Missing Skelton brothers declared dead by Michigan judge
(From left to right): Tanner, Andrew, and Tanner
ADRIAN, Mich. (FOX 2) - More than 14 years since the Skelton brothers were last seen alive, a Lenawee County judge has declared the boys dead.
Wednesday morning, Lenawee County Judge Catherine Sala ruled on the matter, declaring Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner Skelton dead, 14 years after they were last seen in Morenci, Michigan.
Judge Sala granted the wish of their mother, Tanya Zuvers, who sought to have them legally declared dead to bring closure to her family but also open the door for murder charges against their father, John Skelton.
On Monday, former Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks testified that he believed the boys died on or around Nov. 26, 2010, the day they were last with their father. FBI Detroit Field Office Special Agent Corey Burras testified there was ‘no doubt’ in his mind that John Skelton killed his children.
While Judge Sala granted Zuvers' request, as required by state law on presumption of death, she said there was not enough evidence to convince her that John Skelton killed his three boys.
"Given their undisputed disappearance for over 14 years, the statutory presumption of death applies," Sala said. "The presentation of evidence, however, does not present clear and convincing evidence that John Skelton murdered these children. The information provided in this trial provides ample opportunity for speculation and theories but to make such a finding the court would only be joining those voices offering such speculation and theory given the lack of information."
In Michigan, a person is typically considered to be dead after they have been missing for five years.
"It is with the gravest of condolences that it is ordered Alexander William Skelton, Andrew Ryan Skelton, and Tanner Lucas Skelton are presumed to be deceased as of Nov. 26, 2015," Sala said.
What happened to the Skelton brothers?
The backstory:
The boys, who were aged 9, 7, and 5 at the time, were last seen on Thanksgiving in 2010. The boys spent the holiday with their father, John Skelton, in Morenci, Mich.
Their mother, Tanya Zuvers, was supposed to pick them up from her ex-husband the next day.
In December 2023, Zuvers filed paperwork to have them declared dead to bring some sense of closure.
"This decision came after much thought and discussion with my family and friends. It did not come lightly and was definitely a difficult decision to make. No parent wants to lose a child, but to have to have the courts step in and declare them deceased is just unfathomable," Zuvers wrote in a statement in 2024.
In 2010, when John Skelton didn't bring his kids back to Zuvers, he stopped communicating with her. When 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 commit suicide.
Police were eventually able to get inside and found the home a wreck – and no sign of the three boys.
John Skelton is 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.
According to the statement from Zuvers, John Skelton previously "claimed that the boys would hibernate until they graduate." All three boys are now old enough that they would have graduated from high school.
"At the end of the day, one person is responsible for the disappearance of my sons. That person, at one point, claimed the boys would hibernate until they graduate. As of today, June 14, 2024, all 3 boys are over 18 and all would have graduated high school, yet they have not been returned to me and are still missing," Zuvers wrote.
John Skelton was convicted of unlawful imprisonment of the boys in 2011 and sentenced to 10-15 years. The maximum sentence ends in November of this year – meaning it is likely he will be released in 2025.