Tanner Skelton Missing Person Case

Jan 16, 2011

Nov 10, 2020

Tanner

Skelton

20

5

42 inches

40 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

The Thanksgiving holiday of 2010 was the last time five-year-old Tanner Skelton, along with his older brothers, nine-year-old Andrew and seven-year-old Alexander, were seen. The three boys were with their father, John Skelton, in Morenci, Michigan, as part of a court-approved visitation amidst a contentious divorce and custody battle with their mother, Tanya Zuvers. They were last seen playing in their father's backyard on Thanksgiving Day. The following day, when their mother arrived to pick them up, the boys were gone, and their father was unreachable. This marked the beginning of a mysterious and heartbreaking case that has spanned over a decade, leaving a family and community searching for answers. The initial investigation into the boys' disappearance quickly focused on their father, John Skelton. He claimed to have given the children to an acquaintance named Joann Taylor to shield them from their mother, whom he alleged was abusive. However, police were unable to verify the existence of any such person. His stories were inconsistent, at other times suggesting he had given the boys to an "underground group" or even the Amish for their protection. Authorities tracked his phone, which showed movement from his home in Morenci into Ohio and back on the morning the boys were reported missing. John Skelton was later treated at a hospital for a broken ankle, an injury he claimed was sustained during a suicide attempt. In the days and years that followed, extensive searches were conducted by law enforcement and volunteers throughout Michigan and Ohio, but no trace of the brothers was ever found. In 2011, John Skelton pleaded no contest to three counts of unlawful imprisonment and was sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison. Despite being the primary suspect, he was not initially charged with their murder due to a lack of evidence. For years, the case remained at a standstill, with John Skelton maintaining his innocence and offering conflicting accounts of what happened. In March 2025, a significant legal development occurred when a Lenawee County judge declared Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner legally dead, a decision requested by their mother to provide some semblance of closure and respect for her sons. Then, in November 2025, just weeks before he was scheduled to be released from prison, John Skelton was charged with three counts of open murder and tampering with evidence in connection with the disappearance of his sons. This long-awaited step offered a glimmer of hope for justice, though the whereabouts of the three brothers remain unknown, and a community continues to grieve the loss of three bright young lives.

Nov 26, 2010

Morenci

Michigan

Lenawee County

49256

9579

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

Blond/Strawberry

Blue

Blue

07/14/2026