DeBlase and Skelton children missing - murdered by their fathers?

[Get Real]

I just read a story about an unidentified child found dead on a road in Maine. Could this be one of the Skelton boys?

[DickTracy]

MORENCI, Mich. —

A hearing that stalled John Skelton’s child kidnapping case for three months was waived Wednesday afternoon.

The Morenci father made a brief, unscheduled appearance in Lenawee County District Court to say he did not want a preliminary examination after all on kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment counts. Judge James E. Sheridan ordered him bound over to circuit court for arraignment on June 9.

Skelton, 39, remains in jail while the case proceeds to the next stage. He is charged with kidnapping his sons, Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5. They disappeared from Skelton’s home during a Thanksgiving visit. Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks announced on Jan. 31 the investigation had been refocused as a homicide case.

Skelton has claimed he turned the boys over to an “organization” for protection.

The Lenawee County Prosecutor’s Office originally charged Skelton with parental kidnapping counts carrying a maximum one-year prison term. A month after the case reached circuit court, Prosecutor Jonathan Poer filed additional kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment counts carrying potential life and 15-year prison terms.

Three weeks later, Skelton asked that the case be sent back to district court for a new arraignment and a preliminary examination. The prosecution would have to present evidence to support the new charges at the examination in order for the case to be sent back to circuit court for trial.

Public defender John Glaser said that after discussions with Skelton it was agreed he would not go through the preliminary examination process.

Bond for Skelton remains at $90 million.

Skelton is also scheduled to appear in circuit court on June 7 for a divorce trial. Skelton is to act as his own attorney in the trial to settle property division disagreements with his wife, Tanya Skelton. Custody of their three sons is also an unsettled issue.
http://www.lenconnect.com/skelton/x12937...-boys-case

[DickTracy]

Marriage of parents of 3 missing Morenci brothers ended


ADRIAN, MI -- A Lenawee County judge has granted a divorce to the parents of three brothers missing in Morenci.

John and Tanya Skelton appeared in court Tuesday for a brief hearing. It was an unusual scene in court. John Skelton represented himself and was allowed to pose questions to Tanya Skelton.

John Skelton remains in jail on kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment charges. He's due in court Wednesday.

Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton were last seen in their father's backyard on Nov. 25, 2010. The boys were reported missing when they were not returned to their mother, Tanya Skelton's, home. John Skelton told a court, during a Dec. hearing, that he gave his sons to an organization . Nearly two months later, Skelton told authorities that he gave his three boys to a group called "United Foster Outreach" and another group called "Underground Sanctuaries."

Skelton has said he doesn't know the whereabouts of his three young sons. The 39-year-old is charged with kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment, and is jailed on $90 million bond.




http://www.toledoonthemove.com/news/stor...?id=627096

[DickTracy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20110607/NE...|FRONTPAGE


A Morenci man, accused in the disappearance of his three sons, said today during a divorce hearing with the boys' mother that if she is given full custody of the children, "they won't be available to either of us."

This morning, Lenawee County Circuit Judge Margaret M.S. Noe signed a judgment of divorce for John and Tanya Skelton, giving custody of their sons Andrew, Alexander and Tanner, to their mother. The boys -- ages 9, 7 and 5 -- have been missing for more than six months.

The brothers were last in the custody of their father. John Skelton is charged with kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment. He is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges Wednesday in circuit court.

He represented himself during the divorce trial today, asking Tanya Skelton questions.

"Why do you think it would be in the best interest of the children that you have sole legal physical custody?" he asked.

"Because I was granted physical custody of the children with their father being given parenting time and their father did not bring them back to me," Tanya Skelton said.

"Do you believe the children are safe?" John Skelton asked Tanya.

"No because they're not with their parent," she testified.

"Is it your opinion that the boys are still alive?" he asked.

Noe said: "Tanya does not have to respond to the question ask another question."



What a fucking sicko! He knows what the hell happened to those boys and I pray for closure. This asshole likes to play mind games! It's a power trip for him.

[Lady Cop]

may he die screaming in pain from colon cancer, in a fire.

[DickTracy]

MORENCI, MI (WTVG) -- Investigators are turning to a new technique to help drum up leads in the search for three missing bothers from Morenci, Michigan and 13abc is helping. It's called a PSA, or "Public Service Announcement." It's just like a commercial, and you'll soon see one about the Skelton brothers.

When Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton disappeared from their father's house in Morenci last Thanksgiving, it sparked a massive search. Tyler Guelde was among the volunteers, combing the woods and fields on an a-t-v.

"I'd rather have some sort of closure," Guelde said. "Like, either find 'em, or bring 'em back home, you know?"

Nearly 8 months later, there is still no sign of the young boys. Morenci's police chief does not expect to find them alive, if at all. Geneva Ballard, who lives in Morenci, told the boys' mother, Tanya, her friends and neighbors are not giving up.

"I talked to her a while back in the store and I told her at least one thing she had was hope," Geneva recounted for 13abc. "She still had hope that the boys would be back."

But so much time has gone by, investigators are getting concerned people outside Morenci may not realize the search and recovery effort is still active. So, with the approval of Morenci's police chief, 13abc has put together this:

"On November 25^th, 2010, three young boys, Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton went missing in Morenci, Michigan. John Skelton, the boys' father, may have been driving the boys on this day in a blue 2000 Dodge Caravan. The Morenci police department is asking you to inspect your property to include waterways, ravines, abandoned structures, and anywhere you have legal access. Anyone with information is encouraged to call 517-458-7104."

13abc produced the above public service announcement as a courtesy, at the request of Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks.

"The court hearings we've had have kept the story public, kept it in the media," Weeks explained, "but as those court hearings dwindle, the necessity to have it on the news may dwindle. So, you know, it's just another positive step in the case as far as, you know, keeping people informed and reaching out, asking for their help."

Soon, you won't just hear about the missing Morenci boys during a newscast, you'll hear about them all over. The hope is, someone who may not realize they're still missing will hear about it, too, and help bring closure to the case.

Chief Weeks is planning to make a formal announcement about the PSA Friday. He plans to run it on stations across the region, plus online.


http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?sectio...id=8192747

[DickTracy]

ADRIAN, Mich. —
John Skelton entered not-guilty pleas by written waiver rather than appear in Lenawee County Circuit Court Wednesday for arraignment on kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment charges.

Judge Margaret M.S. Noe scheduled the Morenci man for a four-day jury trial to begin Aug. 16. He is accused of causing the Thanksgiving Day disappearance of his three sons, Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5.
Skelton was in court Tuesday for a brief trial that settled a divorce action started by his wife, Tanya Skelton, in September last year. Noe granted sole legal custody of their three sons to Tanya Skelton. Joint custody was requested by John Skelton after he claimed the boys will not be returned so long as their mother has legal custody.
“It’s not in my control,” he said Tuesday.
He also denied being responsible for the boys’ disappearance.
“As far as the children are concerned, I didn’t take the kids,” John Skelton said in testifying for his joint custody request.
“The people who have our children,” John Skelton said before being interrupted by Noe. She said she would not allow him to discuss that claim during the divorce trial.
John Skelton testified at a hearing in December that he turned the boys over to a representative of an
“organization” who came to his Morenci home on Thanksgiving Day. He has repeatedly stated at court appearances he is unable to have them returned.
Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks announced Jan. 31 that his department’s investigation has been refocused as a homicide rather than a missing persons case.
A criminal prosecution began Dec. 14 when John Skelton was extradited from Ohio and arraigned on parental kidnapping charges that carry a maximum one-year prison term. Lenawee County Prosecutor Jonathan Poer filed new kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment charges on Feb. 17 that carry maximum life and 15-year prison terms.
Rather than proceed toward trial in circuit court, John Skelton requested the case be returned to the starting point in district court. He eventually waived a preliminary examination on June 1 and was bound over again to circuit court for arraignment Wednesday.
John Skelton remains in jail in lieu of $90 million in bonds.


http://www.lenconnect.com/skelton/x83228...nt-charges

[DickTracy]

may he die screaming in pain from colon cancer, in a fire.

My thoughts EXACTLY!

[NightOwl]

Reward now $60,000 for any information on the 3 boys - a new video released to-day.


http://www.toledoonthemove.com/news/stor...?id=630876

[Lady Cop]

lying bastard. i wish the police were allowed to beat the truth out of child killers/abusers/kidnappers. fuck them, save the children!!

The Republic:

MORENCI, Mich. — Three young brothers from southern Michigan missing since Thanksgiving are in the custody of members of an underground sanctuary group, their jailed father says.

In a series of interviews with the Detroit Free Press, John Skelton insisted he didn't know the whereabouts of Andrew, 9; Alexander, 7; and Tanner, 5; and that he won't until he's released from the Lenawee County jail.

Skelton told the newspaper for a story published Monday that he wouldn't hurt his sons and only has the first names of the people who took them.

Police in the town near the Ohio boundary are treating the case as a homicide investigation, but Skelton has not been charged with murder. He is awaiting trial on kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment charges.

Authorities searched for the boys in Williams County, Ohio, because information from Skelton's mobile phone led them there, they said. Police have said they cannot account for his whereabouts between the afternoon of Nov. 25 and 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 26 — around the time the boys disappeared.

Skelton said he wasn't in Ohio.

"I just want to say I wasn't there. My phone was," he said. "That morning when I woke up, it was back."

Skelton also said he didn't give his sons to the organization. He said members of the group intervened and took them.

Skelton's statements to the Free Press are variations of a story authorities have heard, Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks said. If Skelton wants his sons returned safely, he needs to work with police, the chief said.

"If he has a desire to talk, we're certainly here," Weeks said. "We want to find those boys desperately."

Hundreds of people searched for the boys after they disappeared.

A volunteer search and rescue group from Shiawassee County is set to lead another effort to look for them in the coming days.

Skelton said he will not know where his boys are until he is released. He faces up to life in prison if convicted of kidnapping.

If he never gets out of prison, he said, "then nobody will see them again."

[barbiexo]

MORENCI, Mich. — Law enforcement officials aren’t giving specifics, but they say a routine training session Saturday may have turned up items tied to the case of three missing brothers.

Morenci was the site chosen by the Shiawassee County Search and Rescue team to carry out its routine training Saturday, a decision made in large part because searchers could sweep the area for any evidence connected to the case of the three Skelton brothers — Alexander, Andrew, and Tanner — who were 9, 7, and 5, respectively, when they were last seen, at Thanksgiving.

Morenci fire and police departments teamed up with Shiawassee County for the sweep, along with several volunteers from around the area.

Michigan State Trooper Andrew Coohon said items were found during the sweep by the search and rescue team, but he cautioned it is too early to tell if they are related to the case.

“The items found were all at one specific location,” Trooper Coohon said. “The items found will not be released until further testing to determine that they are related to the case.”

At this point, Trooper Coohon said, the items have been locked away in a secure location and will be sent to a crime lab in Lansing for more analysis.

He would not give specifics on what type of items may have been found.


full article:
http://www.toledoblade.com/Police-Fire/2...pping.html

[Lady Cop]

let's hope it's not clothing, and skulls wrapped in duct tape. :(

but if it is, at least the boys will have a decent burial and their fate will no longer be a mystery.

edit to add: The bones that were found during the search happened to originate from an animal and not a human which means that the search for the missing Skelton boys continues.

FREEP:

Despite news reports that evidence was found during a search for three missing Morenci brothers Saturday, the city’s police chief said nothing was found that can be connected to the case.

Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton – ages 9, 7 and 5, respectively – have been missing since late November, when they were last seen in the custody of their father, John Skelton, who is accused in their disappearance.

Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks told the Free Press today that, contrary to some reports, nothing is being tested for DNA.

He said some materials were gathered. Weeks said some bones collected may be examined by a forensic anthropologist, but he said all appear to be from animals.

“We have nothing connected with the Skelton case at all,” he said.

[DickTracy]

John Skelton is a worthless pile of shit. They really need to take extreme measure with this douche bag. I'm sick of seeing his motherfucking face! I still believe to this day he and his family know exactly what happened to those little boys. It makes me sick to know its all a game to him and he has total control.

[DickTracy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRxTlRNE5...dded#at=16

[Mommabear]

Items found in Morenci not tied to missing boys

http://www.toledoblade.com/Police-Fire/2...-boys.html


I was really hoping that they had a lead. Oh well.

[NightOwl]

John Skelton is a worthless pile of shit. They really need to take extreme measure with this douche bag. I'm sick of seeing his motherfucking face! I still believe to this day he and his family know exactly what happened to those little boys. It makes me sick to know its all a game to him and he has total control.

Ditto to the above he is disgusting!!!!

[NightOwl]

Lady Cop Can they give Skelton a Polygraph?

[Lady Cop]

Lady Cop Can they give Skelton a Polygraph?

i don't recall hearing whether they ever have, but nobody can be forced to take a poly.

[kitty1]

John Skelton pleaded no contest to three counts of unlawful inprisonment per Detroit Free Press.

[NightOwl]

Thanks Kitty1 for update on the 3 Skelton boys.

This guy takes the cake! the SOB I can't imagine what the family is going through - one week prior to them missing he searches the internet "on how to break a neck" why would you need to do that? What a monster!!



Detroit Free Press

John Skelton makes plea deal in Morenci disappearance of 3 young sons

ADRIAN -- The Morenci man accused in the disappearance of his three sons pleaded no contest today to three counts of unlawful imprisonment in Lenawee County Circuit Court.

John Skelton is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 15.

He could receive 15 years, which would be served concurrently, on the charges, his attorney John Glaser said today.

As part of the plea deal, Glaser said kidnapping and parental kidnapping charges have been dropped. If he had been convicted of kidnapping, Skelton could have faced up to life in prison.


Asked why the deal was made, Lenawee County Prosecutor Jonathan Poer said officials plan to release a statement this afternoon.


"We had full conversations with the law enforcement and the family," Poer said.


Skelton's sons -- Andrew, Alexander and Tanner, ages 9, 7 and 5, respectively -- have been missing since late November. Police have said they are treating the case like a homicide investigation, which is still ongoing.


During the hearing, Circuit Judge Margaret M.S. Noe read aloud from police reports generated by the FBI and Michigan State Police.


Some of the details Noe read were familiar stories Skelton has told to the media, including the Free Press, which did a series of interviews with him at the Lenawee County Jail earlier this summer. He has maintained that he gave his sons to members of an underground sanctuary group and doesn't know where they are. Skelton has said his children wouldn't be returned as long as he is in jail and as long as his ex-wife, Tanya Zuvers, had custody.

But new details emerged.


Noe said Skelton told investigators at one point that he wrapped each son in a blanket, gave each a stuffed animal, placed them in his van and drove them away.


She said Skelton reportedly took his sons' winter coats and toothbrushes to his aunt's home and told her he didn't need them anymore. As well, Noe said Internet records show Skelton searched for information on how to break a neck about one week before the children went missing.


Noe said Skelton reportedly told investigators: "The children will hibernate until they graduate."

Contact Gina Damron: 313-223-4526 or [email protected]