John Skelton prelim begins today: What to know 15 years after sons’ disappearance
John Skelton appears in court on murder charges
No testimony was taken Wednesday in the murder case of John Skelton, accused of murdering his three children. But that was 15 years ago when the children went missing. Skelton spent the last 15 years in prison for abandoning his children, but just before he was to be released, the prosecutor filed murder charges against him.
FOX 2 - A preliminary hearing for John Skelton, the father of three young boys who disappeared in Morenci, Mich. around Thanksgiving in 2010, begins this morning.
The brothers disappeared in Morenci, a small town near the Ohio border about 100 miles southwest of Detroit, and the unsolved case has unsettled the community for more than 15 years.
Here’s what to know before the hearing begins:
Missing Skelton brothers
Big picture view:
John Skelton’s three sons disappeared while with their father during Thanksgiving in 2010. The boys’ ages at the time were:
- Andrew, 9
- Alexander, 7
- Tanner, 5
Dig deeper:
Since their disappearance that holiday, the case has remained unsolved.
The boys have never been found, despite searches in Michigan and Ohio and tips from across the country.
In March of 2025, a judge declared the three brothers dead at the request of their mother, Tanya Zuvers.
READ MORE: Missing Skelton brothers declared dead by Michigan judge
John Skelton previous case
Big picture view:
Skelton has already been sentenced to 15 years for his failure to return the boys to Zuvers the day after Thanksgiving in 2010 – the only conviction in the case so far.
The same month Skelton was due to be released he was charged with murder.
Previous to this, Lenawee County Judge Catherine Sala ruled that although the boys were dead, she said there was not enough evidence to prove that John Skelton killed them.
He has been eligible for parole since 2020, but the parole board denied his requests for release.
The backstory:
Up until November 2025, John Skelton was never charged in connection with the disappearance of his sons. However, he was sentenced to 10-15 years in prison for unlawful imprisonment after pleading no contest to the charges.
John Skelton was accused of taking the boys out of school two months before their disappearance. It is alleged that he said he was taking them on a trip to Florida, where his parents live.
John Skelton and Zuvers divorced after this, and Zuvers was granted custody of the boys, just before they disappeared.
(From left to right): Tanner, Andrew, and Tanner
Dig deeper:
Zuvers was supposed to pick the boys up from Skelton, her ex-husband, the day after Thanksgiving.
However, she stopped hearing from him, so she went to his house. He wasn't home because he was at a hospital after he broke his ankle. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, he told hospital workers that he injured his ankle while trying to kill himself.
Police were able to get into his home, which they said was destroyed and the boys weren't there.
Skelton was accused of changing the story of where they were while he was at the hospital. He said they were with friends before telling investigators that the boys were given to an unknown woman. He also told police that he gave them to an underground group that would keep them safe.
John Skelton charged with murder
What's new::
Last November, Skelton was charged with murdering each of his three sons. The charges he’s facing include:
- Three counts of murder
- Three counts of tampering with criminal evidence
READ MORE: John Skelton, father of missing Skelton brothers, charged with murder
The backstory:
Many investigators had said and testified they believed Skelton was responsible for the boys’ disappearance, but charges relating to their death had yet to happen.
What they're saying:
According to Zuvers, Skelton previously "claimed that the boys would hibernate until they graduate." All three boys would be old enough now that they would have graduated from high school.
Age progressed photo of the Skelton boys Andrew, Alexander and Tanner.
What's next:
Skelton’s preliminary hearing begins Monday, Aug. 24, 2026 in Lenawee County.
This court proceeding, which is expected to last several days, will determine if the charges can move forward.
FOX 2 will provide coverage of the hearing.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from previous FOX 2 Detroit reporting, the National Center for Missing and The Associated Press.