeswoman Kathye Herrera said: 'The family supports all the decisions made by law enforcement.'

'There is a sense of discouragement that John will not get the sentence he deserves… This will not be over until the boys are home.'

The boys were last seen on Thanksgiving, before the boys were supposed to be returned to their mother, Tanya Skelton.

John Skelton and his wife were estranged at the time and are now divorced.

In exchange for the 'no contest' plea, prosecutors dropped a kidnapping charge, but Skelton acknowledged he still could face more charges later.

'They can still charge you with homicide,' defense lawyer John Glaser told his client in court.

Mr Skelton faces up to 15 years in prison when he is sentenced Sept. 15.

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I don't believe him at all. Hibernate? It's just ridiculous. He needs to stop this and tell the truth? "Neck breaking"?? Am beginning to wonder if you know who has given nutjobs ideas.

A Michigan man whose three sons have been missing since last year is set to be sentenced Thursday on charges of unlawful imprisonment.
The father pleaded no contest to the charges in June. He has said he gave them away to an organization. Hundreds of people have searched woods and waters in Ohio and Michigan. In February, Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks, concerned that people had false hope of the boys' return, said the case had turned into a homicide investigation.
Legal analyst David Griem said he expects Skelton will receive a maximum 15 years sentence. If that is the case Thursday, Skelton could be charged again.
"There will be no double jeopardy in this situation," Griem said. "A year from now, 10 years from, 20 years from now ... somebody finds the skeletal remains of one, if not all three, children and at that point in time I would very much anticipate he'll be prosecuted again."

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15 years? That's five years per child. That's Nothing!!! I hope they find these poor little ones and he gets the DP!!

A Michigan man who insists his three young sons are alive even though they haven't been seen since a visit to his home on Thanksgiving, was sentenced Thursday to 10 to 15 years in prison for unlawful imprisonment.

John Skelton told Lenawee Circuit Judge Margaret Noe that he loves his sons Andrew, Alexander and Tanner, and that he has cried every day since their disappearance.

The boys, who were 9, 7 and 5 years old at the time, were last seen on Thanksgiving while visiting their father's home in Morenci, a town 70 miles southwest of Detroit near the Ohio border.

The boys' mother, Tanya Zuvers, had exclusive custody of them, but had allowed them to visit their father for the holiday. He was supposed to return them to her the next day, but he told investigators that he instead gave them to an organization he refused to identify.

Investigators don't believe him, and Noe admonished Skelton during Thursday's hearing, saying he has deprived the family and the community of the comfort of knowing where the boys are. Skelton interrupted the judge to say: "Including myself, your Honor."

The judge said she has given Skelton numerous opportunities to come clean about the boys' whereabouts, and he has repeatedly failed to do so.

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Boys' mother to judge: Disappearance is ‘my worst nightmare come true’

Updated 38 minute(s) ago
Daily Telegram
Posted Sep 15, 2011 @ 01:00 PM
Last update Sep 15, 2011 @ 01:09 PM

ADRIAN, Mich. —
This is the transcript of Tanya Zuvers' statement at Thursday's sentencing for John Skelton in the disappearance of their three sons.

"First let me start by saying that never in a million years did I expect to be standing in a courtroom talking about the disappearance of one of my children, let alone three of them. The disappearance of Andrew Ryan, Alexander William and Tanner Lucas has been my worst nightmare come true and all of this at the hands of the defendant, John Skelton. Not one minute of the day for the past nine months, two weeks and six days have the boys been from my thoughts. I worry about them -- are they safe, warm, being fed, and most importantly being loved. My fear is that the answer to these questions are no, because no one will ever be able to love those three precious boys like I do. I take comfort in the fact that as a Christian, wherever my sons are, God is watching, loving and protecting them for me.

"Not once in the past 9 1/2 months has the defendant given the same account of where my sons are or who may have them. His stories are inconsistent and farfetched. I am appalled at the fact that John Skelton doesn't seem to know, or care, where Andrew Ryan, Alexander William, and Tanner Lucas are.

"The disappearance of my sons has not only affected me, but it has affected everyone in my family, my friends, as well as the boys' friends, and the Morenci community as well as many across the United States and world. I've heard numerous accounts of the reactions of children who have been affected by this tragedy. These range from children being afraid of sleeping alone to children in a divorce situation not wanting to go with their noncustodial parent because they fear of never coming back to the other parent. No child should ever have to fear their parent.

"Family gatherings are no longer enjoyable to me; half of my family is missing at these. Nieces, nephews and cousins all notice and are affected by the empty spots where Andrew, Alexander and Tanner should be. Soccer season has started and Andrew, Alexander and Tanner are not here to play a game they have come to love. Also, Andrew was looking forward to his first year of being able to play football and was going to play that instead of soccer this year. I see his friends going to practice and know that he should be here to enjoy this new experience.

"I ask that the court give the maximum sentence of 15 years for each charge of involuntary imprisonment to John Skelton, with no chance for parole, and that no time be given for time already served.

"John Skelton has been sentenced to prison today, but this is not over and will not be over until my sons, Andrew Ryan, Alexander William and Tanner Lucas are back home, with their mom, where they belong."

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It must be the trend of this era, your children (child) disappears and whether they are found dead or just are missing forever one just clams up and refuses to talk and gets nothing or next to nothing in prison time. It makes me sick.
He only got 10-15 years total? And the Mother of these children said above the maximum was 15 years per charge? If the judge just gave him 10-15 total, somethings very wrong with this picture.

by Kevin Kistner

MORENCI -- It's been nearly a year since three Lenawee County brothers vanished from their father's home. Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton have not been seen since Thanksgiving 2010.

And to help keep the search for these brothers from fading, their family is planning a ceremony for Nov. 27 inside the Morenci High School Gym. Morenci's Mayor is expected to give an update on the reward fund and the police chief will give an update on the investigation. This will be followed by a tribute to the Skelton brothers who were last seen by their father John Skelton.

He's serving 10 to 15 years in prison after pleading no contest to unlawful imprisoning his sons. He claims he gave them to an underground organization.

Morenci police have treated this case as a homicide investigation. If you know anything call Morenci Police at 517-458-7104.

Meanwhile, in Monroe, the community is not giving up its fight to find out who killed little Nevaeh Buchanan.

The group "Justice for Nevaeh" is holding a reward poster distribution campaign event Thursday at 6pm at the Moose Lodge on North Macomb Street in Monroe.

It's been more than two years since the five year old girl was kidnapped from outside her apartment building. Her body was found in a concrete grave a few weeks later.

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John Skelton, the Michigan father whose 3 boys went missing: Whatever happened to ...?

Published: Monday, July 30, 2012, 5:55 AM
By Mark Gillispie, The Plain Dealer

"Whatever happened to . . .?" is a weekly series updating some of the most newsworthy and interesting local stories covered in The Plain Dealer. Have a suggestion on a story we should update? Send it to John C. Kuehner, or call 216-999-5325.

Today, we answer the question:
Whatever happened to John Skelton, the Michigan father whose three young boys went missing in November 2010?

Skelton remains behind bars in a Michigan prison after pleading no contest to three counts of unlawful imprisonment in September 2011.

His three sons, Andrew, Alexander and Tanner, however, remain missing. Police in Morenci, Mich., long ago gave up hope that the three boys, who were 9, 7 and 5 years old, would be found alive.

The disappearance of the boys on Nov. 25, 2010, triggered a massive search for them in communities skirting the Ohio-Michigan border. Skelton, who was separated from his wife, was supposed to return the boys to her that day. He instead told his wife that a woman would be dropping off the boys.

Skelton asked a friend to take him to a nearby mental health hospital in Ohio the next day after he tried to hang himself. He also posted a Facebook message asking that God and his wife forgive him.

Tanya Zuvers had filed for divorce from Skelton in September 2010 after he had taken two of the boys out of school and had driven them to Florida to visit his family. He was granted visitation rights and had the boys for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Skelton gave authorities a number of different stories after the boys were reported missing. There were unconfirmed reports that he told the FBI he had killed his sons. He also told authorities he sent the boys away to prevent them from being abused by their mother.

Prosecutors in Lenawee County, Mich., originally charged Skelton with three counts of kidnapping, which carry a potential sentence of life in prison. He could still face murder charges should evidence be found linking him to the boys' deaths.

Morenci Police Chief Larry Joe Weeks says his department continues to work on the case on an almost daily basis.

"But there's been no significant break in the case, unfortunately," he said.

Based on cellular phone traffic, Weeks believes that the boys" bodies are somewhere within 80 miles of Morenci, which makes the search difficult.

Weeks said the case is bothersome from both a professional and a personal perspective. While there is a crime that needs to be solved, as a parent, he is bothered by the fact that no closure has been brought to the boys" mother and family.

"They're both equally as frustrating," Weeks said. "Probably the second more than the first."

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John Skelton, Michigan Father of Missing Boys, Denied Prison Sentence Appeal

06/07/12 09:57 AM ET

ADRIAN, Mich. -- The Michigan appeals court has declined to hear an appeal of the prison sentence ordered for a Lenawee County man blamed for the disappearance of his three sons.

John Skelton pleaded no contest last year to charges of unlawful imprisonment. Tanner, Alexander and Andrew Skelton were last seen at their father's home in Morenci near the Michigan-Ohio border on Thanksgiving 2010. They were supposed to be returned to their mother.

Judge Margaret Noe (NOH'-ee) exceeded sentencing guidelines and sent Skelton to prison for 10 to 15 years. The appeals court last week turned down Skelton's delayed request to challenge that punishment. A message seeking comment was left for his lawyer Thursday.

Authorities believe the Skelton brothers are dead.

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This case drives me nuts! It looks like this egg donor would rather take a 15 year sentence than tell authorities what he did with his sons. I doubt we will never know. VERY SAD!!!

I think you mean sperm donor instead of egg donor.

Sorry, yes...that is what I meant.

Story posted 2012.10.15 at 10:45 PM EDT

Nearly 2 years into the investigation and tips on the whereabouts of Tanner, Alexander, and Andrew Skelton are still coming in. The most recent reports is that their father gave them to an Amish community.

Tanya Zuvers, the boys' mother says, "who knows what kind of story he could have gave, look at the stories that he's told to all of us since that happened."

Zuvers is talking about the boys' father, John Skelton. Currently, he's locked up, serving 10-15 years for unlawful imprisonment. The three boys were last seen at his house on Thanksgiving in 2010.

"The system is taking care of him so I try not to let myself go there," Zuvers says.

Morenci police say they've received more than 1000 similar tips, but all have come up empty. Now, Zuvers and police are in the process of getting age progression pictures to keep the boys in the spotlight.
"If you think, even 1% think it could be them, call 911. It's that simple, " she said.

While the search continues, Zuvers tries to get used to life without her sons. She says she still holds onto hope, that one day, they'll be home again.

To mark the 2 year anniversary, Zuvers and her family have planned a community gathering. It's set for Sunday November 25th, at 3:00 p.m., at Wakefield Park.

If you have any information about the boys call Morenci Police 517-458-7104.

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Three Brothers Missing After Two Years

35 mins ago
by Kayla Penokie
Senior Producer

MORENCI, Mich-

It’s been two years since 3 brothers from Morenci, Michigan disappeared and now, friends and family are holding an event to make sure to they’re not forgotten.

On November 25th, supporters will gather at Wakefield Park, where three trees have been planted in honor of Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton. During the event, organizers will unveil a memorial plaque and are also hoping to reveal age-progression photos of the boys in hopes of finally finding where they are.

You may remember the brothers were last seen with their father, John Skelton on Thanksgiving 2010. Their mother, who had custody, allowed John to visit with the boys but he never brought them back. Skelton claims he gave them to an organization to protect them, but police have never been able to verify whether or not the group exists. They’re now investigating the case as a homicide.

Skelton is currently is prison serving up to 15-years for unlawful imprisonment in the case.

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Posted: 11:35 PM
Last Updated: 9 hours and 44 minutes ago
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(WXYZ) - The mother of the missing Skelton boys has released age-progressed photos of Andrew, Alexander and Tanner.
On Thanksgiving-eve in 2010, Tanya Zuvers last saw her sons alive.

Last year, Tanya recounted what she remembered of the events surrounding that day to 7 Action News.

She says she hugged and kissed them as she dropped the boys off at their grandmother’s house that November 26 .

Two days later her life changed forever.

“I said I love you and I said I’ll see you on Friday,” Tanya said.

It was a reunion that still hasn’t happened.

The boys, only 5, 7 and 9 at the time, were eventually on their way to see their father John Skelton, Tanya’s then-estranged husband, as part of their shared-custody agreement. The boys were spending Thanksgiving with Skelton. John was supposed to return the boys to their mother on Friday.

When Tanya called John that day to ask if she could pick up the brothers early, John told her several different stories. Eventually Tanya became suspicious.

“He said well, I haven’t been exactly honest with you. And then my heart started really racing. He said I’m on my way to the hospital – I got hurt doing housework and remodeling. The boys, he said, stayed the night away. The boys will be home around three,” Tanya said.

And from there the situation exploded. Police and federal agents descended on John's home and the town of Morenci. Investigators found a noose in John's house and detectives ultimately discovered a search for ‘neck breaking’ on his computer.

John’s story to investigators about what happened to the kids changed multiple times. And even as hundreds of volunteers searched for Alexander, Tanner and Andrew, it became clear to police something terrible happened to the brothers.

Tanya, though, is not giving up hope.

“I know what the police have told me and I appreciate and respect what they have to do. Likewise they know where I stand, and they respect and appreciate that,” Tanya said.

“As the boys’ mom, in my heart, they’re still alive.”

And despite the fact that Tanya will rarely utter her ex-husband’s name she has just enough faith to believe he wouldn’t hurt their sons.

“I do not feel and the man that I knew couldn’t, wouldn’t harm his children that way.”

The Zuvers family as a whole isn’t giving hope in finding the brothers. Tanya and her family are also grateful for all of the help from the community in Morenci and beyond.

“I’m overwhelmed with how much people care and I am so thankful to everyone who keeps my sons in their thoughts and prayers,” Tanya told 7 Action News last year.

Skelton pleaded no contest to unlawful imprisonment charges. The judge in the case slapped him with 10 to 15 years behind bars.

Alexander was last seen wearing black pajama pants and a grey shirt. Andrew was last seen wearing brown pajamas with orange trim and Tanner was last seen wearing camouflage pajama pants and a Scooby-Doo shirt.

Anyone who may have information regarding their disappearance should call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.

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Mother of missing brothers reflects on two-year disappearance

Posted: 11/17/2012
Last Updated: 4 hours and 36 minutes ago
By: Smita Kalokhe

MORENCI, Mich. (WXYZ) - Nearly two years after her three sons went missing, Tanya Zuvers says she believes the brothers from Morenci are still alive.

She recently released age-processed pictures to Action News, but says the photos are a bittersweet reminder of the time she’s missed with her boys. “You look at those pictures and say that’s not them; that’s not what they look like.”

Zuvers hopes the pictures will refresh memories and bring new clues that would solve the case.

The boys, Andrew, Alexander and Tanner, were last seen with their father, John Skelton, on the day before Thanksgiving 2010. Since then, Zuvers has refused to speak to Skelton. She says she’s now ready to face him.
“I’ve reached the point where in my own personal life and in who I’m becoming, I’m ready to cross that bridge and there are things that I want to say to him,” Zuvers told Action News during an interview on Saturday.

Zuvers won’t reveal what she will say to Skelton, only that she has rehearsed the meeting several times in her head.
On Sunday, November 25, the two year anniversary of their disappearance, Zuvers and family will hold an awareness event at Wakefield Park. The 3:00 p.m. gathering will honor the boys and raise money to continue searching for them.

As for Zuvers, she has just one message for Andrew, Alexander and Tanner. “We haven’t given up boys, and we will get you home where you belong,”

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by Jessica Knight

Skelton Boys: Missing Nearly Two Years

November 17, 2012 10:25 PM EST

Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner Skelton have been missing for nearly 2 years. Their father, who is serving 10 to 15 years in prison for unlawfully imprisoning the boys, claims he gave them to an underground organization. Tanya Zuvers, the boys' mother, holds out hope that this is true, as the alternative is unthinkable.

New age progressed photos have been released of the boys, who at the time of their disappearance, were 9, 7, and 5. Their mother says it's hard to look at the pictures, but she does see how they look like her boys.

Zuvers had exclusive custody of the boys when she allowed them to spend Thanksgiving 2010 with their father, near the Michigan-Ohio border. He was to return them to her the next day, but the boys haven't been seen since. So where are they? Is it possible that they are still out there, being cared for by a group of off the grid people?

Hopefully, someone will come forward with the truth about these little boys, as they've been missing almost two years. Their mother deserves to know where her sons are. Are they still alive? No signs of them have ever been found, even with massive search efforts. The story told by John Skelton could be true.

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Doubtful. MOO.

Strange. If I had children that went missing, I'd definitely be talking to the last person known to have been with them.

Something has Never sat right w/this case. IIRC, the mother is a convicted sex offender. Not saying that has anything to do w/the boys missing..just sayin.

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Skelton has claimed he took the boys to protect them from abuse by their mother, Tanya Zuvers, who is on the state sex offender registry for a 1998 relationship with a then-14-year-old neighbor boy.

Is this an OK site to share?

Yes and thanks! Sorry for them but glad I still have my memory. :scratch:

spayneuteryourpets wrote:[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Skelton has claimed he took the boys to protect them from abuse by their mother, Tanya Zuvers, who is on the state sex offender registry for a 1998 relationship with a then-14-year-old neighbor boy.

Is this an OK site to share?

for sharing it.

Missing Skelton brothers case to get attention on national TV

by Kevin Kistner
Posted: 1 hr, 14 mins ago

Kevin is the Senior Producer at WNWO.

MORENCI -- The search for the missing Skelton brothers in Morenci, Michigan is getting national attention.

The Morenci Police Department is partnering with John Walsh, the former host of "America's Most Wanted."

His new show, "John Walsh Investigates", will look into the disappearance of Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton two years ago. And try to shed some light on where they may be.

Police believe the boys were killed by their father who is serving time for unlawful imprisonment.

The Lifetime Network show will air sometime in January or February of 2013.

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Sandusky is a suburb of Toledo.

Posted: Jun 17, 2013 11:16 PM EDT
Updated: Jun 17, 2013 11:16 PM EDT
Posted by Holly Roney - [email=HRoney@ToledoNewsNow.com?body=http://www.wafb.com/story/22615984/missing-morenci-boys-receive-national-coverage]email[/email]
Reporting by Jonathan Walsh - [email=jwalsh@wtol.com?body=http://www.wafb.com/story/22615984/missing-morenci-boys-receive-national-coverage]email[/email]







MORENCI, MI (Toledo News Now) -
Alexander, Andrew and Tanner Skelton have been missing for two and a half years. Now, a man who knows what it's like to lose a child to crime is trying to help t
[*]

Tanya Zuvers says the former host of America's Most Wanted is about to feature her sons' case from Morenci, MI on his new program called "John Walsh Investigates."
"[He is] very passionate about finding the boys and getting us the answers we are looking for," Zuvers said.
She says Walsh and his crew were in the area for three days last December, conducting interviews about what happened to her boys. The program will air Wednesday, and she's hoping it speaks to people who know where her sons are.
She says the message she's sending to the people who have her children is to go to a hospital.
"Drop them off a block from the emergency entrance, and say, ‘Go in there and tell them who you are,' and drive away," she said.
Zuvers says the hardest part is wondering if her ex-husband John Skelton did the unthinkable, or:
"If they've been taken care of. If they have a warm bed to sleep in. And do they get three meals a day? Because John Skelton gets all of those."
Skelton said he gave the boys to an underground organization. He's serving a 10-15 year sentence for unlawful imprisonment. Zuvers says she's written him letters and received no response.
"Where are my sons?" she says she would ask him. "Be a man. Quit hiding behind your lies."
She says she believes Skelton had help taking her kids.
The Morenci police chief says he's seen clips of the upcoming show and warns parents there could be some intense information. It airs at 9 p.m. Wednesday on the Lifetime channel.


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[*]video above link

I'm glad to hear that Walsh is going to feature those three boys on his show! I just wish his show was still on network TV instead of Lifetime, I for one forget it's on and I bet other people do to. That show needs the exposure that it used to get. MOO.

Alexander Skelton


Andrew Skelton


Tanner Skelton

MORENCI, MI (Toledo News Now) - The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has released brand new, age-progressed renderings of Tanner, Alexander and Andrew Skelton. Their mother Tanya Zuvers still holds on to hope.
The three brothers have been missing since Thanksgiving Day 2010. Zuvers says the age-progression photos are hard to look at. She says she still thinks of the boys as they were when she last saw them in 2010.

"Wow, how big they are," said Zuvers. "I want my little boys back... I've missed those four years of growing."

The boys were last seen with their father, John Skelton. Zuvers and Skelton were later divorced. Skelton has been locked up on wrongful imprisonment charges since 2011.

Skelton claims he gave the boys to a person he met online who promised to take care of them. Now their mother says she is ready for answers.

"Realistically I know the longer we go, the chances are less that they're still alive," said Zuvers. "I think my hope for now is for a resolution, whatever that may be."

Zuvers says she knows the outcome may not be what she wants to see... but looking at their pictures she says she can't help but hold on to hope.

"There's always still that glimmer that it's going to be positive and I like to focus on that glimmer," said Zuvers.

Michigan State Police, Morenci Police and the FBI have been working on the case since 2010. The family says they are still hopeful for a resolution.

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