Cops say three missing Michigan boys likely dead at dad’s hands

Local police think three missing boys are dead, but their mother still holds on to hope that she will see them again.
Tanya Zuvers of Morenci, Mich., authorized age-progressed photos of her three sons to raise awareness of an ongoing search for them.

“It's kind of unreal to think that two years later, we're still sitting here trying to find answers, trying to get that one clue,” Zuvers said.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children lent a hand in the mission by creating the photos of Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton. They were last seen Thanksgiving 2010 at the ages of 9, 7, and 5.

Zuvers is also preparing an awareness event on Sunday at Wakefield Park. The local park already has three trees planted in their honor.
The event will raise money for the search. Organizers will also unveil a plaque dedicated to the boys, reported Fox 47 of Michigan.

But police say that the facts of the case, which have not been fully disclosed, indicate that the boys were likely killed by their father, John Skelton, in the early morning of Nov. 26, 2010.

"I'm a human being, and I hope I'm wrong,” said Chief Larry Weeks of the Morenci Police Department. “I'd love to be proven wrong and would welcome that opportunity.”

The police are currently offering a $60,000 reward for any information that leads to finding the children.

ohn Skelton pleaded no contest to unlawful imprisonment charges last year, according to The Associated Press.

Skelton is currently serving a 10- to 15-year prison sentence. He said that his sons are with an “underground sanctuary group” but says he does not know where, reported the Detroit Free Press.

"His choice to hide behind this outlandish story is selfish and cowardly," Weeks said. “If he cared about his sons at all, he would disclose the truth and bring resolution to this case."