[Image: Tanner, Andrew, and Alexander Skelton/Facebook]Court documents provided a glimpse into the tumultuous custody battle between John Skelton and Zuvers that preceded their three sons disappearances. John also has one adult daughter and Tanya has two daughters from their previous marriages. He said he did this because he planned to commit suicide and didn't want the boys to see it. WebTanya Zuvers is here to talk about her three missing sons, the Skelton boys, 7 years after their disappearance. 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John Skelton claimed he was trying to keep his boys out of harm's way. Tanya and John married in 2002, and the family was active with United Methodist Church in Morenci. 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. 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. Despite massive searches, the boys were never found and Skleton is serving time in a Michigan prison for parental kidnapping. Knocking on Johns door would begin a nightmare that has yet to end for Tanya and her family. One Year Later: Why Won't Father Tell All About Missing Sons? A photo of the vehicle is posted below this case summary. He will be up for parole again in two years. MORENCI, Mich. The investigation into the Skelton boys disappearance continues with age-progression photos of Andrew, Alexander and Tanner. Listen to the latest episode: Join Nancy Grace for her new online video series designed to help you protect what you love most your children. I know realistically they may not come home alive, but I will always have that hope, she told The Detroit News in February. In my mind, I still see them as 5, 7 and 9. 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 was granted sole custody after John returned from Florida. We cant create evidence and were not going to, Brewer said. Several police agencies are working together to sort out the possible development in the case. A note written on a poster at the ceremony displays love for the missing boys. On their birthdays, she wrote birthday cards. He was eventually extradited to Michigan and charged with three counts of felony parental kidnapping, three counts of kidnapping and three counts of false imprisonment. 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Their faces are etched in my mind. A month before his sons disappeared, John Skelton filed for custody, accusing Zuvers of being a registered sex offender. Investigators stated they were investigating the disappearances as homicides, and John was the prime suspect. [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. They combed the campground but missed a big tract of private property next door, says Thompson, adding he followed a path on the property where he found a tree with a Spalding little league baseball wedged into it. Your source for Local information & breaking news across southeast Michigan plus 4Warn Weather providing you with accurate forecasts so you can plan your day. Missoula detectives turned over what they found to an agency called NamUsin Washington, D.C. NamUsis conducting DNA testing that is sometimes known to take up to several weeks. Tanya Skelton, who now goes by Tanya Zuvers, was charged with fourth-degree criminal misconduct in the late 1990s for having sex with a 14-year-old boy. I just wish answers could be given. This part of the case is still a mystery. Thompson also shares his personal investigations show pieces of evidence, including questionable photos captured by dive teams of objects at the bottom of a pond, never made it to police investigating the case. "When you see three boys that were all very close, from a close-knit community, and that the last person that ever saw them was their own father, and seven years later we still don't have them, I mean, that story is pretty tragic," Brewer said. 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). Tanya knew that her sons were excited to go shopping to grab fan gear for a local highschool football game her whole family was in town to attend. The age progressions are always the hardest for me, the boys aunt, Tennille McCain, told WWMT. There were also rocks in this box.". 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That last time anyone besides John saw them was at 5:00 p.m. on November 25, the day before their disappearances were reported. 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. Around 4:30 a.m. [the morning of Nov.26] the phone started tracking from Morenci, going southwest into Ohio, explained Detective Lieutenant Jeremy Brewer with the Michigan State Police. John had previously worked as a long-haul truck driver, but in 2009 he was fired after he was convicted of drunk driving. Zuvers had sole custody of her sons but she allowed her estranged husband to have them for the holiday. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Morenci After her three sons disappeared in 2010, Tanya Zuvers still bought them Christmas presents. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports. Police said it's a possible new development in the case of the missing Skelton brothers -- Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5 --who disappeared in2010. ", Zuvers also had this message for her sons:"Andrew, Alexander and Tanner if you can hear me, know that I love you from here to the moon and back. Contemplating, in the next year or two, he probably will be out, Brewer said. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. When Tanya Tucker was just 9 years old, her father took her to the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, trying to teach a lesson to his little girl with a big voice. She is 20 years old and remembers when the boys from Morenci went missing. Johns story about the underground group and the mother hurting the child wasnt verified. We process tips all the time, and our main focus is still on John Skelton; we believe he is the only one that knows where those boys are and we hope and pray one day he might have a change of attitude and help make some closure in this case.. Andrew, circa 2010; Age-progression to age 19 (circa 2020); John Skelton; Tanya Skelton; John's minivan. When Tanya Zuvers thinks of her children and what shes missed, it breaks her heart. By the front door sit three eternal candles with the names of the boys on them. It was a lot of craziness, a lot of wondering what the next step was. The anthropologist determined the remains were modern bones belonging to three children who were 2 to 10 years old at the time of death. By. It turned back on at 6:45 am back at his house in Morenci., You can get on and off the Ohio turnpike from there, said Tanya. And worst of all, no one had seen Andrew, Alexander, or Tanner since the day before. 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. "Loose teeth," Missoula City Police Sgt. Because we dont have answers, no, this never gets easier, said Tanya Zuvers. All rights reserved. The police believe no such group exists. Local 4 has been in touch with members the Skelton family, but they didn't want to comment on the development until there's more information. Tanya Tucker 'Sweet Western Sound' artwork - Courtesy: Fantasy Records. The ball was made in 2010the same year those boys disappeared and I dont think it was there randomly; I think it was some type of trail marker.. He was denied. Andrew is missing with his brothers,Alexander andTanner. Zuvers has repeatedly denied abusing her sons. http://bit.ly/2j0c4Bw | By WDIV Local 4 / ClickOnDetroit. Well throw everything at it, all our resources, but obviously nothing has panned out. Despite this, the father eventually returned his sons to Michigan and was having visitation without complications. Their father sits behind bars, and their mother holds out hope that her sons will be found alive. Brewer. It's not like they would hide them.". In mid-September 2010, he withdrew Andrew and Alexander from school and to Florida without Tanya's Zuvers said she still celebrates holidays with her sons despite their absence. Dane is a producer and media enthusiast. "Some days are better than others," she said. Photos of John and Tanya are posted with this case summary. He told their school they were going on vacation, but also implied they wouldn't return and the school might need to forward the children's records. there have been more questions than answers in the disappearance of the three Skelton brothers. Temporibus autem quibusdam et aut officiis debitis aut rerum necessitatibus saepe eveniet. If it could be cut, itd been cut.. Zuvers had sole custody of her sons but she allowed her estranged husband to have them for the holiday. The Blade/Amy E. Voigt Lynn Thompson, a reporter for the Bryan Times, said he is hoping his theories will bring a renewed interest in the case, as well as spark additional investigations. The photos were released Wednesday, 10 years since they disappeared with their father. John Skelton said she was abusing her own sons, but she said that's not true. Since then, the father's stories have changed. 1:10. The cell phone data is also important, and much of it was missed at that time because they were looking at analog pings to towers, but Skelton had a smartphone and therefore they should have been able to track him digitally. Then, it was that he had given them to a mystery woman, then, he said hed really handed the children off to an underground organization for safe keeping. Alexander, Andrew and Tanner all attended Morenci Elementary School at the time of their disappearances; Alexander was in third grade, Andrew in first grade and Tanner in kindergarten. But she said if someone brought children there, the Amish community would take them in. View and share the Skelton brothers missing poster here. Zuvers said. And I will not stop looking for you.". Tanya and John married in 2002, and the family was active with United Methodist Church in Morenci. I know realistically they may not come home alive, but I will always have that hope, she told The Detroit News in February. I hate him for what he did to our sons, Zuvers said. Tanya Skelton, who now goes by Tanya Zuvers, was charged with fourth-degree criminal misconduct in the late 1990s for having sex with a 14-year-old boy. She said the communities stay in contact with one another, and if the boys turned up, the whole group would know. She reported her sons missing the Friday after Thanksgiving. 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. He is now serving a 15-year sentence for unlawful imprisonment, but their mother, Tanya Zuvers believes something different. She wrote a book on her search for the boys titled "76 Minutes." Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. The schools offered up some buses, loaded them up with volunteers, and took them out to the search sites., The days ran together after that, says Tennille McCain, the boys aunt and Tanyas sister. Officials said the bones are from the last several years. Anyone who potentially knows anything -- and I believe more than one person knows something. It's been a year since anyone has seen 9-year-old Andrew, 7-year-old Alexander and 5-year-old Tanner Skelton -- but Zuvers believes they are alive and will return home. By. Paul Sexton. MISSOULA, Mont. Their faces are etched in my mind. "Are they crying for me?". MORE:Missing Skelton boys: Have you seen this blue minivan? She reported her sons missing the Friday after Thanksgiving. The Amish live all over Michigan, and even more are in Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania. Brewer, who now works undercover and wont show his face, said John Skelton is still holding back key information and theyre only able to work with what they have. Zuvers said she still celebrates holidays with her sons despite their absence. In my mind, I still see them as 5, 7, and 9. We still have all the resources available to us. It was a huge sigh of relief for Tanya and the rest of her family. The age progressions are always the hardest for me, Tennille McCain, the boys aunt, said. 1:59. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. Your source for Local information & breaking news across southeast Michigan plus 4Warn Weather providing you with accurate forecasts so you can plan your day. Anyone with information on this case to contact Morenci Police at (517) 458-7104. Tanya Zuvers says hate is a strong word, but she says she hates John Skelton. 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. Grow up! Amish people don't use electricity or cars, and they live by old standards. "It's so hard to imagine them hurting for me and not being able to do anything about it," she said. First published on November 23, 2011 / 6:30 AM. 10 years later, the Skelton brothers are still missing. In August 2022, he was denied parole, but he is able to reapply in a year. Tanya Zuvers greets visitors to her father's home wearing a black sweatshirt printed with the names of her three missing children, last seen last Thanksgiving. In mid-September 2010, he withdrew Andrew and Alexander from school and to Florida without Tanya's Tanya Skelton, who now goes by Tanya Zuvers, focuses on Amish country and whether their father, John Skelton, left them there. I just think theres a lot more data out there that police never got, or needs to be revisited, he says. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The age progressions are always the hardest for me, said Tennille. Confused and worried, Tanya immediately called police, who were able to contact him and convince him to bring the boys back before leaving the state. In February 2018, he told WDIV that he gave the boys to two women and a man who planned to take the boys to a farm in Ohio. 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