LENAWEE COUNTY, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – John Skelton, the father at the center of one of Michigan’s most painful unsolved missing children cases, is expected to be released from prison on November 29.

Skelton, now 53, has served his 15-year sentence for three counts of unlawful imprisonment which he pleaded “no contest” to in 2011. This stems from his failure to return his three sons to their mother, Tanya Zuvers, on Thanksgiving Day in 2010. The boys, Andrew (9), Alexander (7), and Tanner (5), have not been seen since.

A case still without answers.

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The case originated in Lenawee County and shook both the Morenci community and the state. What began as a custody dispute escalated into a mystery that has endured for nearly 15 years. Despite extensive searches, national news coverage, and countless volunteer efforts, the bodies of the boys have never been found.

Although authorities believe the children are dead – and Lenawee County Probate Judge Catherine Sala formally declared them legally deceased in March – Skelton has never been charged in their deaths after they were last seen in his backyard in Morenci on Thanksgiving Day 2010.

Throughout the years, Skelton has given shifting accounts of what he claims happened – including a story that he placed the boys in the care of an underground group to protect them. Investigators have repeatedly stated there is no evidence such a transfer took place, and no organization fitting his description has ever been identified.

Time served does not equal closure.

The case of the Skelton brothers remains open. Law enforcement has emphasized that any credible information will continue to be pursued. The community of Morenci continues to hold vigils, anniversaries, and memorial events each year to honor the boys’ memory and keep public awareness alive.