The father of three young Michigan boys who vanished 15 years ago has now been charged with their murders.
John Skelton was charged Wednesday, Nov. 12, with three counts of open murder and three counts of tampering with evidence, according to Lenawee County District Court records.
Skelton is currently serving a 10 to 15–year sentence for unlawful imprisonment involving his sons. He had previously been scheduled for release on Nov. 29, per WTOL11. He pleaded no contest in that earlier case, according to FOX 2.
The boys — Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5 — were staying with their father over Thanksgiving in November 2010 in Morenci, Michigan, when they never returned to their mother the following day.
Authorities investigating Skelton’s home after the boys vanished discovered deeply concerning evidence, including a noose hanging from the second floor, a Bible open to a circled verse, and a note appearing to address their mother, Tanya Zuvers.
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During a March 2025 court hearing to have the boys declared legally dead, an FBI agent testified that the note reportedly read: “You will hate me forever and I know this,” according to the Associated Press. The agent said this was viewed as a passive admission to killing the children.
Former Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks also testified that investigators uncovered searches on Skelton’s devices about how to break a neck and questions about whether rat poison can kill a person, per the outlet.
Zuvers requested the legal death declaration to gain closure and honor her sons’ memories, 13 Action News reported. A judge granted the request following the hearing.
In a statement responding to the new murder charges, the family expressed devastation, saying the development “has left us shocked and heartbroken all over again,” per the outlet.
They continued: “It has been fifteen long years since our three boys — Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner — went missing. Throughout this time, our family has lived with unimaginable pain, unanswered questions, and the constant hope that one day we might learn the truth about what happened to them … Our priority has always been — and continues to be — finding out what happened to Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner and seeking justice for them. We ask that the investigation be allowed to proceed thoroughly and without interference so that the truth may finally come to light.”
The family asked for privacy as the case moves forward.
