On Wednesday, a Michigan court will see the father of three boys, who were officially declared deceased earlier this year, facing charges of murder.
Last month, John Skelton was indicted for murder just before his scheduled release from a 15-year prison term for the unlawful imprisonment of his sons: 9-year-old Andrew, 7-year-old Alexander, and 5-year-old Tanner, according to CrimeOnline. His bond was set at a staggering $60 million.
The children were last seen playing in their father’s backyard on November 26, 2010. At the time, Skelton and Tanya Zuvers, the boys’ mother, were amid a divorce. Although Zuvers had sole custody, she permitted the children to spend Thanksgiving with their father.
Zuvers alerted authorities when Skelton failed to bring the boys back. Police later located him at a hospital where he claimed a broken ankle resulted from a suicide attempt. Skelton provided inconsistent stories about his sons’ whereabouts, ranging from giving them to a mysterious woman to entrusting them to a secretive group for protection. None of these stories were verified.
Phone records traced Skelton’s movements into Ohio the day following the last sighting of the boys. His phone was briefly active there before being shut off and was later detected back at his residence over two hours after he had left.
Despite exhaustive efforts by investigators, the boys remain missing. Earlier this year, following a petition from their mother, a judge officially declared them deceased.
“At the end of the day, one person is responsible for the disappearance of my sons,” Zuvers said at the time. “That person, at one point, claimed the boys would hibernate until they graduate. As of today, June 14, 2024, all 3 boys are over 18, and all would have graduated high school, yet they have not been returned to me and are still missing.”
In addition to three counts of murder murder, Skelton is charged with evidence tampering. He appears Wednesday for a probable cause hearing, WJBK said.
