Andrew Skelton Missing Person Case

Jan 16, 2011

Nov 10, 2020

Andrew

Skelton

24

9

49 inches

57 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

In the small town of Morenci, Michigan, the day after Thanksgiving in 2010 marked the beginning of a heart-wrenching mystery that would haunt a family and community for years to come. Nine-year-old Andrew Skelton, along with his younger brothers, seven-year-old Alexander and five-year-old Tanner, vanished without a trace. The three boys had spent the holiday with their father, John Skelton, as part of a court-ordered visitation following their parents' divorce. Their mother, Tanya Zuvers, was scheduled to pick them up on Friday, November 26th, but when she arrived, the boys were gone. Her attempts to contact John were unsuccessful, leading to a desperate search that would quickly reveal a series of disturbing events. The initial investigation into the boys' disappearance uncovered a web of conflicting stories and troubling behavior from their father. After Tanya reported her sons missing, authorities discovered that John had been hospitalized for a broken ankle, an injury he claimed to have sustained during a suicide attempt. When questioned about the whereabouts of Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner, John Skelton initially told police he had given the children to a woman named "Joann Taylor," whom he claimed he met online, to keep them safe while he ended his life. However, investigators could find no evidence that such a person existed. His story then changed, asserting that he had given the boys to an "underground group" to protect them from alleged abuse by their mother, a claim that was thoroughly investigated and unsubstantiated. Police were able to track John's cell phone movements, which showed him traveling from his home in Morenci into Ohio on the morning the boys were reported missing. His phone was inactive for a couple of hours before pinging back in Morenci, leaving a critical window of time unaccounted for and fueling the fears of investigators and the community. The years that followed were filled with extensive searches across Michigan and Ohio, countless dead-end leads, and the enduring pain of a family left without answers. John Skelton was arrested and in 2011, pleaded no contest to three counts of unlawful imprisonment, receiving a sentence of 10 to 15 years in prison. Despite being the primary person of interest, he maintained his silence about the true fate of his sons. Over a decade after their disappearance, in March 2025, a judge declared Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner Skelton legally dead. This legal step paved the way for a major development in the case. In November 2025, just weeks before his potential release from prison, John Skelton was charged with three counts of open murder and tampering with evidence in connection with the disappearance of his sons. The case of the missing Skelton brothers, which had grown cold but was never forgotten, entered a new chapter, bringing with it the hope that justice, and perhaps some measure of peace, might finally be within reach for a family and community that has waited so long for the truth.

Nov 26, 2010

Morenci

Michigan

Lenawee County

49256

9578

Michigan State Police - Lansing Post

Lansing

Michigan

Eaton County

48913

Jeremy Brewer

D/Lt.

7119 North Canal Road, Michigan

5173221907

State

Law Enforcement

www.michigan.gov/msp

10-983-13

2010-11-26

Michigan State Police - Lansing Post

Brown

Brown

Brown

07/03/2026