The preliminary hearing for John Skelton, 53, is underway in Lenawee County, Michigan, where a judge will determine whether there is enough evidence for him to stand trial for the murders of his three sons.
Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner Skelton, 5, disappeared over Thanksgiving weekend in 2010 from Morenci, Michigan, a small town near the Ohio border. At the time, Skelton was in the midst of a divorce and custody battle with the boys’ mother, Tanya Zuvers.
Investigators say that during the early morning hours of Black Friday, Skelton’s phone traveled approximately 25 miles southwest into the area of Holiday City, Ohio, before returning to Michigan. The boys were never seen again.
In July 2011, Skelton pleaded no contest to three counts of unlawful imprisonment. He claimed he had given his sons to an organization to keep them safe but refused or was unable to provide details that could lead investigators to them. He was sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison, with the judge exceeding the recommended sentencing guidelines and calling Skelton’s explanations “ridiculous.”
In March 2025, a hearing was held to legally declare the three boys dead. During those proceedings, investigators revealed evidence recovered from Skelton’s laptop, including searches involving rat poison and whether it could kill humans. The court also heard about a note Skelton wrote to Zuvers that stated, in part, “You will hate me forever, and I know this.” The court ultimately declared Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner legally deceased.
After being denied parole multiple times, Skelton was scheduled to complete his full 15-year sentence and be released on November 29, 2025.
But on November 12, 2025, just weeks before that scheduled release, prosecutors charged Skelton with three counts of open murder and tampering with evidence in connection with his sons’ deaths.
More than 15 years after Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner disappeared, their bodies have never been found.
Charges:
- Three counts of homicide
- Three counts of tampering with evidence
If convicted of first-degree murder, Skelton faces mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole. He also faces up to 10 years in prison on each of the three evidence-tampering charges.
Judge Laura J. Schaedler
Prosecutor: Jacqueline VanWoert
Defense: Bill Amadeo (Private)
#JohnSkelton #SkeltonBrothers #AndrewSkelton #AlexanderSkelton #TannerSkelton #MichiganCourt #TrialTVLive #TrueCrime #MItrials
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