For many, Thanksgiving represents a day filled with joy and gratitude for being able to spend time with family. But, for one mother named Tanya Zuvers, this upcoming holiday will mark fourteen years since her three sons vanished.
In 2010, Andrew Skelton, Alexander Skelton, and Tanner Skelton were nine, seven, and eleven years old, respectively.
The boys spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Morenci, Michigan, with their father, John Skelton, that year. Then, Tanya was supposed to pick her sons up from her ex-husband the following day.
Tanya became worried after she stopped hearing from John, though, so she traveled to his home. And upon arrival, he was nowhere to be found.
It was later discovered that John had gone to the hospital for a broken ankle. And according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, John had told the hospital staff that he hurt his ankle while attempting to take his own life.
Police officers were then able to gain access to his home, which was found in total disarray. Still, though, the three boys were not inside.
Then, John reportedly changed his story about where his sons were multiple times while he was in the hospital.
At first, he told police that the boys had been with friends. Afterward, investigators were told that they were given to an unknown woman.
Skeltonbrothers.org – pictured above are the Skelton brothers
Finally, John told investigators that he gave his sons to an underground group that would reportedly keep them safe.
These various scenarios left the police with several questions, so they turned to John’s phone records– which helped them figure out where John was the following day after the boys had last been seen. John was reportedly in Morenci early in the day on November 26, 2010.
Afterward, according to Michigan State Police, he traveled to Ohio– where his phone pinged about twenty miles from his home.
Immediately following the ping, though, John’s phone was then shut off, and the next ping placed him back in Morenci two hours and fifteen minutes later.
Today, John is currently serving time in Ionia, Michigan, at the Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility, where he wil remain until November 29th of next year.
He was never charged in connection to the disappearance of the three boys, but he was charged with unlawful imprisonment and sentenced to ten to fifteen years in prison.
Still, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, that Thanksgiving was not the first time John took his sons from his ex-wife.
He was also accused of removing the boys from school two months prior to their disappearance. John allegedly claimed that he was taking his sons to Florida for a trip to see his parents.
Afterward, John and Tanya divorced, and Tanya was given custody of the boys right before they vanished.
John has since pleaded no contest in regard to the three unlawful imprisonment charges and was later sentenced in 2011.
Michigan Department Of Corrections – pictured above is John
And tragically, it has now been close to fourteen years since Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner were last seen. They would be twenty-one, nineteen, and seventeen years old this year, respectively.
According to the Skelton Brothers website, which has shared information on the boys’ background and case in order to raise awareness about their disappearance, all three brothers loved playing soccer and going camping together growing up. They also cherished going to school.
“Andrew had perfect attendance since he started kindergarten. Alex was a friend to all and didn’t understand why some people had no friends, so he was their friend!” the website reads.
“Tanner was the social king, talked to everyone about everything. Some days that teacher thought so, too, so he would have to be warned.”
Additionally, the boys enjoyed spending time outside– riding bicycles, swimming, and playing with neighborhood kids– as well as animals.
There have been several age progression photos released of the boys throughout the years. The most recent one, though, was released by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in November of 2020 and showed what the brothers might look like at ages nineteen, seventeen, and fifteen.
If you have any information regarding the boys’ disappearance or current whereabouts, you are urged to contact the Michigan State Police at (517) 636-0689 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1(800) 843-5678.
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