A probable cause conference is a court proceeding where a judge decides whether prosecutors have enough evidence to show that a crime was likely committed and that the defendant likely committed it. This allowed the Skelton case to move forward even though the boys’ bodies haven’t been found.

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During the conference, the judge scheduled a preliminary examination for May 11, 2026. At that conference, prosecutors are anticipated to present extensive evidence, and the court will determine whether there is sufficient probable cause for Skelton to be bound over for trial on the murder charges.

How a disappearance became a murder case.

Skelton’s sons, Andrew (9), Alexander (7) and Tanner (5), were last seen playing in their father’s yard before disappearing without a trace. Skelton pleaded no contest in July of 2011 to unlawful imprisonment after failing to return the kids to their mother following a court-ordered visit, earning a 10-15 year sentence that was set to keep him behind bars up until November 29 of this year. A judge declared the boys legally dead in March 2025, but until recently, murder charges were nowhere in the picture.

Skelton now faces charges that include three counts of open murder and three counts of tampering with evidence. The new charges happened in November roughly two weeks before he was to be released from prison.

In a probable cause affidavit, law enforcement noted Skelton searched the internet in the days leading up to the disappearance for ways to kill someone, and that his stories to investigators – including handing the boys off to a mysterious person connected to an “Underground Sanctuary” – kept changing. Charging records say Skelton “did knowingly and intentionally remove, alter or conceal the body” of his children to “avoid a determination as to cause and manner of death.”

Court appearance moves the case forward.

The brief court appearance on Wednesday marked the first real step toward a murder trial in a case that has lingered for nearly 15 years. If the judge finds enough evidence at the preliminary examination next year, Skelton will be sent to circuit court to stand trial while prosecutors formally try to prove what happened to his three sons.