For the better part of a decade, there have been more questions than answers in the disappearance of the three Skelton brothers. Police said the remains were initially taken to an anthropologist at the University of Montana. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. John stated he gave the boys to a woman named Joann Taylor, whom he had met on the internet several years before, and asked her to return them to their mother. Its lots of wooded area. John attempted to hang himself later that day, but survived and was hospitalized, first at a general hospital and then at a psychiatric facility in Ohio. The photos were released Wednesday, 10 years since they disappeared with their father. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Tanya Zuvers, right, mother of the three missing Skelton boys, hugs McKenna Shaffer, left, after Zuvers read a remembrance that Shaffer wrote during a ceremony. He will be up for parole again in two years. Johns story about the underground group and the mother hurting the child wasnt verified. Thompson says he and the local Sheriffs office made a casual search of the property in 2013, but he feels a more in-depth search should be made. Karri Waters, left, an aunt, McKenna Shaffer, center left, a cousin, Mason Shaffer, center right, and Kristy Shaffer, right, console each other during a ceremony to remember Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner Skelton. "Loose teeth," Missoula City Police Sgt. The children had been visiting John on a regular basis with no reported problems. 
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. His relatives and Tanya don't believe he would have harmed them. I believe that John killed them.. Tanya Zuvers, right, mother of the three missing boys, hugs family friend Megan West, left, during a ceremony to remember Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner Skelton in Wakefield Park. On the morning of Friday, Nov. 26, 2010, Tayna Zuvers was waiting to pick up her three sons, Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner Skelton from their father, John Skelton. Immediately following John's release from the hospital, he was arrested and jailed under suicide watch. She is 20 years old and remembers when the boys from Morenci went missing. We just want to find these boys.. April 5, 2023. Michigan State Police confirmed they are looking into the possible new development. Paul Sexton. Today, Tanyas family, the Michigan State Police, the FBI, and the public are still seeking answers as to what happened to Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner all those years ago. Zuvers had sole custody of her sons but she allowed her estranged husband to have them for the holiday. Anyone who potentially knows anything -- and I believe more than one person knows something. MISSOULA, Mont. Paul Sexton. "I'd think they would call the police or someone," the Amish woman said. But what they could investigate were his phone records. The police believe no such group exists. It's been seven years since anyone has seen Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton. The Parole Board has considered and denied parole for this prisoner.. First published on November 23, 2011 / 6:30 AM. Since then, the father's stories have changed. Shes missed their formative years, and while many are willing to believe that the worst has happened to the boys, she wont let herself go there: Theres still that 1% chance that they could come to knock on my door, Zuvers said. Siblings Marissa Lawrence, 6, left, and Anthony Lawrence, 7, look at the plaque honoring the missing Skelton boys mounted on a rock in Wakefield Park. Zuvers said she still celebrates holidays with her sons despite their absence. The judge refused to do so. Amish people don't use electricity or cars, and they live by old standards. You just want to scream, Tell the truth! [Image: John Skelton in 2015 (left) and 2020 (right)/Michigan Department of Correction]In September 2011, John Skelton was sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison for his sons unlawful imprisonment. Michigan Department of Corrections spokesperson Chris Gautz told The Daily Telegram that the longest he can stay imprisoned for is November 29, 2025. One Year Later: Why Won't Father Tell All About Missing Sons? When Zuvers couldnt get straight answers from John on where the boys were, she got worried. Police learned through a series of interviews that John Skelton had traveled to Holiday City, Ohio, 25 miles from his home, around the time Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner were last seen alive. On Monday afternoon, just an hour after she was announced as part of the Country Music Hall of Fame's Class of 2023, Tanya Tucker sat astride a world-champion black stallion. Tanya said that when she went to their former family home, where John was living at the time of the disappearances, many items inside the house had been destroyed. It's not like they would hide them.". The Amish live all over Michigan, and even more are in Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania. He later said it called United Foster Outreach and Underground Sanctuaries. Andrew is missing with his brothers,Alexander andTanner. 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Andrew, circa 2010; Age-progression to age 19 (circa 2020); John Skelton; Tanya Skelton; John's minivan. Father of Missing Skelton Brothers Says He Gave Three Boys to 'Underground Sanctuary': 'I Miss Their Voices', Skeleton Remains of Three Children Found in a Shed Are Not Those of Missing Brothers, Police Believe They've Found Missing Ohio Mom, Alleging Estranged Husband Killed and Buried Her, Tara Calico Mystery: The True Story Behind Notorious Polaroid Showing a Girl and Boy Bound in a Van, College Student Who Vanished After Birthday Night Out with Friends Is Found Slain, Suspect at Large, Police Investigating Possible Link Between Skeletal Remains Found in a Shed & 3 Missing Brothers, Mother of Three Missing Michigan Boys Holds Hope They're Alive, Three Young Brothers Missing After Dad's Suicide Attempt. But she said if someone brought children there, the Amish community would take them in. I hate him for what he did to our sons, Zuvers said. Tanya Tucker 'Sweet Western Sound' artwork - Courtesy: Fantasy Records. The police believe no such group exists. Father of Missing Skelton Brothers Says He Gave Three Boys to Underground Sanctuary: I Miss Their Voices, PEOPLE Explains: Possible Link Between Skeletal Remains Found In a Shed and 3 Missing Brothers, 'People Magazine Investigates' : Inside Decades-Old Disappearances of 5 People Along the Snake River, Family Offers $10K Reward for Missing Remains to Help Solve Mystery of Ariz. Man's Death, Teen Vanished From Mich. Campus 3 Months Ago and Family Is 'Desperately Begging' for Answers, 5 Days After Charging Boyfriend with Her Murder, Police Find Body of Missing Calif. Woman, Authorities Begin Digging for Clues on Property of Michigan Mom Missing for More than 5 Months. Zuvers told WWJ Newsradio 950's Marie Osborne that she is simply taking things day by day. Instead he was sentenced to ten to fifteen years in prison, a term that exceeds the state sentencing guidelines. "My stuff was gone through. Read More: Dad accused of kidnapping sons who vanished in 2010 DENIED parole. In mid-September 2010, he withdrew Andrew and Alexander from school and to Florida without Tanya's When we get tips that come in, and when we have things that we feel like are worth looking at, we still are doing that just like it just happened.. When Tanya Zuvers thinks of her children and what shes missed, it breaks her heart. [Image: Age-progressed composites of Andrew age 19, Alexander at age 17, and Tanner at age 15 /National Center for Missing and Exploited Children]In 2020 ten years after the Skelton brothers were last seen the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) released age-progression composites showing what Andrew may have looked like at age 19, Alexander at age 17, and Tanner at age 15. He has maintained his innocence though he has changed his story multiple times over the years. In response to her divorce filing, John had asked the court to sever her parental rights based on her sex offender status. When asked if police had presented her with evidence her children were harmed,Zuvers declined to answer, saying only she believes the children are alive. Their cases remain unsolved and foul play is suspected. New NCMEC images show what missing brothers could look like today, 10 years after they vanished. But they stay informed. Because the prisoner in question was John Skelton, Tanyas ex-husband and father of her three boys: Alexander, Andrew, and Tanner Skelton. John wasnt home, in fact, he was in the emergency room. If you have any information about the disappearance or whereabouts of Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner Skelton, you are urged to contact the Michigan State Police at 1-517-636-0689, or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST, thats 1-800-843-5678. For the latest true crime and justice news,subscribe to the Crime Stories with Nancy Grace podcast. It was the day after Thanksgiving and Tanya had let her ex-husband have the kids for the holiday as they worked out custody arrangements in the midst of their recently filed divorce. The anthropologist determined the remains were modern bones belonging to three children who were 2 to 10 years old at the time of death. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. We are always open to ideas and theories, and we have conducted numerous searches and investigations that the public or media were never made aware of, Brewer tells PEOPLE. He was being treated for a broken ankle, telling hospital staff he sustained it after attempting suicide by hanging, falling from a rope around the second-floor banniester at his home earlier that day. There were 500 to 600 volunteers walking wherever they could get to. After this ordeal, Tanya filed for divorce and was granted full custody of their sons. You can watch Sandra Alis full story in the video above. Tanya had to go to Florida and have the authorities there force John, under threat of arrest, to take the boys back to Michigan. It has the Michigan license plate number 9JQ H93. Tanya Zuvers, left, and her daughters Brittany Crowell, center, and Courtney Derby, right, stand next to the new stone with a plaque honoring Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner Skelton. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. All rights reserved. The boys mother, Tanya Zuvers, told Toledo 13ABC, I have, for several years now, I guess, accepted the fact that my boys probably are not alive. Investigators stated they were investigating the disappearances as homicides, and John was the prime suspect. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. But he never did. Day after day of searching went by, and the more time that passed, the more police began to suspect foul play on Johns part and a negative outcome for the Skelton brothers. Soon, there was an AMBER Alert out for the brothers while police worked to track down Johns phone records for any evidence as to where the boys might be. Lead investigator Brewer said solving this case could be a simple as getting one missing piece of information, and hunters may be in a good position to help: Anything you might find in the woods, if its kids clothes, if its toys, if its anything that possibly could be related, please just call and let us know, Brewer said. In my mind, I still see them as 5, 7, and 9. The Parole Board has considered and. Detective Lt. Jeremy Brewer of the Michigan State Police Special Investigations Section said the department continues an open and active investigation to find the boys. Expect More from Local 4 News at 5. As time went on, Thompson, who believes the boys had been murdered, turned his interest in the case toward evidence and what had been done to bring closure to a grieving family and community. He is now serving a 15-year sentence for unlawful imprisonment, but their mother, Tanya Zuvers believes something different. Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse, this Web site (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. One of America's Great Newspapers ~ Toledo, Ohio. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. At one point, John Skelton told police he handed off his sons to a woman named Joann Taylor. Morenci After her three sons disappeared in 2010, Tanya Zuvers still bought them Christmas presents. They said John's blue Dodge Caravan was on the Ohio Turnpike, along the Michigan-Ohio border, between 4:00 and 7:00 a.m. on November 26, and asked anyone who saw it to come forward. To the thousands of people who help search, pray and hold out hope along with her she said, "Words can not express how thankful I am for you. Buy This Image. The kidnapping charges were dropped. She moved out in August and is looking for a job and takes care of her new granddaughter. An Amish woman said she reads the newspaper every day so she's aware of current events, both national and local. A large crowd gathers around Don Zuvers, left, the boy's grandfather, McKenna Shaffer, the boy's cousin and Tanya Zuvers, right, the boy's mother during a ceremony to remember Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner Skelton. I always have maintained that hes not going to get his parole, Zuvers said. We cant create evidence and were not going to, Brewer said. At the time, the boys father and mother, John Skelton and Tanya Zuvers, were in the midst of a contentious divorce. Tanya Tucker 'Sweet Western Sound' artwork - Courtesy: Fantasy Records. there have been more questions than answers in the disappearance of the three Skelton brothers. http://bit.ly/2j0c4Bw | By WDIV Local 4 / ClickOnDetroit. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. [Featured image: Tanner, Alexander, and Andrew Skelton/Facebook], Couple Found Dead in Home Months After Wifes Mom Dies Under Suspicious Circumstances, Jealous Ex-boyfriend Shoots Mom-of-7 Dead as She Stops at Chick-fil-A for Breakfast: Reports, Female California Doctor Indicted for POURING DRANO in Hubbys Tea: Reports, Dad accused of kidnapping sons who vanished in 2010 DENIED parole, John Skelton was sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison, sons to a group of child-protective activists, subscribe to the Crime Stories with Nancy Grace podcast. Log In. Tanya Skelton, who now goes by Tanya Zuvers, focuses on Amish country and whether their father, John Skelton, left them there. These brand new age progression images show what Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner Skelton would look like today at 19, 17, and 15 years old, respectively. 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