Alexander Skelton Missing Person Case

Jan 16, 2011

Nov 10, 2020

Alexander

Skelton

22

7

45 inches

45 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

The Thanksgiving holiday of 2010 marked the beginning of a heart-wrenching mystery in Morenci, Michigan, with the disappearance of seven-year-old Alexander Skelton, along with his brothers, nine-year-old Andrew and five-year-old Tanner. The three boys were last seen playing in their father's yard on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 2010. Their parents, Tanya Zuvers and John Skelton, were in the midst of a divorce, and the boys were with their father for a court-ordered holiday visit. The following day, when their mother arrived to pick them up, they were gone, and their father claimed he had given them to an acquaintance to keep them safe while he attempted to take his own life. This was the start of a long and painful journey for the boys' family, as the search for Alexander and his brothers began. The initial investigation into the boys' disappearance was fraught with conflicting and changing stories from their father, John Skelton. He first told authorities he had entrusted the boys to a woman named Joann Taylor, but investigators were unable to find any evidence that such a person existed. He later claimed to have given them to an "underground group" for their protection, alleging their mother was abusive, a claim she has denied and which has not been substantiated by investigators. Cellphone records indicated that in the early morning hours of November 26, John Skelton's phone traveled from Morenci, Michigan, to an area in Ohio and then returned. Despite extensive searches by law enforcement and the community across Michigan and Ohio, no trace of Alexander or his brothers has ever been found. In 2011, John Skelton pleaded no contest to three counts of unlawful imprisonment and was sentenced to prison. Years passed with no sign of the Skelton brothers, leaving their family and community in a state of prolonged grief and uncertainty. The case saw a significant legal development in March 2025 when a judge declared the three boys legally deceased at the request of their mother. Later that year, just before he was scheduled to be released from prison, John Skelton was charged with three counts of open murder in connection with his sons' disappearance. This brought a renewed focus to the case, offering a glimmer of hope for answers, though the boys' whereabouts remain unknown. The investigation is ongoing, with law enforcement continuing to seek information that could finally bring closure to the family and reveal what happened to Alexander, Andrew, and Tanner Skelton. The case is a tragic reminder of the devastating impact of parental disputes and the enduring pain of not knowing the fate of a loved one.

Nov 26, 2010

Morenci

Michigan

Lenawee County

9577

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

07/08/2026