Father Appears in Court After Nearly 15 Years
A Michigan man has made his first court appearance on murder charges, nearly fifteen years after his three young sons mysteriously vanished during a Thanksgiving weekend visit.
John Skelton, 53, was transported from a state prison to Lenawee County Court on Monday to face three counts of murder and evidence tampering in connection with the 2010 disappearance of his sons.
The Thanksgiving Disappearance That Shook a Community
The case dates back to November 2010, when Skelton failed to return his three boys - 9-year-old Andrew, 7-year-old Alexander and 5-year-old Tanner - to their mother following a Thanksgiving holiday visit.
The brothers vanished while in their father's care in Morenci, a small town located near the Ohio border approximately 100 miles southwest of Detroit. Despite extensive searches across both Michigan and Ohio, and numerous tips from across the country, the boys have never been located.
Skelton had been serving a prison sentence for unlawful imprisonment related to the boys' disappearance and was nearing completion of that term when the new murder charges were filed.
Court Proceedings and Emotional Toll
During Monday's hearing, the court set Skelton's bond at $60 million, and he was returned to jail. It remains unclear whether he has legal representation, as the county public defender's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In a previous court hearing in March, Skelton declined to participate in proceedings that would have declared his sons legally dead. Appearing via video from prison, he told the judge: "Anything I say isn't going to make a difference."
The case has taken an emotional toll on the small community of Morenci, where the disappearance has remained an open wound for fifteen years.
Family friend Brandy Fenner expressed the ongoing anguish felt by those close to the case, telling WDIV-TV: "You get that pit in your stomach that you had 15 years ago. We all want justice, and we all want answers. We deserve it."
Police have long considered Skelton the prime suspect in his sons' disappearance, though the murder charges represent a significant escalation in the long-standing investigation that has haunted the rural community for nearly a decade and a half.
