Father of Missing Michigan Boys to Be Released After 15 Years in Prison
In Ionia, Michigan, one of the state’s most haunting missing children cases is once again drawing attention as John Skelton, the father of three young boys who vanished in 2010, is set to be released from prison later this month. According to the Michigan Department of Corrections, Skelton, who has been incarcerated at the Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility, will be freed on November 29, 2025. His earliest possible release date had been November 29, 2020, but he remained imprisoned until now under supervision conditions.
The Missing Boys
The three brothers — Andrew Skelton, age 9, Alexander Skelton, age 7, and Tanner Skelton, age 5 — disappeared on November 26, 2010, from Morenci, Michigan, a small community near the Ohio border. The boys were reported missing by their mother, Tanya Zuvers, after John failed to return them following a scheduled court-ordered visitation during the Thanksgiving holiday.
Tanya, who had full custody at the time, immediately contacted police when she could not reach John and the boys did not come home. The disappearance triggered one of the largest child search operations in Michigan and Ohio history, involving hundreds of law enforcement officers, volunteers, and specialized search teams.
Despite exhaustive efforts that spanned both states, no trace of the three children was ever found. Authorities conducted ground searches, used helicopters, and even combed rivers and wooded areas. The case gained national attention, capturing the hearts of parents across the country who followed every development with hope and heartbreak.
The Investigation and John Skelton’s Story
John Skelton, now in his early 50s, has long been considered the key to unlocking the mystery of what happened to his sons. He was never charged with their deaths, but investigators and prosecutors have repeatedly said they believe the boys are no longer alive and that Skelton is responsible for their disappearance.
Initially, Skelton offered several conflicting stories to police. He claimed he gave the boys to a secretive “underground group” to protect them from their mother, alleging she was abusive — a claim that investigators later found to be unfounded. He later told authorities that a man who helps people leave Amish communities might have been involved, but that lead was proven false.
In 2011, Skelton pleaded no contest to three counts of unlawful imprisonment. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, not for harming the boys directly, but for failing to return them to their mother after visitation — a serious offense given the outcome. He has consistently denied killing or harming his sons, though authorities remain convinced that he knows exactly what happened.
Tanya Zuvers’ Ongoing Pain
For Tanya Zuvers, the boys’ mother, the past 15 years have been a relentless cycle of grief, uncertainty, and unanswered questions. In March 2025, she petitioned a judge to legally declare her sons deceased, a painful step she delayed for years in hope of a miracle. The court officially ruled the boys’ date of death as November 26, 2010, the day they disappeared.
Friends and family say Tanya continues to honor her children’s memory through community events and online pages dedicated to Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner, whose photos — bright-eyed and smiling — still circulate among those who refuse to forget them.
Authorities’ Position and Public Reaction
Law enforcement officials have made it clear they still consider John Skelton the only person of interest in the case. “We have no reason to believe anyone else was involved,” a former investigator said. “We believe John knows exactly what happened to his boys.”
As his release approaches, many in Morenci and surrounding areas are expressing renewed frustration and sadness, feeling justice has never truly been served. While Skelton has completed his sentence for unlawful imprisonment, the larger mystery — the fate of Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner — remains unsolved.
Fifteen years after their disappearance, the small Michigan town continues to live with the painful memory of three boys who vanished without a trace and a father whose release reopens wounds that time has never healed.
