Mother of missing Skelton boys asks court to declare them dead

MORENCI, Mich. — The mother of three Morenci brothers who went missing more than a decade ago is asking a Michigan court to declare them legally dead.

An attorney for Tanya Zuvers has filed three motions in Lenawee County Probate Court seeking to declare Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton legally dead.

Zuvers wrote in a statement posted publicly on his Facebook page: “In December 2023, three petitions were filed in the Lenawee County Probate Court regarding my sons: Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner Skelton. I ask the courts to declare Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton. Tanner legally deceased.”

Zuvers reported her three sons missing on Nov. 26, 2010. Authorities say their father, John Skelton, did not return Zuvers to them.

“This decision came after much thought and discussion with my family and friends. It was not taken lightly and was certainly a difficult decision to make. No parent wants to lose a child, but have to to intervene in the courts and declare him deceased is simply unfathomable,” Zuvers said in a written statement Friday evening.

You can read the family's full statement here:

The three brothers were young at the time of their disappearance in 2010; Alexander was seven years old, Andrew nine years old, and Tanner five years old.

“Ultimately, one person is responsible for my sons' disappearance. This person, at one point, claimed that the boys would hibernate until they graduated. As of today, on June 14, 2024, all three boys are over 18 years old and all would have graduated from high school, but they have not been returned to me and are still missing,” Zuvers said.

A judge sentenced John Skelton to 10 to 15 years in prison in 2011 after he was convicted of three counts of unlawful imprisonment, one for each son. He was eligible for parole several times during his sentence, but the board rejected his request each time. His maximum sentence is set to expire on November 29, 2025.

Skelton claimed he handed the boys over to an “underground group.” Investigators have never released evidence supporting his claims.

Zuvers previously said she thought her sons were dead.

Zuvers said she and her family are asking for privacy as they continue to process the situation.