Missing Skelton brothers: As anniversary of disappearance nears, so does father's prison release date
(From left to right): Tanner, Andrew, and Alexander
MORENCI, Mich. (FOX 2) - Nov. 26 marks 14 years since the Skelton brothers disappeared without a trace.
Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner were last seen in Michigan on Thanksgiving in 2010. After that day, no one knows where the boys went.
The boys were last known to be with their father, John Skelton. While he could have the answer to the big question that's been asked for more than a decade: "Where are the Skelton brothers?" However, he hasn't shared where they are.
John Skelton is in prison currently for unlawful imprisonment of his sons. He's been denied parole repeatedly, but can only be locked up for another year. He's set to be released on Nov. 29, 2025.
What happened to the Skelton brothers?
The boys – Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5, spent the holiday with their father in Morenci, Mich. in 2010. Their mother, Tanya Zuvers, was supposed to pick them up from her ex-husband the next day.
However, she stopped hearing from John Skelton, so she went to his house. He wasn't home because he was at a hospital after he broke his ankle. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, he told hospital workers that he injured his ankle while trying to commit suicide.
Police were able to get into his home, where they found the house destroyed, but the boys weren't there.
The Skelton brothers
John Skelton is accused of changing the story of where they were while he was at the hospital. He said they were with friends before telling investigators that the boys were given to an unknown woman. He also told police that he gave them to an underground group that would keep them safe.
Phone records helped police place John Skelton the day after his boys were last seen. He had been in Morenci early Nov. 26, 2010. According to Michigan State Police, he went to Ohio. His phone pinged him in Ohio about 20 miles from his home, was shut off, then pinged him back in Morenci about 2 hours and fifteen minutes after he left Michigan.
Search parties looked for the boys, but they haven't been found, and John Skelton hasn't told anyone where they actually are or if they are even still alive, aside from his stories of giving them to unknown people.
According to Zuvers, John Skelton previously "claimed that the boys would hibernate until they graduate." All three boys are now old enough that they would have graduated from high school.
Mother seeks to have boys declared dead
Late last year, Zuvers took steps to have her boys declared dead by filing a request in Lenawee County Probate Court.
In Michigan, a person is typically considered to be dead after they have been missing for five years.
"This decision came after much thought and discussion with my family and friends. It did not come lightly and was definitely a difficult decision to make. No parent wants to lose a child, but to have to have the courts step in and declare them deceased is just unfathomable," Zuvers wrote in a statement over the summer.
The case is still moving through the court system.
Missing Skelton brothers: Mother seeks to declare 3 boys dead
The mother of the Skelton brothers, who have been missing since 2010, is asking the court to declare them legally dead. Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner were last seen on Thanksgiving in 2010.
Why is John Skelton in prison?
John Skelton is currently in prison at the Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility in Ionia, Mich.
He has not been charged in connection with the disappearance of his sons. However, he was sentenced to 10-15 years in prison for unlawful imprisonment after pleading no contest to the charges.
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Thanksgiving Day 2010 wasn't the first time John Skelton took the boys from Zuvers.
John Skelton was accused of taking the boys out of school two months before their disappearance. It is alleged that he said he was taking them on a trip to Florida, where his parents live.
John Skelton (MDOC)
John Skelton and Zuvers divorced after this, and Zuvers was granted custody of the boys, just before they disappeared.
Next November, John Skelton will be released from prison.
What do the Skelton brothers look like now?
Several age progression photos have been released to show what the Skelton boys may look like now. The most recent photo was released by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in November 2019, showing what the boys may look like at 19, 17, and 15 years old.
Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner would be 23, 21, and 19, respectively, this year.
Anyone with information is asked to call Michigan State Police at 517-636-0689, or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1800-843-5678.
