Subject: Andrew(9), Alexander(7), & Tanner(5) Skelton 11/26/10 Tue Nov 30, 2010 2:55 am
Three Young Michigan Boys Missing, Cops Search for Mystery Woman Who May Have Them The Boys' Father Says He Gave His Sons to a Woman Named Joann Taylor
The grandmother of the three missing Michigan boys who haven't been seen since Thanksgiving Day made an emotional plea this morning for their safe return as police continued their search for the mystery woman who is said to be caring for the brothers.
Morenci police issued an Amber Alert Friday for Andrew Skelton, 9, Alexander Skelton, 7, and Tanner Skelton, 5, after their suicidal father, John Skelton, said he handed them over to a woman by the name of Joann Taylor so they wouldn't be around to see him die.
Police say the boys, who have now been missing for four days, could be in "extreme danger."
Skelton, whose suicide attempt was unsuccessful, is hospitalized for "mental issues" while the grandmother begged Taylor to return the boys, saying that they "need to come home."
"We just have to reach out to this person and relay how very important it is that they come home to their mom," said Roxann Skelton, the boys' fraternal grandmother. "[Taylor] needs to put herself in the mother's position for five seconds and multiple it by one thousand and she'd realize the pain and hurt and terribly agony the family is going through for these boys."
Skelton is separated from his wife, Tanya Skelton, who has full custody of the boys. Skelton told police that he had handed the boys off to Taylor to return them to their mother on Thanksgiving evening.
Skelton said he met Taylor and her husband a few years ago when he helped them after their car broke down, and then began e-mailing her, police said.
But police said they have been trying to find Taylor and her husband, Mark Taylor, as well as the white or silver van Skelton told them she was driving when she took the children, but without any luck.
"From an investigative standpoint, it continues and is ongoing," Morenci Police Department Chief Larry Week said. "I have no further information of specifics to the investigation to offer you other than we continue to have contact with all parties involved in this case."
Last edited by Ava on Tue Jan 18, 2011 1:23 am; edited 2 times in total
Ava Orlando, Florida
Subject: Re: Andrew(9), Alexander(7), & Tanner(5) Skelton 11/26/10 Tue Nov 30, 2010 2:58 am
• Andrew Skelton is 4 feet, 1 inch tall, weighs 57 pounds and has brown eyes and hair.
• Alexander Skelton is 3 feet, 9 inches tall, weighs 45 pounds, has brown eyes and hair, and has scars at his hairline and on chin.
• Tanner Skelton is 3 feet, 6 inches tall, weighs 40 pounds and has blue eyes and blond hair.
How to help:
Police say any information should be reported by calling 911, the Morenci Police Department at 517-458-2323 or Lenawee County Dispatch at 517-263-0524.
Subject: Re: Andrew(9), Alexander(7), & Tanner(5) Skelton 11/26/10 Tue Nov 30, 2010 3:02 am
Cops: 3 boys missing after dad's suicide bid Truck driver claims he gave kids to Mich. woman; police can't confirm she exists MORENCI, Mich. — Authorities used planes and search dogs to scour areas along the Michigan-Ohio border Sunday, hoping to find three Michigan boys who were reported missing the same day their father tried to hang himself.
Police in Morenci, about 75 miles southwest of Detroit, said they fear the boys are in "extreme danger."
Their father, 39-year-old John Skelton, was being treated at a hospital in Ohio for "mental health issues" after he attempted suicide Friday, Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks said. When asked if Skelton was a suspect in his sons' disappearance, Weeks said: "We haven't ruled anything out yet."
The three boys — 5-year-old Tanner, 7-year-old Alexander and 9-year-old Andrew Skelton — were last seen Thursday and reported missing the next day by their mother, Tanya Skelton, Weeks said. A family friend said the couple was estranged and the boys were with their father as part of court-ordered visitation.
FBI child abduction teams, along with behavioral science experts, joined numerous police and volunteers to search fields, farmland and wooded areas late into the night Sunday. They expected to resume their work Monday.
Authorities said John Skelton claimed to have given the boys to a female friend, but officials haven't been able to confirm whether the woman exists.
The weekend search for the boys extended to an Ohio state park just south of the Michigan state line, according to the sheriff's office in Fulton County, Ohio. The FBI got involved Friday, shortly after being contacted by Michigan authorities, said Andrew Arena, head of the agency's Detroit office.
Authorities said John Skelton told investigators Friday that he wanted the boys out of his house when he committed suicide, and asked a woman named Joann Taylor to take them to their mother. John Skelton claimed that he met Taylor several years ago and the two had been involved in an online relationship, and she likely lived in southern Michigan.
But officers haven't been able to find a woman by that name or the silver van that Skelton said she was driving.
John Skelton's mother, Roxann Skelton of Jacksonville, Fla., told the Detroit Free Press that her son wouldn't hurt his children.
"I know my son, he's not a monster," she told the newspaper. "He's a good son and he would not harm his boys."
“In my heart I know my grandchildren are safe somewhere,” she said. “I know those children are … still with us.”
Kathye Herrera, a friend of Tanya Skelton's, said the couple have been married for 10 years but are in the process of getting a divorce. Herrera said that earlier this year, John Skelton picked his two older sons up from school and took them to Florida, but later returned to Michigan. Custody was awarded to Tanya Skelton, though John Skelton "had been seeing the boys with no issues," Herrera said.
Herrera said Tanya Skelton attends a local college or community college and John Skelton was a long-haul truck driver who hasn't been working in while.
About 200 people gathered Sunday evening for a prayer vigil at a church in Morenci, a small, mostly blue collar and farming community just north of the Ohio state line. Lights are strung on poles along Main Street, and festive decorations adorn windows in some of the shops and eateries in town.
The Skelton boys also started early, making holiday greeting cards. One of the older brothers wrote "Jesus is awesome" on his and drew a Nativity scene, Herrera said.
"They love church. They love the interaction, and they know all about Jesus," Herrera said.
..Many attending the vigil tried to hold back tears, though others allowed them to flow freely. As "Silent Night" and other Christmas hymns played, each filed slowly past the altar, lighting small white candles before returning to the pews to continue prayers for the boys' safe return.
"Give us courage to face our fears," church Lay Leader Bob Dister said as part of a short prayer before leading into "The Lord's Prayer."
He wept as the vigil ended.
Associated Press writers Jeannie Nuss in Columbus, Ohio, and David N. Goodman in Detroit contributed to this story.
Subject: Re: Andrew(9), Alexander(7), & Tanner(5) Skelton 11/26/10 Sun Dec 19, 2010 3:44 am
Skelton: Boys Are With An "Organization"
The father of the three missing boys in Morenci tells that to a judge at a hearing Thursday morning.
Dec 16, 2010 Reporter: News 10
The father of the three missing boys in Morenci, Michigan tells a judge, under oath, his sons are with an "organization", but would not say where. John Skelton was in court Thursday morning for a show cause hearing. The hearing is not related to the criminal charges he's facing, but has to do with Skelton's failure to comply with the custody order.
Morenci police say they've received about 900 tips since Andrew, Alexander and Tanner went missing on Thanksgiving Day. Included in those tips are possible sightings of the boys, but so far, none of them have been confirmed.
Subject: Re: Andrew(9), Alexander(7), & Tanner(5) Skelton 11/26/10 Sun Dec 19, 2010 3:47 am
Skelton Search Timeline
MORENCI, Mich. — A day-by-day chronicle of the events related to the missing Skelton boys.
Thursday, Nov. 25: Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton are seen in their father’s backyard on East Congress Street in Morenci for the last time before their disappearance.
Friday, Nov. 26: The boys’ father, John Skelton, tries to commit suicide. Their mother, Tanya Skelton, reports them missing after he fails to return them to her at 3 p.m. He tells police he gave the boys to a woman named Joann Taylor so she could take them to their mother. An Amber Alert is issued and the FBI becomes involved in the case.
Saturday, Nov. 27: Several agencies, including Morenci police, Michigan State Police, the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI, search for the boys. Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks says police are not sure Joann Taylor exists.
Sunday, Nov. 28: Police and volunteers search for the boys until dark at several locations in Ohio and Michigan.
Monday, Nov. 29: The search becomes more concentrated in the Williams County area of Ohio. Police say they have determined the boys’ father lied about giving them to a woman named Joann Taylor. Volunteers look for evidence along highways in Ohio; campgrounds are also searched. The search is called off at dusk with plans to resume in the morning.
Tuesday, Nov. 30: As the search for the boys continues, Weeks says investigators are not expecting a positive resolution to the case. John Skelton, who had previously been in the custody of a mental health facility, is arrested on three counts of parental kidnapping and lodged at the Lucas County Jail in Toledo.
Wednesday, Dec. 1: Bond for John Skelton is set at $3 million. He decides to fight extradition from Ohio to Michigan. Volunteers continue looking for the boys as snow falls intermittently.
Thursday, Dec. 2: Searchers turn their attention to waterways in Williams County and a 300-acre woods near Kunkle, Ohio.
Friday, Dec. 3: More waterways and roadsides are searched on the last day of mass searches, including Lake Hudson and near Territorial Road in Hillsdale County.
Saturday, Dec. 4: Investigators begin a review of evidence collected in the past week.
Subject: Re: Andrew(9), Alexander(7), & Tanner(5) Skelton 11/26/10 Sun Dec 19, 2010 3:50 am
Skelton boys called happy, helpful. MORENCI, Mich. — For a town of fewer than 2,400 people, three missing boys are a personal affair.
“This isn’t a big city tragedy, this is a small town, and those boys aren’t just pictures on a paper; the people here know these boys,” said Kevin Lehr, a youth pastor from the West Rome Baptist Church in Manitou Beach.
The boys everyone in Morenci is focused on are Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton, the elementary school students who have been missing since the day after Thanksgiving.
Lehr was among hundreds of volunteers who traveled to Morenci to help search — with some coming from as far as Tennessee and West Virginia. Many other volunteers were locals who know the boys or their family.
K.C. Carter, a retired music teacher, taught 9-year-old Andrew in class as a kindergartner. Last week, she was stomping across the frozen ground searching for a sign of him.
While walking the frozen ground, firefighters leading the search crews told Carter to look for toys, clothes and loose dirt patterns — anything suspicious in the woods. She found a child’s swimming pool, but to her relief, nothing was beneath it. By Thursday, Carter decided to sign up volunteers rather than search.
“I do not want to be the one to find them,” Carter said. “I do not want to see little Andrew like that. I do not want to see a little hand. I hope they’re not going to be found like that. I hope that they’re alive and they’re going to be found.”
ANDREW
Carter described Andrew as always eager to learn, sing and play games. His mother, Tanya, who Carter worked with, was equally helpful. Whenever anything needed done at school, she would reach out, Carter said.
Earlier in the day at a news conference, Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks shared a personal story about Andrew.
“I was at their house on one occasion, and Andrew came out and he saw me and he said, ‘Hey, Chief! How you doing?’ I said, ‘I’m good. How are you?’ He said, ‘Just a minute.’ And he ran back in the house, and he came back out and he had one of these toy police vests and cap, and he looks at me and says, ‘I’m going to be a police officer like you someday,’ ” Weeks said.
Perhaps in another galaxy, he would aspire to be a Jedi. Andrew is into all things “Star Wars,” said Mary Fisher, the dean of students at Morenci Elementary School. His other love is country music singer Darius Rucker, she added.
“He’s a great kid. Happy. Always gets along with his friends,” Fisher said.
The brothers, who are two years apart in age — Andrew, 9, Alex, 7, and Tanner, 5 — are very close, said Janet Rollins, Tanner’s developmental kindergarten teacher.
ALEX
Every day, Alex walked Tanner to his classroom, helped him take off his jacket and unload his backpack. The boys would then hug and say, ‘See you after school,’ Rollins said. Alex would also make sure his younger brother made it to the office to take his inhaler after lunch.
Alex, who is in a literacy class with Rollins four days a week, is always eager to be the first to read. He also loves camping and fishing, a subject he writes about in his school journal, Fisher said.
“(Alex) ends everything in the journal with ‘It was fun,’ ” she said.
Tanner also loves camping, but spoke often about four-wheeling as well, Rollins said.
TANNER
Rollins said Tanner played and shared with everyone, both boys and girls. The bond with his classmates is evident in a little green book held together by plastic binding. Rollins had the kids doodle pictures of Tanner and themselves playing, along with a sentence about what they want to do when Tanner comes back.
“Tanner is my friend. We play outside,” one states. “I love Tanner and he loves me,” reads another, below two big green stick-people with smiley faces.
Tanner does a lot of drawing himself — his specialty is a dinosaur, Rollins said.
He often asked for his pictures to be displayed on the bulletin board.
For Halloween this year, unlike her other male students wanting to be Superman or Spider-Man, Tanner was Bob the Builder, Rollins said.
The 14 children in Tanner’s developmental kindergarten class haven’t been asking a lot of questions about the search, but will be in the middle of an activity and say, “I really miss Tanner,” Rollins said.
“They don’t talk about it a lot, other than saying they really miss Tanner,” Rollins said. “But they’re quieter and need a lot more hugs right now.”
To help the younger children cope, Rollins led a group discussion with the children sharing what they like about Tanner.
“I started the sharing session by saying I like to watch Tanner run,” Rollins said. “He’ll ask me to watch him run outside at recess, but you have to say ‘flash,’ then he’ll run really fast. Pretty soon all my boys will be running back and forth for me.”
Older students have taken the news differently. Some have drawn pictures with RIP signs scribbled into the paper, Fisher said.
“We have a collection of pictures to take over to Tanya,” she said. “It’s processing for the children. We had some pictures (Tanya) will never get because some kids have already processed this all the way — the child’s missing and the kids have thought maybe they’re already dead ... We just had the loss of 14-year-old (Collin Fletcher) six or seven weeks ago, and that’s still fresh in everyone’s minds.”
The school has extra counselors on hand as well as the Lenawee County Crisis Response Team if the students need to talk, Fisher said.
The boys were last seen with their father, John Skelton. He is being held on a $3 million bond in the Lucas County Jail on three kidnapping charges related to the boys’ disappearance.
Skelton had previously been at a mental health facility after attempting suicide at his home in Morenci about the time the boys were last seen.
Volunteer searches concluded Friday, while police and fire will continue as leads are developed, Weeks has announced.
“The one thing that this has done is brought out the best of humanity in the worst of times,” Carter said.
Subject: Re: Andrew(9), Alexander(7), & Tanner(5) Skelton 11/26/10 Sun Dec 19, 2010 4:04 am
Mother of 3 missing Morenci boys breaks her silence
John Skelton back in Michigan, held on $30M bond
12/14/2010
MORENCI, Mich. (WXYZ) - In her first interview since her three young sons went missing on Thanksgiving,Tanya Skelton says prayers, faith and her community are keeping her strong.
“It’s my faith in God. When I’m at my lowest I take out my bible. The word speaks to me and calms me down,” Tanya said.
Tanya says she believes Andrew, Alexander and Tanner are alive. She has this message for them.
“I love you, I miss you and I want you home.” She misses these little boys for the same reason any mom would miss her sons. “Their hugs, their kisses, their smiles. They’re joy of life. They love life. They’re all boy, through and through,” she said.
Subject: Re: Andrew(9), Alexander(7), & Tanner(5) Skelton 11/26/10 Sun Dec 26, 2010 1:38 pm
Search for missing Morenci boys
December 4, 2010
Volunteer search teams gather as the search for Andrew Skelton, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5 of Morenci, continues at Harrison Lake State Park near Fayette, OH., on Friday, Dec. 3, 2010. (ANDRE J. JACKSON/DFP)
Bill Kerns, fire fighter from the Manchester Fire Department, looks over an abandoned trailer home as the search for Andrew Skelton, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5 of Morenci, continues at Harrison Lake State Park near Fayette, OH., on Friday, Dec. 3, 2010. (ANDRE J. JACKSON/DFP)
Bill Kerns, fire fighter from the Manchester Fire Department, looks over a trailer home as the search for Andrew Skelton, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5 of Morenci, continues at Harrison Lake State Park near Fayette, OH., on Friday, Dec. 3, 2010. (ANDRE J. JACKSON/DFP)
Gary Vetitoe, fire fighter from the Sand Lake fire department, looks through heavy brush for clues as the search for Andrew Skelton, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5 of Morenci, continues at Harrison Lake State Park near Fayette, OH., on Friday, Dec. 3, 2010. (ANDRE J. JACKSON/DFP)
Justin Mullins, fire fighter from the Adrian Township Fire Department, looks in a tool shed for clues as the search for Andrew Skelton, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5 of Morenci, continues at Harrison Lake State Park near Fayette, OH., on Friday, Dec. 3, 2010. (ANDRE J. JACKSON/DFP)
Rescuers comb a wooded area looking for clues as the search for Andrew Skelton, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5 of Morenci, continues at Harrison Lake State Park near Fayette, OH., on Friday, Dec. 3, 2010. (ANDRE J. JACKSON/DFP)
The Skelton brothers -- Andrew, left, Tanner, center, and Alex -- gathered for a Christmas portrait
Dear Andrew, Alex and Tanner:
It is Christmas morning and even before the sky began to lighten, you should have been running down the stairs, excited, wide-eyed, still in your pajamas. I know you would have checked the plate to make sure Santa got his cookies when he came by in the wee hours to leave your presents. Would you have left a carrot, too, for Rudolph?
have two girls, big girls now, but I remember some of those 5 o'clock wake-up calls on Christmas morning. Sometimes my wife and I could get them to crawl into bed with us and delay wiping the sleep from our eyes for another 30 or 40 minutes, but I doubt that would work with eager little boys like the three of you.
Yes, it's a magical morning, the best day of the year whether, as the carol says, you're 1 or 92. But a lot of the magic is missing because you are still missing.
We don't know where you are. We pray you're alive and well and that just maybe there is a tree somewhere with lights and shiny icicles surrounded by presents with your names on them.
It's a good day for prayer and probably a bad day to question it. But so many of us wonder why bad things, be it illness or ill fortune, are allowed to happen to little kids. Still, we trust the Man whose birth we celebrate today to watch over you. With faith comes hope.
So we hope. We pray you are OK and not too scared. The world can be a terrifying place and the three of you have found that out way too soon. You may be frightened, but you are not alone. Not today, of all days.
You guys wouldn't believe how many people are worried about you and how many of your friends and neighbors from Morenci, even total strangers from miles and miles away, spent so many hours looking for you. There were as many as 400, maybe 500 people on some days, wading through hip-high water, walking through fields and woods, alongside highways, at campgrounds, everywhere they could think to look. Those who couldn't do the climbing and walking made sure the volunteers had hot food and coffee to fuel their effort. God bless them all.
Tanner may not be old enough to know the word, but you guys all know about volunteering. You were eager to help put the holiday decorations up at Wakefield Park and at your church, Morenci United Methodist. People have been praying for you there and you should have seen all the candles flickering at the park when people gathered to light your way home.
But you're not back yet, and everyone misses you. Your neighbors are all waiting for you to get home and start sledding and building a snowman. When it warms up, they'd love to see you jumping your bikes over ramps in their driveways. A lot of your friends from Morenci Elementary are looking forward to playing and fishing with you this summer.
We're all having trouble trying to figure out your daddy, but we know you miss him and your mommy too. Remember, you can close your eyes and see them anytime you want, and remember the fun you all had and smile.
You guys have to keep taking care of each other. Alex, your teachers talk about how you'd put your arm around Tanner and make sure he got to and from class safely. So I know you're keeping your eye on him. He needs you.
And Andrew, you're the big brother, the serious one, the one who is wise beyond your years. It's a lot to heap on a 9-year-old, but you're in charge, buddy.
We don't know where you are, near or far, and maybe it's silly to think you're seeing this. But it's the season for hope. Andrew, I know you're the best reader, so I've got a tip for you.
The police are the good guys. Firemen, too. If you see one, no matter how scared you might be, walk up to him or her and tell them your name and where you're from. They'll bring you home.
And when you get there, well, is Morenci ever ready for you.
There are yellow bows on the trees, and wait until you see the lights in the park. People who live there say it's a small town with a big heart.
But it's broken-hearted now. That will change when you get home. It will be Christmas morning all over again. Love, Everybody
Last edited by Ava on Mon Mar 07, 2011 5:25 am; edited 1 time in total
Ava Orlando, Florida
Subject: Re: Andrew(9), Alexander(7), & Tanner(5) Skelton 11/26/10 Wed Jan 05, 2011 5:37 am
Dad Of Missing Mich. Boys Will Go Straight To Trial
John Skelton Waives Key Hearing
ADRIAN, Mich.-- A Michigan man blamed for the disappearance of his three sons will go straight to trial on charges of parental kidnapping.
John Skelton waived his right to a hearing to determine if prosecutors had probable cause to charge him. Court officials in Lenawee County say he informed a judge on Monday, which means a hearing set for Tuesday is canceled.
Skelton's sons -- Alexander, Andrew and Tanner -- haven't been seen since Thanksgiving when they were at his home in Morenci, a town on the Michigan-Ohio border. The father says he gave them to someone from an "organization," although he hasn't identified either.
Skelton is charged with keeping his boys more than 24 hours with the intent of concealing them from their mother. His next court date is Jan. 5.
Missing Skelton Boys The three boys, 9 year old Andrew, 7 year old Alexander and 5 year old Tanner Skelton were reported missing on Nov. 26th 2010 from Morenci, Michigan after which a Amber Alert was issued. They were abducted by their father, John Skelton, who was found in neighboring Lucas County, Ohio. According to police John Skelton lied to investigators when he said he gave the boys to a female acquaintance to hand over to their mother before he tried to commit suicide. John Skelton waived extradition and remains incarcerated on a 3 million dollar bond.
Recently John Skelton’s parents, Roxanne and William Skelton, also the children’s grandparents, have said their son, John Skelton, has assured them the children are safe, and insists he is protecting them from their mother. He claims their mother, Tanya Skelton, has been sexually abusing them. Tanya Skelton is on the Michigan Sex Offender Registry for a 1998 conviction. When asked if they knew where the kids were John Skelton’s parents stated he would not tell them nor did they want him to tell them. They went on to say that their son took the boys out of harm’s way and that they respect him. Police are still following up on tips, but are not expecting a good outcome to the case. The mystery surrounding this case remains, where are the 3 missing Skelton boys. The answer lies with John Skelton, and thus far he isn’t telling. http://radioamber.net/?p=4039
Ava Orlando, Florida
Subject: Re: Andrew(9), Alexander(7), & Tanner(5) Skelton 11/26/10 Mon Mar 07, 2011 5:28 am
Missing Boys' Dad On Way To Michigan To Face Charges
Subject: Re: Andrew(9), Alexander(7), & Tanner(5) Skelton 11/26/10 Mon Mar 07, 2011 5:30 am
Dad Of 3 Missing Mich. Boys Appears In Court
John Skelton Scheduled To Be Arraigned
ADRIAN, Mich. -- A 39-year-old father accused of kidnapping his three missing sons has appeared in a Michigan court for the first time to hear the charges.
JudgeJames Sheridan appointed a lawyer for Skelton and set Dec. 28 for a hearing to determine if there's probable cause to order a trial.
The unemployed truck driver is charged with parental kidnapping in the disappearance of 9-year-old Andrew, 7-year-old Alexander and 5-year-old Tanner Skelton. Police say Skelton made up a story about giving the boys to a female acquaintance.
Skelton appeared in court by video from jail. Bond remains at $30 million.
Subject: Re: Andrew(9), Alexander(7), & Tanner(5) Skelton 11/26/10 Wed Mar 16, 2011 3:29 am
Skelton bond bumped to $90 million at new arraignment~
ADRIAN, Mich. —
Six new counts raised the bond total to $90 million for John Russell Skelton when he was arraigned Friday in Lenawee County District Court on charges he kidnapped and imprisoned his three sons on Thanksgiving Day.
Skelton, 39, appeared on a television monitor in Lenawee County District Judge James E. Sheridan’s courtroom. The arraignment was conducted by video from the Lenawee County Jail where Skelton has been held since his extradition from Ohio on Dec. 14.
Sheridan said he was extending bond that was originally $10 million for each of three original counts to now cover all nine charges.
The increased bond amount drew no objections or comments from Skelton or public defender John Glaser. The unemployed truck driver was already facing a seemingly unreachable $30 million bond for his release. Even if he did post bond in the criminal case, Skelton could still be held for contempt in his civil divorce case for violating an order giving his wife custody of their sons, Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5.
The boys have been the subject of a highly publicized police investigation since Skelton failed to return them to their mother, Tanya Skelton, the day after Thanksgiving. John Skelton told circuit Judge Margaret M.S. Noe at a hearing in the divorce case in December that he turned the boys over to an “organization.”
Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks announced Feb. 1 that he had refocused the investigation from a missing persons case to a homicide case.
On Feb. 17, Lenawee County Prosecutor Jonathan Poer filed added charges of kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment to the custodial kidnapping charges filed in December. He now faces a potential life prison term rather than a maximum one year in prison.
John Skelton asked Noe on Wednesday to be returned to district court for arraignment and an examination on the new charges. He had the option of proceeding in circuit court with setting a trial date. He pleaded not guilty to the original charges on Jan. 5.
Sheridan scheduled a hearing for March 28 where Skelton could ask for a preliminary examination on the kidnapping and imprisonment counts. Glaser said Wednesday a decision would be made later on asking for a hearing where the prosecution would have to present evidence to support the new charges. Poer said he is ready to show proof to justify putting Skelton on trial.
Father of missing Skelton brothers makes a surprise plea in court The Morenci, Mich. father whose three young sons have been missing since Thanksgiving has pleaded no contest to three charges of unlawful imprisonment, according to WNWO's sister station WDIV.
"The plea agreement was entered into with the support of the Morenci Police Department, Lenawee County Prosecutor's Office and the Zuvers family," Chief Larry Weeks said in a released statement with prosecuting attorney Jonathan Poer. "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."
Weeks also said the agreement "assures separate felony convictions for each victim, Andrew, Alexander and Tanner."
John Skelton entered the plea Thursday morning in Lenawee County Circuit court. He insisted he didn't know the whereabouts of 9-year-old Andrew, 7-year-old Alexander and 5-year-old Tanner and won't until he's released.
Skelton maintains the boys are in the custody of members of an underground sanctuary group. He said he wouldn't hurt his sons and only has the first names of the people who took them.
"This plea does not interfere with the ongoing investigation in this matter," Weeks said. "We consider this just one more step toward everyone's goal of fully resolving this case."
Skelton keeps his secrets in plea bargain over missing boys Tanya Skelton wiped tears from her eyes but her ex-husband showed no emotion during a hearing Thursday in Lenawee County Circuit Court where he pleaded no contest to unlawful imprisonment of their three missing sons.
Judge Margaret M.S. Noe found the 39-year-old Morenci man guilty of the charges after reviewing reports by Michigan State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation agents on the search for the missing boys.
No new light was shed on the whereabouts of Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5, who disappeared from John Skelton’s home on Thanksgiving Day.
Their location “has been and continues to be secret,” said Judge Margaret M.S. Noe.
The plea agreement dismisses kidnapping charges that carry maximum life prison terms. Skelton faces up to a 15-year prison term when he is sentenced Sept. 15. But the bargain preserves the prosecution’s right to bring murder charges if an ongoing homicide investigation bears fruit.
Investigators: Father of missing Morenci boys looked up how to break a neck
Dreams of the three missing boys near a Dumpster.
Memories of the trio covered in blankets and clutching toys before their father drove away.
The man's Internet search for breaking necks just a week before his sons vanished.
Those chilling details were read in an Adrian courtroom Thursday when the father of three Morenci boys last seen on Thanksgiving pleaded no contest to criminal charges that could keep him behind bars for up to 15 years.
It is unclear whether John Skelton's plea deal with Lenawee County Prosecutor Jonathan Poer will lead to an explanation of what happened to Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton, ages 9, 7 and 5, respectively.
But in taking his plea of responsibility for three counts of unlawful imprisonment, Lenawee Circuit Judge Margaret Noe made public for the first time Skelton's conflicting statements to local and federal investigators that eventually convinced them the boys are dead.
Although Skelton has insisted the boys are safe and in the hands of a secretive child protection organization, he also told investigators he wrapped each in a blanket, gave each a stuffed animal and placed them in his van before driving them away, according to a WXYZ-TV (Channel 7) video recording of the judge's comments in court Thursday.
Noe said Skelton told others about dreams or nightmares in which he saw the boys and their belongings in or behind a Dumpster.
She said he made drawings and told about leaving the boys in a park and an abandoned schoolhouse.
The judge said Skelton told others, "They will hibernate until they graduate."
Noe also said investigators found that a week before the boys' disappearance, Skelton had searched online for how to break a neck.
A Michigan father who was charged with kidnapping after the disappearance of his three sons has received a plea deal that downgrades his charges.
John Skelton pleaded no contest Thursday in an Adrian, Mi. court to a charge of unlawful imprisonment.
In exchange, prosecutors dropped a charge of parental kidnapping in the Thanksgiving 2010 disappearance of 9-year-old Andrew, 7-year-old Alexander and 5-year-od Tanner Skelton.
Had Skelton been convicted of kidnapping, he faced a possible sentence of life in prison, reports CBS affiliate WTOL. With the lesser imprisonment charges the Michigan man only faces up to 15 years in prison.
According to WTOL, residents in the Skelton's Southern Michigan home of Morenci feel he is getting off too easy.
Father of three missing Michigan boys sentenced to prison
A man who pleaded no contest to unlawful imprisonment in the disappearance of his three young sons last November was sentenced on Thursday to from 10 to 15 years in prison.
John Skelton's three boys, Andrew, Alexander and Tanner were ages 9, 7, and 5, when they were reported missing in Morenci, Michigan around Thanksgiving. The boys have not been found despite extensive searches in southeast Michigan and northwestern Ohio.
Lenawee County Circuit Court Judge Margaret M.S. Noe imposed the sentence on Skelton on Thursday morning, a circuit court clerk said. He was given credit for 289 days served.
Skelton told police after their disappearance was reported that he had left the boys with a female acquaintance and instructed her to care for them because he had planned to commit suicide.
Police have said that was not true, and the Morenci police chief has said he believes Skelton killed the boys.
Skelton pleaded no contest in July to three counts of unlawful imprisonment.
Boys' mother to judge: Disappearance is 'my worst nightmare come true'
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."
Judge tells Morenci dad, 'You have failed,' before sentencing
The father of three boys missing from their Morenci home since Thanksgiving was sentenced Thursday to a guideline-busting 10 to 15 years in prison after John Skelton took a prosecutor's plea bargain that avoids trial on kidnapping but still leaves open the possibility of future charges.
Investigators say no credible trace of Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton has been reported since they were last seen playing in the backyard of their Morenci home Nov. 25.
"It is my belief that justice may never be served in this case, that you should serve each and every day in prison that Andrew, Alexander and Tanner remain missing," Lenawee County Circuit Judge Margaret Noe told Skelton Thursday.
Noe sentenced Skelton on charges of unlawful imprisonment, the result of a stalemate between the father who insists he gave his then-9, 7 and 5-year-old sons to a secret child protection organization, and investigators who say the organization doesn't exist.
"I do love my boys. I look at their pictures all the time," Skelton told the courtroom before sentencing and before admitting that "I would have done things differently if I felt that the system didn't fail me."
Skelton has claimed he took the boys to protect them from abuse by their mother, Tanya Zuvers, who served jail time and is on the state sex offender registry for a relationship with a then-14-year-old neighbor boy in 1998. But a prosecutor told the judge Thursday that most of what Skelton has told investigators has been lies.
"The only question today is if Mr. Skelton is going to be man enough to tell the truth about what happened to his children or will he continue his cowardly ways," said Assistant Lenawee County Prosecutor Douglas Hartung, who later issued a warning to Skelton when the defendant didn't take his invitation to speak. "Don't get too comfortable in prison. These gentlemen are still investigating your case … they will be back to get you later."
Tue Nov 30, 2010 2:55 am
