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John Skelton, 53 (DOC photo)
John Skelton, 53, the father of three boys who have been missing for 15 years, has been charged in Lenawee County with three open counts of murder and tampering with evidence, Fox 2 reports.
The charges come just weeks before he was set to be released from prison for the unlawful imprisonment of his sons, Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5.
The boys spent Thanksgiving in 2010 with their father in Morenci, in Lenawee County, which is just north of the Ohio border. Their mother, Tanya Zuvers, was supposed to pick them up from her ex-husband the next day, Fox 2 reports.
After not hearing from Skelton, she went to his house, but he was at the hospital with a broken ankle, and the kids were nowhere to be found. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said he told hospital workers that he injured his ankle while trying to commit suicide.
Skelton is accused of changing his story about the whereabouts of the children. They were never found.
He was never charged in their disappearance but was sentenced in September 2011 to 10–15 years in prison for unlawful imprisonment after pleading no contest. “No contest” means he didn’t admit guilt but accepted the conviction and sentence.
He was first eligible for parole in 2020, but that was denied. His discharge date was Nov. 29, 2025, according to Michigan Department of Corrections records.
