MI MI - Tanner Lucas,Alexander William,& Andrew Ryan Skelton, missing! Media & Maps

[imamaze]

Morenci is not stranger to devastating tragedies
Seven weeks ago, Kelly Fletcher lost her 14-year-old son, Collin, in a hunting accident. Now she is mourning the losses of three other boys.
The children — Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner Skelton — may not be her own sons, but Mrs. Fletcher knows all too well what it's like when a child disappears. Her son went missing from the family's home outside Morenci in mid-October after he went out by himself to hunt. He was found a day later after an all-night search in a grassy area nearby, dead from a gunshot wound.
More...

Vigil planned Sunday for missing Morenci boys
A candlelight vigil is planned at 6 p.m. Sunday at Wakefield Park for the three Morenci boys missing since Nov. 26.
The small town of 2,000 residents has canceled the Christmas parade and related activities to focus its attention on the missing Skelton children — Tanner, 5, Alexander, 7, and Andrew, 9 — and their family.
More...

Boys faces tear at our hearts
Faces tell you a lot. Take for example the heart-melting little-boy faces that have been looking out from the front page for the past week.
The Skelton brothers are obviously all boy. You can almost tell from their school photos that the smiling poses will last for only a moment before they'll wiggle away in search of action figures, soccer balls and mischief.
More...

Volunteers help light up Morenci
Saturday was the first day without official searching since the Skelton boys disappeared Nov. 26.
Despite the break, some of those same volunteers were setting up for Sunday's candlelight vigil. But those volunteers were surprised with the number of people who showed up.
Volunteers were expecting more people to come to Wakefield Park to help set up Sunday's vigil. But some say decorating the park wasn't their top priority.
More...

Skelton boys called happy, helpful
For a town of fewer than 2,400 people, three missing boys are a personal affair.
“This isn’t a big city tragedy, this is a small town, and those boys aren’t just pictures on a paper; the people here know these boys,” said Kevin Lehr, a youth pastor from the West Rome Baptist Church in Manitou Beach.
The boys everyone in Morenci is focused on are Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton, the elementary school students who have been missing since the day after Thanksgiving.
More...

 

[imamaze]

Hundreds come together as Morenci looks for missing boys
Amid the pain and worry of a community concerned about three young boys who have been missing since Thanksgiving, many people working on the search efforts say they’ve been stunned by the outpouring of support — not just from the Morenci community but from the region as a whole and beyond.
That support comes not just from the hundreds of people who have been tromping through fields and scouring roadsides for signs of Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton, but also from volunteers at the fire station, businesses that have donated food and supplies to help with the search, and countless citizens who have stopped by to offer whatever help they can give.
More...

Friends, family of missing boys seek comfort in church
During a search for three small boys last week, volunteers assembled each morning at a church to learn where they would be looking that day.
This morning, the churches of this rural town on the Ohio border reclaimed their traditional role as sanctuary.
More...

 

[imamaze]

Hundreds attend candlelight vigil for Morenci boys
Hundreds of people from at least three states attended a candlelight vigil in Morenci, Michigan, Sunday, in honor of missing brothers Alexander, Tanner and Andrew Skelton.
More...

Tree lighting honors missing boys
They came in flannel shirts, hunting jackets, ski caps, and blankets, some 400 to 500 of them from Morenci and surrounding towns near the Michigan-Ohio border where Lenawee and Fulton counties meet.
There really was little doubt they'd come. This is what small-town America does best: Pull together and comfort neighbors in a time of tragedy, whether it be a heartbreaking disappearance of three spunky young boys or some other sad event.
More...

Candles keep hope for missing boys alive
Five days before he and two brothers disappeared, Andrew Skelton made a vow.
With Christmas lights being put up at his church and a city park, "We're going to light up this town," the 9-year-old told his pastor.
More...

In Morenci vigil lights the way home for missing Skelton brothers
The people of Morenci gathered Sunday night and lit up the town with candles, flashlights and Christmas lights, hoping to illuminate the way home for Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton.
More...

Grandmother talks about her missing grandchildren Video

 

[imamaze]

Process of bringing John Skelton back to Michigan in motion
State and local officials have begun the process of bringing the father of three missing Morenci boys back to Lenawee County to face the parental kidnapping charges filed against him, but it’s unknown how long the process will take.
Police still receiving tip calls
Authorities are still seeking tips from anyone who might have information about the location of Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton.
The Morenci Police Department’s tip line, 517-458-7104, is being forwarded to the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Department, where dispatchers are taking down information to relay to police in Morenci.
More...

Police: No news on missing Morenci brothers; volunteer search on hold
Police say there are no new developments in the search for three missing brothers from Morenci and that the official volunteer search for the boys is on hold.
Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton were last seen on Thanksgiving Day. Their father, John Skelton, remains behind bars on parental kidnapping charges.
More... Video included...

 

[imamaze]

Police continue checking leads, urge caution in reporting
Investigators are continuing to check tips they have received in the case of the three missing brothers from Morenci. In a statement issued today through the FBI, Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks discussed the status of the investigation.
"To clarify a question that continues to come up, no organized volunteer searches are being planned at this time," Weeks wrote. "We have conducted searches with local public safety assets since Friday with negative results. We will continue to do so as the investigation requires."
More...

MI gov. gets extradition papers for Morenci dad
Prosecutors say Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm has received paperwork necessary to extradite a 39-year-old Michigan man charged with parental kidnapping in connection with his three missing sons.
More...

Sandusky woman says she spotted Skelton boys
Sandusky resident says she may have seen the boys with a woman in a donut shop on the sunday after Thanksgiving.
The shop has no surveillance video. Police have said they will investigate every tip.
Unlike most people, Sandy Jones says she hadn't been following the case of three missing Morenci brothers, until last week.
More... Video included...

Ohio woman may have seen missing boys 3 days after Thanksgiving
Sandusky woman has reported that she may have seen the missing Skelton brothers when they came into her doughnut shop with a woman on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Sandy Jones told Toledo station WTVG-TV Channel 13 that Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton reluctantly entered the House of Donuts with a woman who addressed one of the boys as "Tanner."
"The two older ones didn't act like they wanted to come through the door when they first came in and they kind of huddled together," Jones said in her interview.
More... Video included...

Michigan eyes extradition of boys'father;kid glimpsed in Ohio?
Gov. Jennifer Granholm has received a request to extradite the father of three missing Morenci boys back to Michigan to face charges here, her office said today.
More...

 

[imamaze]

Attorney: Missing boys' dad is off limits to investigators for now
Prosecutors say Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm has the paperwork to extradite a 39-year-old Morenci man charged with parental kidnapping in connection with his three missing sons.
Officials say Granholm plans to have the papers to Ohio before the end of the end of the week to get John Skelton back to Michigan
More...

Morenci police chief warns against false hope
Police Chief Larry Weeks warned today against "false hope to the family and our community" from stories like the possible sighting of three missing boys in a Sandusky, Ohio, doughnut shop.
Although Weeks stopped short of dismissing the televised report that the missing the Skelton brothers may have been seen with a woman on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, he asked the media to show restraint.
More...

Woman says she saw the boys at a doghnut shop in Ohio
A doughnut shop worker in Ohio is offering the first glimmer of hope that the Skelton boys are still alive.
Watch the possible witness account in the video player on the left.
Sandy Jones works at House of Donuts in Sandusky. She says three days after the little brothers went missing, three boys matching their description entered the store along with a woman.
More...

Hunters keep an eye out for boys,clues
It's been 13 days since three brothers from Morenci, Michigan were last seen playing in the backyard of their father's home.
As of Monday, the Lenawee County Sheriff's Department says it has no new information in the search for for 9-year-old Andrew, 7-year-old Alexander and 5-year-old Tanner Skelton.
A small army of volunteers boarded buses with fire and rescue personnel last week to comb the countryside, but Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks suspended volunteer searches last Friday to give authorities a chance to assess efforts.
More...

 

[imamaze]

Aunt wants access to dad or 3 missing MI boys
The aunt of a 39-year-old Michigan man charged with parental kidnapping in connection with his three missing sons says he might "open up" to her and disclose "things others might not get from him."
More...

Morenci returns to business as search for boys continue
The search continues for the missing Skelton boys. Andrew, Alexander and Tanner were last seen Thanksgiving Day. Their disappearance sparked a huge volunteer search effort which, so far, has turned up nothing. Even so, Morenci police are continuing to pursue several leads.
No organized volunteer searches are planned, but police are encouraging residents in Fulton, Williams, Hillsdale and Lenawee counties to check their own property. Morenci police are declining all interviews, saying they need to keep their team focused on the investigation.
More... Video included...

Aunt of missing kids' dad hopes 'he might open up to me'
The aunt of a jailed father of three missing Morenci boys said she's hoping to gain access to him because "he might open up to me about things others might not get from him."
"In a roundabout way, he might tell me about the kids," said Sandra Arens.
More...

John Skelton's jail visitor list has 7 names on it
There are seven names on a jail visitor list for the Michigan father who is being held in connection with his three missing sons, Local 4 has learned.
More...

 

[imamaze]

John Skelton's parents say they believe boys are safe
The grandparents of three Morenci boys last seen on Thanksgiving say they’ve been assured by the boys’ jailed father that the children are safe.
More...

Skelton's parents say missing boys are alive
The grandparents of three missing boys from Morenci are talking about what they learned after speaking with the boys' father Wednesday.
Roxanne and William Skelton, who now live in Florida and have been in town for a week, visited their son for the first time at the Lucas County jail Wednesday.
After speaking to him for about 30 minutes through a video monitor, they say they believe their grandchildren are still alive.
More... Video included...

Grandparents of missing boys visit their son in jail
The grandparents of the three missing boys from Morenci went to the Lucas County jail to visit their son today. John Skelton remains locked up and charged with parental kidnapping.
After their meeting with John, William and Roxanne Skelton believe 100-percent that their grandsons are still alive. However, their son did not reveal where the boys are. Roxanne says, "Those children are safe. And he wouldn't tell me where."
More... Video included...

Skelton claims boys are safe
The parents of a Morenci man charged in the disappearance of his three sons said he told them today that the boys are safe.
Roxann and John Skelton spent a half-hour communicating with their son, John Russell Skelton, 39, by telephone and video link within the Lucas County Jail in Toledo, according to Corrections Administrator Jim O'Neal.
More...

Skelton's parents say he is protecting boys
The father of three missing Michigan boys said Wednesday that although they have not been found, they are safe.
During an interview with Local 4, John Skelton’s parents, William and Roxanne Skelton, said their son told them during a jail visit that he only had one message to give: that the 9-year-old Andrew, 7-year-old Alexander and 5-year-old Tanner were OK.
More... Video included...

 

[imamaze]

Morenci residents split about believing Skelton's latest claims
John Skelton, charged with kidnapping his three boys, Andrew, Alexander and Tanner, spoke to his parents Wednesday through video link-up.
After hearing what transpired, people in the city of Morenci are split as to whether they believe what Skelton told them.
Brandi Boswell thinks the boys are alive, somewhere. "It's my constant prayer," she said. "It's a gut feeling. Actually some of the details that came out today, it was like the story that I've told myself over and over."
But most people don't think they can trust the source of this latest information.
More...

Doughnut shop worker says she saw midding boys
A Sandusky doughnut shop employee says she was interviewed by the FBI Wednesday about her belief that she saw the three missing boys from Morenci, Mich., in the shop in late November.
More...

Work on Skelton boys' case continues
Police and federal agents in Morenci and elsewhere are continuing to evaluate evidence and follow up on tips in the search for three missing brothers, Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks said Wednesday.
Although downtown Morenci is no longer buzzing with highly visible activity the way it was last week, Weeks said that doesn’t mean the investigation has stopped. Investigators are working their way through the more than 700 tips they have received in the case, he said.
More...

 

[imamaze]

Possible new sighting of missing brothers
A former Morenci school teacher told police she may have seen the missing brothers from Morenci at a flea market in Ohio.
According to sources, the retired music teacher said she was at a flea market in Bowling Green, Ohio, when she spotted the boys with an unidentified woman.
WATCH: Former Morenci School Teacher Says She May Have Seen Boys
More...

Morenci pastor driven by desire to see Skelton brothers return
Donna Galloway has been the public face of Morenci's hope that the three missing Skelton boys will make it home.
Although she doesn't want to be the center of attention, Galloway, the pastor of Morenci United Methodist Church, which the Skelton family attended, has been thrust into the spotlight during the agonizing search for Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5.
More...

 

[imamaze]

Work on Skelton boys' case continues
Police and federal agents in Morenci and elsewhere are continuing to evaluate evidence and follow up on tips in the search for three missing brothers, Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks said Wednesday.
Although downtown Morenci is no longer buzzing with highly visible activity the way it was last week, Weeks said that doesn’t mean the investigation has stopped. Investigators are working their way through the more than 700 tips they have received in the case, he said.
“Everyone here is still working long hours, fully committed to resolving this,” he said.
More...

Extradition moves forward for dad of missing boys
The extradition of John Skelton, the father of three missing boys from Morenci, Michigan, is moving forward.
Ohio Governor Ted Strickland received the necessary paperwork from Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm.
Officials then filled out an extradition order and sent it to the Lucas County Prosecutor's Office Friday.
That paperwork will be presented at Skelton's next hearing on Tuesday.
More... Video included...

 

[imamaze]

Day 15 Three Skelton boys still missing
After more than 2 weeks the three Skelton boys Tanner, age 5, Alexander, age 7, and Andrew, age 9, remain missing despite efforts of authorities to locate them. Two people have came forward saying they saw the boys after the date they went missing. Both have said they were unaware the boys were missing. The sightings have not been confirmed by police saying they did not want to create false hope.
More... Video included of interview with grandfather...

Sandusky woman meeting FBI sketch artist
We continue to track the latest developments in the disappearance of three Morenci boys, missing now for two weeks.
A woman in Sandusky who says she may have seen Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton after the brothers were reported missing is set to meet with an FBI sketch artist.
Sandy Jones tells 13abc the meeting could take place as early as Saturday.
More... Video included...

Missing Morenci boys' dad almost arrested in September
The father of the three missing Morenci boys was threatened with arrest on parental kidnapping charges almost three months ago after he removed his sons from school for a Florida trip and suggested they may not return, according to police reports obtained by the Free Press.
The documents, obtained this week through a Michigan Freedom of Information Act request, shed light on the simmering dispute between John Skelton, 39, and his estranged wife, Tanya, 44, about a trip to Florida in September. Court records show that she filed for divorce following the trip.
More...

Skelton scheduled for extradition hearing
The father of three missing Morenci boys is scheduled for an extradition hearing Tuesday in Lucas County.
John Skelton’s hearing is set for 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 14. He is being held on $3 million bond on parental kidnapping charges in connection with the disappearance of his three sons, Andrew, Alexander and Tanner.
More...

 

[imamaze]

Extradition hearing set for father of three missing boys
An extradition hearing is set for this morning in Toledo's Lucas County Court of Common Pleas for John Russell Skelton, a Morenci resident wanted in Michigan on charges stemming from the Thanksgiving disappearance of his three sons.
Skelton, 39, is charged in a warrant issued in Lenawee County for parental kidnapping/custodial interference for allegedly taking his sons Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner Skelton, 5. He and his wife, Tanya, 44, had been involved in a custody dispute since she filed for divorce Sept. 13.
More...

John Skelton extradition hearing Tuesday
The father of three missing brothers from Morenci, Michigan will be back before a Toledo judge Tuesday.
NBC 24 will be in court for Tuesday's hearing and bring you the late breaking details beginning on NBC 24 News at 6.]
More...

Missing boys' dad could be sent back to Michigan
The father of three boys missing since Thanksgiving could be on his way back to Michigan to face parental kidnapping charges.
John Skelton is to appear at an extradition hearing Tuesday in Toledo, Ohio, where he's being held on $3 million bond.
More...

 

[imamaze]

Missing boys dad ends fight over return to Michigan
The father of three boys missing since Thanksgiving waived his right to an extradition hearing on Tuesday and was promptly processed and driven away to face charges across the state border in Michigan.
John Skelton, 39, had been fighting extradition on three charges of parental kidnapping in the disappearance of his sons Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5. But during a Tuesday morning hearing in Toledo he agreed to his return to his home state.
More...

Father of missing boys waives extradition
The father of three missing Morenci boys waived an extradition hearing in Lucas County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday morning and consented to be returned to Michigan to face parental kidnapping charges.
More...

The father of three missing boys waives extradition
John Skelton is headed back to Michigan after an appearance in Lucas County Court Tuesday morning. He told the judge he would not fight his extradition.
Action News is in Toledo and Lenawee County and will have updates throughout the day
More...

Missing Morenci boys' dad has bond set at $30M
The bond for the father accused of kidnapping three boys who have been missing since Thanksgiving weekend was set at $30 million today, ten times the amount set by a judge in Ohio after his arrest there.
Upon John Russell Skelton's return to Michigan today after he waived his extradition challenge in a Toledo courtroom, a Lenawee County District Court magistrate set his bond via video conference.
More...

 

[imamaze]

Father of three missing boys back in Michigan
The Morenci father facing parental kidnapping charges in the disappearance of his three young boys is back in Michigan and scheduled for arraignment at 1 p.m. today by video from the Lenawee County Jail.
More...​

Michigan dad of three missing sons due in court
A 39-year-old Michigan father who faces kidnapping charges in connection with his three missing sons is due in court.
John Skelton of Morenci is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Lenawee County, one day after waiving his right to an extradition hearing in Ohio and being driven back to Michigan. He remains held on a $30 million bond.
More...​

 

[imamaze]

Judge keeps bond at 30M for missing boys
The father of three missing Morenci boys was arraigned today on three counts of parental kidnapping by a Lenawee County district judge, who continued John Russell Skelton's bond at $30 million.
Skelton answered routine legal questions from Judge James Sheridan with a clear and strong voice, replying to most questions with "Yes, sir."
Skelton appeared on a courthouse monitor from a white-painted, cement-block room in the nearby county jail. He was seated in a wheelchair with his hands clasped, wearing a dark, sleeveless uniform.
"I just know I need a lawyer," Skelton said. "I need one appointed."
More...

Skelton arraigned on parental kidnapping charges
The father of three missing boys from Morenci has been arraigned on parental kidnapping charges.
John Skelton appeared for the video arraignment at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday at the Lenawee County courtroom.
Skelton was arraigned on three counts of parental kidnapping in the disappearance of his three sons Andrew, Alexander and Tanner.
During the arraignement, Skelton requested a court-appointed lawyer. Another hearing will be held on December 28.
More... Video included...

Missing boys dad faces kidnapping charges
The father of three boys missing since Thanksgiving was arraigned Wednesday afternoon on parental kidnapping charges.
John Skelton waived his right to an extradition hearing on Tuesday and was promptly processed and driven away to face charges across the state border in Michigan.
Skelton, 39, had been fighting extradition on three charges of parental kidnapping in the disappearance of his sons Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5. But during a Tuesday morning hearing in Toledo he agreed to his return to his home state.
WATCH VIDEO: John Skelton Back In Michigan To Face Charges
WATCH VIDEO: John Skelton Extradition Hearing
More...

Morenci father arraigned on parental kidnapping charges
A Morenci father accused of kidnapping his three sons during Thanksgiving will have an opportunity to challenge those charges on Dec. 28.
John Russell Skelton, 39, was arraigned Wednesday on the three parental kidnapping charges involving his sons Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5. The three boys haven’t been seen since Thanksgiving Day and were reported missing that Friday when they were not returned to their mother, Tanya, after a scheduled visitation.
Each charge has a maximum penalty of one year and one day in prison and a $2,000 fine.
More...

Skelton enters no plea on kidnapping
Preliminary hearing set for December 28
The father of the missing Morenci, Michigan boys, John Skelton, made his initial appearance via video in Lenawee County District Court, in Adrian, Michigan Wednesday afternoon.
Skelton did not enter a plea to three charges of parental kidnapping, rather he answered 'yes' or 'no' to any questions posed to him by attorneys, prosecutors or the Judge.
More...

 

[imamaze]

John Skelton tells judge he turned boys over to an organization
John Skelton told a judge this morning that he turned his three sons over to someone from an “organization” at his Morenci home on Thanksgiving Day.
More...

Skelton says organization took kids
The father of three missing michigan brothers, John Skelton, was back in court Thursday as part of a custody hearing.
While in court he said he gave the boys to someone from an "organization" who visited his home on Thanksgiving.
More...

Skelton to judge: Boys given to mystery woman
There are new developments tonight in the investigation of three young boys missing since Thanksgiving. The three brothers vanished from Morenci, Michigan last month.
Their father remains jailed in Lenawee County on $30 million bond accused of their kidnapping. Today, he offered a confusing explanation to a judge about what happened to the boys.
John Skelton appeared in court yesterday on criminal kidnapping charges. Today, he went back before a judge for a civil custody case involving the missing boys.
Skelton said under oath that his sons were handed over to a woman in a van at their Morenci home on Thanksgiving.
More... Video included...

Missing boys dad claims he gave them to an organization
John Russell Skelton refused to tell a judge today the location of his missing sons, except to say they are with an "organization."
Lenawee County Circuit Judge Margaret Noe ordered the man suspected in the Thanksgiving Day disappearance of Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner Skelton, 5, to a showcase hearing today over accusations he failed to comply with her orders to share custody of the children with his separated wife, Tanya Skelton. Noe has overseen the bitter divorce and custody disputes between John Skelton, 39, and Tanya Skelton, 44, since September.
More...

Skelton says organization has his three boys
In a civil court hearing Thursday, the father of the three missing Morenci boys told a judge that an “organization” has his children.
The show cause hearing was held Thursday morning in Circuit Court of Lenawee County and is related to Skelton’s failure to comply with a custody order.
When Judge Margaret Noe asked Skelton which organization, Skelton would not reveal the name.
More...

 

[imamaze]

Roundtable with Jeff Smith
This week on Roundtable, Jeff Smith talks with Clinical Psychologist Charlene Cassel about the case of the missing Skelton brothers from Morenci, Michigan.
More...

Old Amtrak village hosts prayer vigil for missing boys
It's been more than three weeks since the search began for three missing Morenci boys. From huge search efforts to candle light vigils, volunteers and community members have not given up hope.
More... Video included...

 

[imamaze]

Prayers, hymns offered as hope hangs on for return of 3 boys
A handful of Toledoans shivered, sang Christmas hymns, and prayed for three missing Morenci brothers at a candlelight vigil Sunday night at a makeshift shrine erected at Old Amtrak Village in South Toledo.
More...

Missing boys mother says she believes they're alive, pleads for their return
The mother of Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton said today she believes her boys are still alive somewhere and pleaded with anyone who might have them to return the missing boys to her.
In front of a small group of reporters this afternoon at Morenci United Methodist Church, Tanya Skelton said her intuition still tells her “that my boys are alive and that they’re with someone they know.”
More... Video included...

 

[imamaze]

Family prepares for holiday with fate of children unknown
In a few days, there will be Christmas gifts under the tree at Tanya Skelton's home -- at least one for each of her three sons who have been missing since Thanksgiving.
"I have bought some presents," the mother said Monday, fighting back tears. "I still have some things I want to get. It is very hard to go shopping not knowing, but there will be presents under the tree."
More...