12-02-2010, 04:20 PM
Toledo Blade:
PIONEER, Ohio — Divers were using sonar equipment Thursday afternoon at multiple bodies of water across Williams County to search for three missing brothers.
Scuba teams from Toledo, Angola, Ind., as well as from Lenawee and Williams counties, hoped to search in at least seven major bodies of water throughout the day, including possible searches at Nettle Lake and Mud Lake in the northwestern corner of the county.
Dennis Wisniewski, the head of the scuba team from Williams County, described the efforts as a "shot in the dark," saying investigators don't have direct information the Skelton brothers would be found in the area.
But he also said investigators believe their father John Skelton's cell phone was used in the area last week. In addition, several witnesses have come forward saying they saw Mr. Skelton's van exit from the nearby Ohio Turnpike.
In addition to the divers, 200 volunteers were searching on foot Thursday in the woods around Elmira, Ohio, which is just north of the turnpike in Fulton County.
Officials vowed at a morning news conference to continue the search for three young brothers who have been missing for nearly a week.
Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks said the Thursday morning news conference would be the last he would conduct but that did not mean he was giving up on the thought of finding the three Skelton boys: Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner.
"We do have concerted efforts in Williams County today with a number of resources we have available," the chief said. He said Williams County has been searched throughout the week because John Skelton, the father of the three boys, had been known to frequent locations there. Mr. Skelton is in jail in Lucas County on $3 million bond, charged with three counts of felony parental kidnapping.
The chief said the small community has been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support from across the country and while the volunteer search efforts will end Friday afternoon, there are a number of "public safety assets" at his disposal that "we can implement at a moment's notice."
Chief Weeks said law enforcement officials have interviewed relatives of John Skelton both in Michigan and Florida and they have appealed to him to tell them where the boys are but he still has not given a location of where his three sons may be.
"We're confident in the direction we're going," the chief said.
The chief then told the assembled reporters that he had met each of the three boys and would not rest until he knew what had happened to them.
He said he had been at the Skelton home when Andrew saw him, told him to wait a moment, and came back out wearing a toy police vest and cap.
"He told me, ‘I'm going to be a police officer like you some day." the chief recounted.
WHY WERE THE POLICE CALLED TO THE HOME THAT DAY?
Morenci Mayor Keith Pennington said the community's Christmas parade that was to be held Saturday has been cancelled but another holiday event scheduled for Sunday evening will go on.
The mayor said no one in the small town will "be satisfied with the outcome until the boys come home," and then sent a plea to their father.
"John, if you know where they're are, please tell us."
PIONEER, Ohio — Divers were using sonar equipment Thursday afternoon at multiple bodies of water across Williams County to search for three missing brothers.
Scuba teams from Toledo, Angola, Ind., as well as from Lenawee and Williams counties, hoped to search in at least seven major bodies of water throughout the day, including possible searches at Nettle Lake and Mud Lake in the northwestern corner of the county.
Dennis Wisniewski, the head of the scuba team from Williams County, described the efforts as a "shot in the dark," saying investigators don't have direct information the Skelton brothers would be found in the area.
But he also said investigators believe their father John Skelton's cell phone was used in the area last week. In addition, several witnesses have come forward saying they saw Mr. Skelton's van exit from the nearby Ohio Turnpike.
In addition to the divers, 200 volunteers were searching on foot Thursday in the woods around Elmira, Ohio, which is just north of the turnpike in Fulton County.
Officials vowed at a morning news conference to continue the search for three young brothers who have been missing for nearly a week.
Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks said the Thursday morning news conference would be the last he would conduct but that did not mean he was giving up on the thought of finding the three Skelton boys: Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner.
"We do have concerted efforts in Williams County today with a number of resources we have available," the chief said. He said Williams County has been searched throughout the week because John Skelton, the father of the three boys, had been known to frequent locations there. Mr. Skelton is in jail in Lucas County on $3 million bond, charged with three counts of felony parental kidnapping.
The chief said the small community has been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support from across the country and while the volunteer search efforts will end Friday afternoon, there are a number of "public safety assets" at his disposal that "we can implement at a moment's notice."
Chief Weeks said law enforcement officials have interviewed relatives of John Skelton both in Michigan and Florida and they have appealed to him to tell them where the boys are but he still has not given a location of where his three sons may be.
"We're confident in the direction we're going," the chief said.
The chief then told the assembled reporters that he had met each of the three boys and would not rest until he knew what had happened to them.
He said he had been at the Skelton home when Andrew saw him, told him to wait a moment, and came back out wearing a toy police vest and cap.
"He told me, ‘I'm going to be a police officer like you some day." the chief recounted.
WHY WERE THE POLICE CALLED TO THE HOME THAT DAY?
Morenci Mayor Keith Pennington said the community's Christmas parade that was to be held Saturday has been cancelled but another holiday event scheduled for Sunday evening will go on.
The mayor said no one in the small town will "be satisfied with the outcome until the boys come home," and then sent a plea to their father.
"John, if you know where they're are, please tell us."