03-09-2011, 12:24 PM
This was from Feb 23rd....
Prosecutors are wielding a bigger stick in the criminal case against a Morenci father charged in the Thanksgiving disappearance of his three sons.
Kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment counts have been added to the parental kidnapping counts filed against 39-year-old John Skelton in December. Skelton now faces a maximum of three life prison terms if convicted instead of a one-year sentence.
Skelton failed to return his sons, Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5, to his wife, Tanya Skelton, after a Thanksgiving visit. The couple are divorcing. Skelton has claimed he turned the boys over to an “organization” for protection. Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks has discounted the claim and announced Feb. 1 the focus of the investigation has changed from a missing persons case to homicide.
A hearing where the new charges against Skelton would have been addressed was adjourned Wednesday in Lenawee County Circuit Court at the request of public defender John Glaser.
Glaser said Wednesday he needed more time to go through additional reports submitted by Morenci police before meeting with Skelton to decide what steps to take next.
“I’ve gotten quite a lengthy supplemental police report,” Glaser said.
A decision could be reached before a rescheduled March 9 hearing date set by Judge Margaret M.S. Noe.
Glaser said it will be up to Skelton to decide if he wants to proceed with setting a trial date in circuit court. The other option is to remand the case back to district court for a preliminary examination where the prosecution would have to present evidence to support the new charges.
“He has a right to take it back to a preliminary examination process,” Glaser said.
Lenawee County Prosecutor Jonathan Poer agreed it is up to the defense at this point to decide how to proceed.
Poer declined to comment on what new information has come from the Morenci police investigation that convinced him to file more serious charges.
“They have submitted additional reports,” Poer said.
Language in the document charging Skelton with kidnapping the three boys states that he restrained each one “with the intent to take that person outside of this state.”
Poer said he cannot say where Skelton allegedly took them or what happened to them.
“It is an ongoing investigation,” Poer said.
Searches were conducted in several Ohio communities near Morenci when large groups of volunteers combed rural areas shortly after Thanksgiving for signs of the missing boys.
http://www.lenconnect.com/skelton
Prosecutors are wielding a bigger stick in the criminal case against a Morenci father charged in the Thanksgiving disappearance of his three sons.
Kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment counts have been added to the parental kidnapping counts filed against 39-year-old John Skelton in December. Skelton now faces a maximum of three life prison terms if convicted instead of a one-year sentence.
Skelton failed to return his sons, Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5, to his wife, Tanya Skelton, after a Thanksgiving visit. The couple are divorcing. Skelton has claimed he turned the boys over to an “organization” for protection. Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks has discounted the claim and announced Feb. 1 the focus of the investigation has changed from a missing persons case to homicide.
A hearing where the new charges against Skelton would have been addressed was adjourned Wednesday in Lenawee County Circuit Court at the request of public defender John Glaser.
Glaser said Wednesday he needed more time to go through additional reports submitted by Morenci police before meeting with Skelton to decide what steps to take next.
“I’ve gotten quite a lengthy supplemental police report,” Glaser said.
A decision could be reached before a rescheduled March 9 hearing date set by Judge Margaret M.S. Noe.
Glaser said it will be up to Skelton to decide if he wants to proceed with setting a trial date in circuit court. The other option is to remand the case back to district court for a preliminary examination where the prosecution would have to present evidence to support the new charges.
“He has a right to take it back to a preliminary examination process,” Glaser said.
Lenawee County Prosecutor Jonathan Poer agreed it is up to the defense at this point to decide how to proceed.
Poer declined to comment on what new information has come from the Morenci police investigation that convinced him to file more serious charges.
“They have submitted additional reports,” Poer said.
Language in the document charging Skelton with kidnapping the three boys states that he restrained each one “with the intent to take that person outside of this state.”
Poer said he cannot say where Skelton allegedly took them or what happened to them.
“It is an ongoing investigation,” Poer said.
Searches were conducted in several Ohio communities near Morenci when large groups of volunteers combed rural areas shortly after Thanksgiving for signs of the missing boys.
http://www.lenconnect.com/skelton
"It is a capital mistake to theorize before you have all the evidence. It biases the judgment."