A Michigan man, accused of the heinous crime of murdering his three young sons back in 2010, will remain behind bars with a staggering $60 million bond set by the court. This decision was handed down by a judge on Monday.
John Skelton, aged 53, stood before a Lenawee County court as he faced charges of murder for the deaths of his sons: Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5. Although the bodies of the boys have never been located, authorities assert that the tragic events unfolded between November 25 and 26, 2010, as reported by the Detroit News.
Skelton’s arraignment comes shortly before his impending release from a 15-year prison sentence for unlawfully imprisoning his sons. This new development adds a grim layer to a case that has haunted the community for over a decade.
During the time of the boys’ disappearance, their mother, Tanya Zuvers, held sole custody amid divorce proceedings with Skelton. The children had spent the holiday with their father, and Zuvers was scheduled to collect them the following day.
In the aftermath, John Skelton spun a web of conflicting narratives regarding his sons’ fate. Among his claims was a story that he handed them over to a group to shield them from their mother, whom he accused of abuse—accusations that Zuvers firmly denied.
Adding to the chilling nature of the case, FBI Special Agent Corey Burras revealed that Skelton had conducted internet searches on topics such as neck-breaking techniques, potassium cyanide, and rat poison, all in the month when his sons vanished.
The FBI agent also alleged that John Skelton addressed Zuvers in a suicide note, stating, “You will hate me.” Burras said he believed the note implied that he killed their sons.
John Skelton appeared virtually at March’s hearing to declare his sons legally dead. He did not provide any information about their whereabouts.
“I’m at a disadvantage. Anything I say isn’t going to make a difference,” he said.
In March, a judge granted Zuvers a petition to have her three sons declared legally dead. However, the judge ruled there was insufficient evidence proving they were murdered on or about November 26, 2010, or that their father killed them.
A probable cause affidavit from early November stated that state police interviewed John Skelton, but he became uncooperative and refused to disclose this sons’ whereabouts. The document stated that he has been “inconsistent and misleading” for the past 15 years, according to the Detroit News.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for December 1.
