96 replies to this topic

[Lori Davis]

http://www.wxyz.com/...enci,-michigan.

AMBER ALERT issued for three brothers from Morenci, Michigan.



Posted: 11/27/2010 at 1:53 AM

MORENCI, MICH. (WXYZ) - Police in Morenci, Michigan have issued an Amber Alert for three young brothers who are believed to be in extreme danger.

The boys' father sent them off with a woman he met on the internet to return them to their mother, but she never did.  Police have identified that woman as Joann Taylor. The boys' father is now in the hospital and the children, along with Taylor, are missing.

They were last seen on at 2:30p.m. Friday, November 26, 2010.

Alexander William Skelton is 7 years-old, 3' 9, 45 pounds and has brown eyes, brown hair and a scar on his chin . Tanner Skelton is 5 years-old, 3' 6 with blue eyes and blonde hair. Andrew Skelton is 9 years-old, 4'  with brown hair and brown eyes.

Joann Taylor is believed to be from either Jackson or Hillsdale, Michigan. She owns a silver van. Anyone who has seen the boys or knows Joann Taylor is asked to contact Morenci police immediately at (517) 263-0524.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.detnews.c...n-abducted--in-

Police fear 3 Lenawee County children abducted, in "extreme danger"
Last Updated: November 27. 2010 9:42AM
The Detroit News

Three boys from Morenci are believed to have been abducted and in "extreme danger," the city's police department says.

The boys' father left the children Friday in the care of a woman he met on the Internet, with the intent that she would return them to their mother.

He now is hospitalized and the children have not been seen since 2:30 p.m. Friday, Morenci Police reported in an Amber Alert. The department did not immediately say what prompted the parent to be hospitalized.

Missing are Andrew Skelton, 9; Alexander William Skelton, 7; and Tanner Skelton, 5.

According to information issued by the police department, Alexander was allegedly abducted by Joann Taylor, who is believed to be from Jackson or Hillsdale counties. She is believed to be driving a silver van, but no further description was available.

Alexander is 3-feet, 9-inches tall, weighs 45 pounds, has brown eyes and hair and a scar at the hairline and on the chin. Andrew is 4-feet, 1-inch tall with brown eyes and hair. Tanner is 3-feet, 6-inches tall with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information on the alleged victim, abductor or vehicle is asked to call 911 or the Morenci Police Department at (517) 263-0524.

Morenci is a Lenawee County community of about 2,400 people on Michigan's southern border with Ohio.

[Lori Davis]

http://abclocal.go.c...ocal&id=7812008

Morenci police search for 3 missing children
Saturday, November 27, 2010

The Morenci, Michigan police department is searching for three missing children.

An amber alert has been issued in an attempt to locate the juveniles. Police believe they are in extreme danger. The father of Alexander Skelton, 7, his brother Tanner, 5, and Andrew, 9, tells Morenci police they were last seen with a woman of the name of Joann Taylor.

Police say the father turned the children over to her late Thursday night or early Friday morning. Police are searching for Joann Taylor and her husband Mark.

Mark Taylor is believed to be a pastor in the Hillsdale or Jackson, Michigan areas. Their vehicle is described as a silver or white van.

If you have any information on their whereabouts, call 911 or Morenci police at (517) 263-0524.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.mlive.com...or_three_m.html

Police are looking for three missing Lenawee County boys
Published: Friday, November 26, 2010, 11:24 PM   
Updated: Friday, November 26, 2010, 11:31 PM

Police are looking for three boys who are missing out of Lenawee County.

Andrew Ryan Skelton, 9; Alexander William Skelton, 7; and Tanner Lucas Skelton, 5, were reported missing by their father early Friday morning, Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks said.

Weeks said the boys’ father, whose name has not been released, handed his sons over to a woman named Joann Taylor on Thursday night or early Friday morning.

They were last seen at 112 E. Congress St. in Morenci.

The father told police that Taylor is married to a man named Mark Taylor, who is believed to be a pastor in the Hillsdale or Jackson area.

Andrew is 4 feet, 1 inch weighs 45 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. Alexander is 3-9, weighs 45 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. Tanner is 3-6, weighs 40 pounds and has brown hair and blue eyes.

Police ask anyone with information on the whereabouts of the boys or Joann and Mark Taylor to contact the Morenci Police Department at 517-458-7104 or Lenawee County Dispatch at 517-263-0524.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.freep.com...met-on-Internet

Amber Alert issued for 3 boys believed to be in extreme danger
Trio last seen with woman their dad met over the Internet
By ANDREA K. FARMER AND GINA DAMRON
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS
Posted: 7:58 a.m. Nov. 27, 2010 | Updated: 12:44 p.m. today

http://cmsimg.freep....Q=100&mime=jpeg

Andrew Ryan Skelton, 9. An Amber Alert was issued Saturday, November 27, 2010, for Andrew Ryan Skelton, 9, Alexander William Skelton, 7, and Tanner Lucas Skelton, 5. The boys were last seen Friday at 2:30 p.m. with Joann Taylor, a woman whom their father met on the Internet. The suspect drives a silver van. (NCMEC)

http://cmsimg.freep....0&MaxH=100&Q=50
http://cmsimg.freep....0&MaxH=100&Q=50
An Amber Alert has been issued for three young boys in Lenawee County who are believed to be in extreme danger.

Andrew Ryan Skelton, 9, Alexander William Skelton, 7, and Tanner Lucas Skelton, 5, were reportedly last seen Friday at 2:30 p.m. with Joann Taylor, a woman whom their father, John Skelton, met on the Internet.

The suspect was to return the children to their mother, but the children have been missing since. Taylor is believed to be a resident of either Jackson County or Hillsdale County and drives a silver van.

Police say the father of the three boys has been hospitalized following a suicide attempt.

The missing children are all described as white males. Andrew is 4-ft. 1-in. tall, weighs 57-lbs. and has brown eyes and hair; Alexander is 3-ft. 9-in. tall, weighs 45-lbs., has brown eyes and hair and has a scar at his hairline and on his chin; Tanner is 3-ft. 6-in. tall with blue eyes and blond hair.

The Morenci Police Department is currently investigating and will hold a press conference at 2 p.m. today.

If you have any information regarding the three missing children, the alleged abductor or the suspect’s vehicle, please call 911, the Morenci Police Department at 517-458-2323 or Lenawee County Dispatch at 517-263-0524.



Read more: Amber Alert issued for 3 boys believed to be in extreme danger | freep.com | Detroit Free Press http://www.freep.com...r#ixzz16VY12VWL

[Lori Davis]

ALEXANDER SKELTON


DOB:  Nov 4, 2003
Missing:  Nov 26, 2010
Age at time of disappearance:  7
Sex:  Male
Race:  White
Hair:  Brown
Eyes:  Brown
Height:  3'9" (114 cm)
Weight:  45 lbs (20 kg)
Missing From:
MORENCI
MI
United States

ANDREW SKELTON


DOB:  Nov 20, 2001
Missing:  Nov 26, 2010
Age at time of disappearance:  9
Sex:  Male
Race:  White
Hair:  Brown
Eyes:  Brown
Height:  4'1" (124 cm)
Weight:  57 lbs (26 kg)
Missing From:
MORENCI
MI
United States

TANNER SKELTON


DOB:  Oct 20, 2005
Missing:  Nov 26, 2010
Age at time of disappearance:  5
Sex:  Male
Race:  White
Hair:  Blonde
Eyes:  Blue
Height:  3'6" (107 cm)
Weight:  40 lbs (18 kg)
Missing From:
MORENCI
MI
United States

Alexander, Andrew, and Tanner were last seen on November 26, 2010.

ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morenci Police Department (Michigan) 1-517-458-7104

View Poster

[Lori Davis]

http://toledoblade.c...6/0/COLUMNIST38

Three Morenci boys missing after father asks woman to return them to mother
Article published November 27, 2010
BLADE STAFF

MORENCI, Mich. -- Three young Morenci boys have been missing since Friday afternoon, when their father gave them to a woman who was supposed to return them to their mother, authorities reported.

The father, John Skelton of Morenci, was planning to commit suicide, Morenci police said.

Police are investigating the disappearance of the brothers, who they said were in extreme danger.

The three white children were last seen at 2:30 p.m. Friday, according to an Amber Alert. They may be traveling in a silver or white minivan with a female suspect police identified as Joann Taylor.

Police offered the following descriptions of the missing boys:

• Alexander William Skelton, 7 years old, 3' 9, 45 pounds, brown hair, brown eyes, scar on his chin;
• Tanner Skelton, 5 years old, 3' 6, blond hair, blue eyes;
• Andrew Skelton, 9 years old, 4',1 brown hair, brown eyes.

Mr. Skelton reportedly gave them to the suspect sometime Thursday night or Friday morning to return them to their mother, Tanya Skelton, who lives in a different home in the Morenci area.

Police said the boys' father attempted suicide early Friday afternoon. He survived and is now in the hospital and the children, along with Ms. Taylor, are missing.

Mr. Skelton had given his sons to Ms. Taylor to take to Ms. Skelton because he did not want them to discover him after his suicide, according to police.

He had met Ms. Taylor on the Internet and had known her for about a year, police said. Neighbors said the boys' parents were separated and in the midst of divorce proceedings.

Police said Ms. Taylor is married to Mark Taylor, believed to be a pastor in the Hillsdale or Jackson, Mich., areas.

Anyone who has seen the Skelton boys or knows Joann or Mark Taylor is asked to contact Morenci police at 517-458-7104 or the Lenawee County central dispatch at 517-263-0524.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.msnbc.msn...s/us_news-life/

Cops: 3 boys missing after dad's suicide bid
Truck driver claims he gave children to Mich. woman; police can't confirm that she exists

11/28/2010

MORENCI, Mich. — Police were searching Sunday for three young brothers who haven't been seen since their father tried to hang himself, and investigators unraveling the man's strange story fear the boys are in grave danger.

At the heart of the investigation is a perplexing account by the father, 39-year-old John Skelton, who told investigators he'd left the boys in the care of a woman with whom he had an online relationship. Yet by late Saturday, officers had no luck finding the woman.

Skelton was being treated at a hospital in Ohio for "mental health issues" on Saturday, one day after he tried to kill himself, said Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks. Morenci is about 75 miles southwest of Detroit and just north of the Ohio state line.

Skelton told investigators Friday that he didn't want the boys in his house when he committed suicide, so he asked a woman named Joann Taylor to take them to their mother, who is separated from Skelton. Weeks said Saturday that officers haven't been able to confirm that Taylor exists.

An Amber Alert was issued Friday for Skelton's sons: 9-year-old Andrew, 7-year-old Alexander and 5-year-old Tanner.

When asked if Skelton was a suspect in the boys' disappearance, Weeks said: "We haven't ruled anything out, yet."

Skelton, who reportedly is a long-haul truck driver, said he met Taylor several years ago and that the two had been involved in an online relationship. She was believed to live in Jackson or Hillsdale counties in southern Michigan.

But officers Saturday had no success tracking down a woman by that name or the silver van Skelton said she was driving.

"The bulk of our action has been putting together a timeline and trying to locate this Joann Taylor," said Weeks, whose agency was joined in the search by Michigan State Police and the FBI.

The Detroit Free Press reported that residents of Morenci searched parks, bike trails, in hollowed-out trees and along the banks of a creek for the missing boys on Saturday.

Kathye Herrera, who is serving as a spokeswoman for the family, told the newspaper that relatives were "hoping and praying and trying to stay positive."

[Lori Davis]

http://www.wtma.com/...itemid=29603097

New Details in Michigan Missing Children Case
11/28/2010

(MORENCI, Mich.) -- Police in southern Michigan say three missing boys may be in extreme danger after their father attempted suicide.  The boys haven't been seen since before they were supposed to be dropped off at their mother's home Friday afternoon.  The father apparently claimed he left them with a woman he met over the internet, named Joann Taylor. He said he didn't want them in the house when he hanged himself.  Authorities have not been able to locate Taylor or the silver van she is supposed to have been driving.

John Skelton, 39, of Morenci, Mich., is being treated for "mental health issues" at an Ohio hospital.  Authorities issued an Amber Alert for his sons, who are 5, 7 and 9 years old.  Their names are Andrew, Alexander and Tanner.  Skelton has not been named as a suspect in the boys' disappearance but police say he has not been ruled out either.  Skelton is separated from the boy's mother.

He told authorities he had an online relationship with Taylor and that she lives in either Hillsdale or Jackson County but authorities haven't been able to confirm a woman by that name even exists.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.foxtoledo...or-missing-boys

Boys still missing; new info released
Amber Alert activated for three Morenci brothers
Updated: Saturday, 27 Nov 2010, 11:37 PM EST
Published : Friday, 26 Nov 2010, 11:07 PM EST

MORENCI, Mich. (WUPW) - Police in Morenci, Mich., are asking for help in locating three missing children. Investigators are looking for 5-year-old Tanner Skelton, 7-year-old Alexander Skelton, and 9-year-old Andrew Skelton.

Investigators believe the boys are in extreme danger. If you see them, call 9-1-1.

Volunteer searchers found keys, duct tape and a pair of underwear Saturday, but police said the underwear does not belong to any of the missing children.

The boys' father, John Skelton, told police he turned his sons over to a woman named Joann Taylor Thursday night or early Friday morning. The father then attempted suicide.

The woman was last seen driving a white or silver minivan. She is believed to be married to a man named Mark Taylor who is possibly a pastor from Hillsdale or Jackson in Southeast Michigan.

At a news conference Saturday evening, police revealed the possibility that John Skelton may have fabricated his story.

“Up to this point, we have not been able to locate a Joann Taylor or confirm that she even exists," Morenci police chief Larry Weeks said.

The boys were last seen about 5 p.m. Thursday in the backyard of the father’s home, police said. When the boys didn’t show up at their mother’s house at 3 p.m. Friday, as scheduled, she called the police.

The couple is estranged, but not divorced, police said. John Skelton was taken to the Fulton County Health Center Friday afternoon following the suicide attempt, then transferred to a mental health facility in Toledo, police said.

"Everybody is still hoping and praying and trying to remain positive," Kathye Herrera, a spokesperson for the Skelton family, said.

Late Saturday afternoon, family members and friends in Morenci combed areas where the boys' father is known to hunt, as well as a park.

Nearly 50 people searched along Bean Creek, Wakefield Park and the Riverside Natural Area all day Saturday.

"We got a lot of people who care and want to help," volunteer Bill Foster said.

"We just hope they're somewhere safe and warm playing video games," Carol Garcia said.

The FBI has called in a forensic child abduction unit to assist in the search. Michigan State Police and the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office are also assisting Morenci police in the search.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the three missing boys, or information leading to the location of Joann Taylor or is asked to contact the Morenci Police Department at 517-458-7104 or the Lenawee County Central Dispatch at 517-263-0524.

[Lori Davis]

http://abcnews.go.co...ory?id=12260373

Mystery Woman Sought in Hunt for Missing Boys
John Skelton Said He Gave Sons to Woman He Had Online Relationship With, Cops Say
By DEAN SCHABNER
Nov. 28, 2010

A mystery woman is at the heart of the search for three Michigan boys who have been missing since Thanksgiving.

Morenci police issued an Amber Alert Friday for 9-year-old Andrew Skelton, 7-year-old Alexander Skelton and 5-year-old Tanner Skelton.

The boys' father, John Skelton, 39, told police he gave his sons to a woman with whom he'd had an online relationship, because he planned to commit suicide and didn't want them in the house when he did it, police said.

Skelton attempted suicide on Friday, and was still hospitalized today for "mental health issues," Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks told The Associated Press today.

According to police, Skelton said he turned the boys over to a woman named Joann Taylor, asking her to take them to their mother. Skelton is separated from his wife, Tanya Skelton, who has full custody of the boys.

Skelton said he met Taylor and her husband a few years ago when he helped them after their car broke down, and then began emailing her, according to police.

Police said they have been trying to find Taylor and her husband, Mark Taylor, as well as the white or silver van Skelton told them she was driving when she took the children, but without any luck.

"The bulk of our action has been putting together a timeline and trying to locate this Joann Taylor," Weeks told the AP.

Police said it is possible that Taylor lives in either Jackson or Hillsdale, Michigan, but they are not sure the woman even exists.

A Morenci police spokeswoman told ABCNews.com today police are searching the Morenci area for any sign of the boys, and are investigating tips they have received on the case.

The FBI and Michigan State Police are also involved in the search.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.detnews.c...ee-missing-boys

Searchers focus on Ohio State Park in search for three missing boys

Last Updated: November 28. 2010 2:07PM
Mike Wilkinson and Christine MacDonald / The Detroit News

Morenci, Mich. - Searchers are scouring an Ohio state park this afternoon for three young boys they fear are in "extreme danger," left by their father with a stranger just before he attempted suicide.

The Fulton County Sheriff's Department confirmed that volunteers are canvassing Harrison Lake State Park in northwest Ohio, about 10 miles south of Morenci.

A team of law enforcement agencies that include the Morenci police, FBI, the Lenawee and Fulton County sheriff's departments and the Michigan State Police are looking for Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton, ages 9, 7, and 5, who were reported missing on Friday.

"We've never encountered anything like this," said Renee Schroeder, the city administrator who has lived in this town, the southernmost in the state, for nearly 60 years.

Police issued an "Amber Alert" for the boys on Friday, after their father, John Skelton, 39, said he turned the boys over to a woman named Joann Taylor, asking her to take them to the boys mother. Skelton then attempted suicide by hanging.

After he failed, he contacted an acquaintance who took him to an Ohio hospital.

Now, three days later, police say they cannot find Taylor or even confirm her existence, raising tension in the community as it frantically searches for the boys.

Roxann Skelton, John Skelton's mother, said from her Florida home that she's hopeful.

"My heart doesn't lie to me," she said. "My heart tells me they're OK."

She said she has not talked with her son since the episode began.

Groups of law enforcement and volunteers on Sunday also searched the woods around Morenci trying to find any sign of the lost boys.

When asked if Skelton was a suspect in the boys' disappearance, Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks said, "we need to keep our eyes wide open."

Skelton, who lives in Morenci, about 75 miles southwest of Detroit and just north of the Ohio state line, is separated from their mother but had been keeping his sons.

According to The Blade of Toledo, John Skelton posted a message on his Facebook page seeking forgiveness. In the posting, he allegedly wrote, "I love my wife very much. May God and Tanya forgive me." It was posted on Wednesday, two days before the boys were reported missing.

He told investigators Friday he wanted the boys out of his house when he committed suicide and that he had asked the Taylor to take them to their mother.

Skelton said he met Taylor several years ago and that the two had been involved in an online relationship. She was believed to live in Jackson or Hillsdale counties in southern Michigan.

But officers Saturday had no success tracking down a woman by that name or the silver van Skelton said she was driving.

"The bulk of our action has been putting together a timeline and trying to locate this Joann Taylor," Weeks said.

Weeks said they have no specific information but have organized the entire area for searches.

"We are not leaving any stones unturned," he said.

On Sunday, a Michigan State Police forensics truck was parked outside Skelton's house on Congress.

Weeks said the boys were last seen Thursday between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. in the 100 block of East Congress by a citizen of Morenci.

On Sunday afternoon, volunteers gathered at the Morenci fire hall awaiting instruction while investigators conducted aerial searches.

Searchers were expected to head out again on foot afterward.

Jeff Glore, 43, of Adrian, said he volunteered for the search because he was "torn up by the story."

"I just have a heart for children," said Glore, who has a five-week-old baby.

"I don't think this town knows what to do."

[Lori Davis]

http://toledoblade.c...1129625/0/RSS05

Investigators issue plea for information about missing Morenci boys
Article published November 28, 2010
BLADE STAFF

MORENCI, Mich. — Law enforcement officials on Sunday issued a plea and set up a hotline seeking information about three Morenci boys who've been missing for three days

"We need calls. We need tips," Andy Arena, a special agent with the FBI, said at a morning news conference. "Anything that's out there — no matter how incredible you think it is — call."

The hotline is 517-458-7104. Investigators are hoping for information about the whereabouts of Andrew Ryan Skelton, 9, Alexander William Skelton, 7, and Tanner Lucas Skelton, 5, who were reportedly last seen Friday in their father's backyard at his home in Morenci, police Chief Larry Weeks has said.

The chief said the boys' father, John Skelton, 39, attempted to hang himself Friday. He told police he made the attempt sometime after giving his sons to a woman he knows.
On Sunday morning, investigators passed out new color flyers with the boys' pictures on them.

They also had volunteer firefighters from 12 departments in Ohio and Michigan and hundreds of other volunteers out searching areas around Morenci looking for the brothers. Morenci is about 40 miles west of Toledo just north of the Ohio-Michigan state line.

The search crews on Sunday were focusing on Harrison Lake Park near Fayette in Ohio as well as wooded areas along Lime Creek Highway and an area golf course.

Authorities said they had no concrete information the boys would be at any of the locations but described them as places they had been seen at in the past.

Steve Meller, a Morenci firefighter who was coordinating volunteer efforts, said Mr. Skelton has been known to hunt in some of the areas where searchers were looking.

Mr. Skelton told officers he gave the three boys to a woman named Joann Taylor and asked her Friday morning to deliver the boys to their mother, Tanya Skelton. The Skeltons are separated and in the midst of a divorce.

"Up to this point we have not been able to locate a Joann Taylor or confirm that she even exists," Chief Weeks said on Saturday. "We can't confirm whether or not it is a fake story."

A car was towed from the Skelton home Saturday night, which Chief Weeks said was part of routine evidence preservation.

A community prayer vigil was scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the Morenci United Methodist Church, 111 East Main St.

The missing boys are white. Andrew is 4 feet 1 inch, weighs 57 pounds and has brown eyes and hair. Alexander is 3 feet 9 inches, weighs 45 pounds, has brown eyes and hair and has a scar at his hairline and on his chin. Tanner is 3 feet 6 inches with blue eyes and blond hair.

[Jenn]

http://www.cbsnews.c...in7099072.shtml

Profiler: Dad's Story of Missing Kids "Bogus"
Search Continues for 3 Michigan Brothers and "Mystery Woman" Not Seen Since Father Attempted Suicide

Nov. 29, 2010

(CBS)  Police in Michigan are searching for three boys who have been missing since Friday. Their father had attempted to commit suicide, and claims an acquaintance was watching them.

But who that woman is, and where the children are, remains a mystery.

After failing in a suicide attempt, 39-year-old John Skelton told police he gave his three sons - Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner - to a woman with whom he had maintained an online relationship for several years. But so far, CBS News National Correspondent Jeff Glor reports, investigators have found no trace of the woman or the three boys.

Search to Resume for 3 Young Mich. Brothers

Andrew Skelton, 9, and his brothers Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5 were last seen on Thanksgiving during a court-ordered visitation with their father. John Skelton said he sent them to be with a friend, and posted the following message on Facebook: "I love my wife very much, may God and Tanya forgive me." He then tried to hang himself at his home on Friday.

When the attempt failed, Skelton called an acquaintance and was taken to a local hospital, but the three boys' whereabouts are unknown.

Morenci, Mich., Police Chief Larry Weeks said that, following his suicide attempt, Skelton was being treated at a hospital in Ohio for "mental health issues."

According to Kathye Herrera, a family friend, the children's mother - who is divorcing Skelton - is overwhelmed with worry.

Herrera told CBS News, "And this particular parent wants everybody to know how much she misses her children and she wants them back and she's hoping that anybody out there that has any knowledge would please come forth."

Glor said on "The Early Show" a frantic search is underway to find the three missing boys. Police say they fear the children are in "extreme danger."

Skelton told investigators that he asked a woman named Joann Taylor - whom he says he met several years ago and has since communicated with online - to take the boys to their mother. But a search for Taylor and the silver minivan she was supposedly driving turned up nothing.

Police Chief Weeks said, "At this point, we have not been able to confirm nor deny if Joann Taylor exists or who she is exactly. We're continuing to pursue all possible leads to locate this individual and determine who she is."

Over the weekend, police searched Skelton's home and confiscated a vehicle, and they say he has not been ruled out as a suspect. Last night, neighbors and loved ones held a vigil, as the desperate search for his three sons and the mystery woman continues.

Glor said Skelton's mother has been quoted as saying, "I know my son. He's not a monster."

On "The Early Show" Monday, Pat Brown, a criminal profiler, said the father's story is the "biggest bunch of bull I ever heard."

"It's a bogus story," she said.

"Doesn't make a darn bit of sense. We're talking about a man who he just wants the children to go back to the mother, so he can commit suicide. Why doesn't he simply drive them over there and drop the children himself or have his mother do it? Why does he call some stranger, and oh, by the way, he can't even give the police the woman's address or phone number? They have no idea how he even contacted her. Yeah, he has no record on his cell phone. He has no record on his Internet. It's a bogus story."

Brown said the spelling of the mystery woman's name is "curious."

She said, "If I'm reading correctly, this is the spelling he gave to the police: he said Joann, without an e. His mother's name is Roxaan, which is fascinating, because a lot of times [if] you try to come up with a phony name you will pick something close to what you already know. So, it's hard to come up with something completely unknown to you say, let me think, I know a guy named Joe - or Joann like my mother's name. I think he made up the names.

"And that suicide attempt? Don't buy that, either. How do you fail to hang yourself? Almost everybody who tries can do it successfully. I think he's pretending to be in insane; that's just his defense starting to set up there."

So what does Brown think happened to the boys?

Brown said, "It's a horrifying thought but, you know, sometimes in these divorce situations if you have a person with a personality disorder, he thinks, you know, 'I'm not going to accept this divorce or let you have the kids.' She had full custody. 'She's not going to get them back. If I can't have them, she can't have them.'

"So I think the police think this is not going to turn out well, but they're doing everything they can just in case because they are hoping, they're hoping they are wrong, that these children are out there someplace, and so they are going to look for them."

"Early Show" co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez said, "But, if the father did have something to do with their disappearance, the case against him is not good because when you look at that Facebook message that he sent the day before, doesn't that speak to premeditation?"

Brown answered, "It does speak to premeditation, but they need to find those boys or some evidence that he did something.

"We've seen this before: Caylee Anthony, the nanny with Caylee Anthony. She claimed this woman ran off with their kids. Luckily they've been able to find little Casey and Caylee is in prison going to trial. We have people who say somebody else took their kid, and if you can't prove somebody else didn't take their kid or do something to them - you have to have that physical proof. That's what he may hope they won't find and police hope will."

[Jenn]

http://www.foxnews.c...higan-brothers/

Search Resumes for 3 Missing Michigan Brothers

Published November 29, 2010 | FoxNews.com

An all-out search is under way in Michigan for three brothers who were last seen the day before their father tried to commit suicide.

A city official in the southern Michigan community of Morenci said a search resumed Monday for the three boys, whom authorities believe are in "great danger," MyFoxDetroit.com reports. 

Diane Varga said Monday morning that volunteers, police and others were gathering in the city 75 miles southwest of Detroit to continue looking for 5-year-old Tanner, 7-year-old Alexander and 9-year-old Andrew Skelton.

A prayer vigil was held for the boys Sunday night after the conclusion of that day's search of fields, farmland and wooded areas along the Ohio-Michigan border.

Police Chief Larry Weeks says the boys' father, 39-year-old John Skelton, was being treated at a hospital in Ohio for "mental health issues" after he tried to hang himself on Friday.

When asked if Skelton was a suspect in his sons' disappearance, Weeks said, "We haven't ruled anything out yet," according to the station.

Authorities said Skelton claimed that he gave the boys to a female friend before he attempted suicide, but police have not been able to confirm whether the woman exists.

The boys were last seen Thursday and reported missing the next day by their mother, Tanya Skelton, Weeks said. A family friend said the boys were with their father as part of a court-ordered visitation and their parents were going through a divorce.

FBI child abduction teams and behavioral science experts, along with planes and search dogs, aided in the search Sunday.

[Jenn]

http://www.aolnews.c...v-plea/19736517

Missing Boys' Grandma Makes Emotional TV Plea

November 29, 2010 Updated: 9 minutes ago David Lohr Contributor- AOL News

(Nov. 29) -- The grandmother of three young brothers who were last seen the day before their father tried to commit suicide went on national TV today to make an emotional plea for the boys' safe return.

"Those boys are out there terrified, but they are out there. They need to come home," the boys' paternal grandmother, Roxann Skelton, said on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Skelton's grandchildren -- 5-year-old Tanner, 7-year-old Alexander and 9-year-old Andrew Skelton -- were last seen on Thanksgiving Day in Morenci, Mich., 75 miles southwest of Detroit. On Friday, Skelton's son, 39-year-old John Skelton, turned up at a hospital after a failed suicide attempt.

The boys' father told police he had turned them over to Joann Taylor, a woman he met several years ago. Skelton said he had asked the woman to take the boys to their mother, Tanya Skelton. According to police, Skelton said he did not want his children present when he attempted to hang himself. After the suicide attempt failed, Skelton said he asked another acquaintance to take him to a nearby hospital.

Skelton told police that Taylor is from southeast Michigan and was driving a white or silver minivan. Authorities, however, have been unable to confirm the woman's existence and have expressed doubt about the story.

"Up to this point, we have not been able to locate a Joann Taylor or confirm that she even exists," Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks said during a Saturday news conference.

Roxann Skelton does not think her son fabricated the story and believes the boys are still in Taylor's custody.

"She needs to put herself in the mother's position," Skelton told "Good Morning America" today. "Then she would know the pain and hurt the family is going through."

Roxann Skelton, who lives in Florida, declined to comment on any recent conversations she has had with her son and would only say that she is convinced the children are still alive. "My heart tells me they're OK," she said.

John Skelton, who has not been named a suspect or person of interest, remains hospitalized for "mental health issues," police said.

According to family friends, Skelton is separated from the boys' mother, who has full custody of the children. The children were reportedly visiting their father for the Thanksgiving holiday and were supposed to be turned back over to their mother on Thursday evening.

Over the weekend, investigators searched rural farmlands and wooded areas along the Michigan and Ohio border. According to Fox affiliate WUPW in Toldeo, Ohio, searchers found keys, duct tape and a pair of underwear, but police said the underwear does not belong to any of the missing children. Authorities have not commented on whether any of the other items are connected to the case.

The search effort resumed this morning. Officials with the Morenci police, Michigan State Police and the FBI are participating in the search effort.

Contacted by AOL News, officials with the Morenci Police Department declined to comment on the case. A news conference has been scheduled for today.

[Jenn]

http://toledoblade.c...59/0/BUSINESS06

Search for missing Morenci brothers shifts to Ohio area

Article published November 29, 2010 By JENNIFER FEEHAM and TOM TROY BLADE STAFF WRITERS

PIONEER, Ohio — A group of firefighters and police officers are searching the Lazy River Resort campground off of U.S. 20 in Pioneer as the hunt for three missing brothers shifted from the Morenci area into Ohio.

Doug Rowland, the campground owner, said he received a call Sunday night from authorities saying they had information that the brothers' father, John Skelton, 39, may have used his cell phone in the immediate area.

Mr. Rowland said there are no records showing the Skelton family ever camped in the location. The campground has been closed since Oct. 10 but it can still be accessed by the public.

About 100 people on Monday afternoon broke into groups to search the entire the 64-acre campground.

Earlier Monday morning, an announcement of a new search — with only safety personnel — was made to a packed room at the Morenci Bible Fellowship Church, where volunteers had gathered at 8 a.m. to start another day of searching.

Those volunteers were asked to stay in the building by safety personnel who said they may be needed later on Monday to search the area.

Also Monday, Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks said they do not believe there was a relationship between Mr. Skelton and Joann Taylor. She is the woman that Mr. Skelton said he gave his three sons to for delivery last week to their mother, Tanya Skelton.

Authorities also said they are looking for information from anyone who may have seen a Blue 2000 Dodge Caravan with a license plate of 9J0H93 in the Ohio areas of Holiday City, West Unity, and Kunkle from about 4 a.m. Friday through 7 a.m. Friday.

Community members held lighted candles and prayed silently during a vigil at a local church Sunday while authorities continued to seek public help in locating three boys missing since Friday.

More than 200 people filled Morenci United Methodist Church, where the Zuverses, the family of Tanya Skelton, the mother of Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner Skelton, regularly worship.

"It was good for everyone to come together and pray, pray for the best," said Carrie Joughin, a high school classmate of Ms. Skelton. She said grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins of the boys were in the church.

"I think people are trying to figure it out. I think there are a lot of gut instincts that don't look good," Ms. Joughin said.

During a news conference an hour before the vigil's 5:30 p.m. start, Chief Weeks said the public search for the missing boys would be suspended at nightfall and resume Monday morning.

"It would not be safe to have so many people out in the dark wooded areas," the chief said, urging those interested in volunteering today to contact the Morenci Fire Department.

Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5, all students at Morenci Elementary School, were reported missing Friday by their mother, Tanya, one day after they were last seen in the back yard at the home of their father, John Skelton.

Mr. Skelton subsequently told police he handed his sons over to a woman named Joann Taylor on Friday morning and asked her to take the boys to their mother's house. Mr. Skelton then attempted to hang himself but was not successful.

The Skeltons are in the midst of divorce proceedings. Ms. Skelton had custody of their sons, but Mr. Skelton retained visiting rights and had them visit at the former family home on East Congress Street for Thanksgiving.

Chief Weeks said Mr. Skelton remains hospitalized in a "mental health facility" following his suicide attempt.

Asked whether Mr. Skelton has been assisting police, Andrew Arena, special agent in charge of the FBI's Detroit office, declined to talk about specifics.

"We're not narrowing in on any one person," Mr. Arena said.

"That's the biggest mistake we can make is put all our eggs in one basket and focus on one person and miss something going by us."

Because police have been unable to find Joann Taylor or even verify that she exists, law enforcement and civilian volunteers began searching in earnest for the children on Saturday, following the late Friday issuance of an Amber Alert.

Hundreds of volunteers along with firefighters from 12 area departments in Ohio and Michigan, Lenawee County Sheriff's deputies and mounted patrol officers, the Michigan State Police, and the FBI were out in full force again Sunday, combing wooded areas outside Morenci as well as Harrsion Lake State Park near Fayette, Ohio, and Lake Hudson State Park east of Hudson, Mich.

Chief Weeks stressed that investigators had no direct evidence or information that the children were in any of those locales.

"These searches are being conducted in places where the boys had frequented or areas that they may have been seen in [in] the past," the chief said.

Morenci firefighter Steve Meller, who was coordinating volunteers from the command center at the fire station, said well over 200 people showed up Sunday morning to help search. Many were sent out to do straight-line searches through wooded areas along Lime Creek Highway, where Mr. Skelton reportedly used to hunt, Mr. Meller said.

Searchers were told to stay within 10 feet of each other and move in the same direction. They were to look for anything that seemed suspicious but not to touch any objects they found.

Law enforcement officers were dispatched when possible clues were reported - ground that appeared to be freshly turned, a padlock lying along the roadside.

Christal Varga was among those who turned out early to search and she said she intended to spend the entire day looking for the Skelton boys, who go to school with her children. She was with two friends, also mothers of the boys' classmates.

"If it was our kids, we wouldn't want to be sitting at home," she said. "We'd want everybody in the whole town out here."

Barb Stover, a neighbor of Mr. Skelton, showed up at the fire station with her two children to help with the search.

"We're ready to do anything. Those boys meant a lot to us," she said, adding that she's hoping they're found alive.

Michael Osborne, superintendent of the Morenci Area Schools, said clergy members and social workers would be on hand today in the district's buildings to provide support for staff and students as needed.

A message recapping the Skelton boys' disappearance and outlining the district's response plan was e-mailed to district parents Sunday evening, Mr. Osborne said, and announcements are to be made in the schools Monday morning.

Chief Weeks said that because of the large number of city employees involved in the search and investigation, municipal offices would be closed today. Reopening will be evaluated daily, he said.

The FBI's Mr. Arena said investigators are keeping their focus intentionally wide. In addition to its child-abduction response team, the FBI has brought in behavioral science experts, he said, "to give us an overview of who would've done this, the mind set, that kind of thing, and any suspects we develop they're going to give us an assessment."

Mr. Arena encouraged anyone who knows anything or sees anything that could offer a clue to the children's whereabouts to call the hot line set up by Morenci police, 517-458-7104.

"We need calls. We need tips," Mr. Arena said. "Anything that's out there - no matter how incredible you may think it is - call."

Chief Weeks said investigators particularly need to know where the boys were from 2:30 p.m. Thursday to 1:30 p.m. Friday.

He said investigators remain unsure whether Mr. Skelton truly gave his sons to Joann Taylor.

"We continue to search to verify whether or not this woman exists," the chief said. "At this point no information has been collected to lead us to this person so, again, contact the hot line if you're familiar with who Joann Taylor is or any information regarding her, her husband, or their potential whereabouts."

Chief Weeks also said police have "examined a number of electronic devices," but wouldn't divulge whether they have specifically inspected Mr. Skelton's computer for e-mails between him and Joann Taylor.

Family spokesman and friend Kathye Herrera said Tanya Skelton was staying close to home in hopes of being there if and when the children come home.

"She's sad, probably number one, because she wants her babies," Ms. Herrera said. "She's scared and just praying they're OK and somebody's taking care of them, and she's exhausted. The stress has just done her in."

Ms. Herrera said Ms. Skelton had been wary about her estranged husband's intentions since he took the children to Florida, where his parents live, two months ago without telling her.

Ms. Skelton ws upset, Ms. Herrera said, but because they were still married at the time, it was legal for him to take them to Florida.

She filed for divorce afterward.

Ms. Herrera said Ms. Skelton did not think he would hurt the boys.

"I don't think that was ever an issue," she said.

"Maybe that he would take them to Florida again, but not physically harm them. The boys loved their Dad. They loved their Mom."

During the vigil, lay leader Bob Dister implored God for protection.

"Relieve the sufferings of the Skelton and the Zuvers families. Grant them peace of mind and a renewed faith in your protection and care. Protect us all from the violence of others and keep us safe from the weapons of hate," Mr. Dister said.

Members of the Zuvers family sat close together in the front row, their faces tearful, and accepted hugs and whispered encouragements from worshippers who also dabbed away tears as they filed by to take and light candles. Christmas music played faintly in the background while the congregation was invited to pray in silence.

Mr. Dister said afterward that Tanya Skelton was in the church, but no one from the family spoke. He said she has "held up pretty well, as well as could be expected when you don't know where your kids are at."

Earlier in the day across this rural community 40 miles west of Toledo, people hoped for the best but feared the worst.

Delite Gillen discussed the case with friends at the Morenci Dari-ette over lunch. She didn't know the boys, she said, but was concerned for their safety "because it's a small town and we're just caring about everyone. That's what a small town is."

After exiting the church participants in the prayer service said they wanted to help the family of the missing boys.

"Mainly it was to support the families, show them that we care as a community," said Sharon Bruce, 67, of Morenci. She said she is friends of Beverly and Donald Zuvers, Ms. Skelton's parents, and at one time she taught piano to Tanya.

"I think people are hoping for the best and preparing for the worst," Ms. Bruce said. "We're thinking this can't be happening in Morenci. That's what we're thinking."

[Lori Davis]

http://www.lenconnec...p-for-the-night

Still no sign of missing Skelton boys as search wraps up for the night

By Erik Gable
Daily Telegram
Posted Nov 29, 2010 @ 06:23 PM

MORENCI, Mich. — After scouring the area for signs of three missing Morenci boys throughout the day Monday, search crews suspended their efforts for the night, with plans to begin again Tuesday morning.

As dusk fell, fire and rescue vehicles pulled into the Morenci fire station and a helicopter flew overhead.

Standing in front of a crown of volunteers inside the Morenci fire station Monday night, Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks thanked the searchers for their efforts to find the three Skelton brothers, 9-year-old Andrew, 7-year-old Alexander and 5-year-old Tanner.

The boys were reported missing by their mother, Tanya Skelton, on Friday after their father did not return them to her home at the scheduled time. The boys’ father attempted to commit suicide and is in the custody of a mental health facility. He initially told authorities he had given the boys to a woman named Joann Taylor, but police said Monday morning he appears to have been lying.

Teams searched along roadsides and in area campgrounds.

Cambridge Township Fire Chief Scott Damon, one of the people assisting with the search, was with a team scouring U.S. 20 in the Fayette area on Monday afternoon.

“We’re searching the road for any evidence that would lead law enforcement to more information,” he said by telephone shortly after 3 p.m.

For much of the day, searching was carried out by police and fire crews while civilians waited to be mobilized. Civilian crews finally left the staging area at the community center in Pioneer, Ohio, around mid-afternoon.

Beverly Bovee of Morenci volunteered for the search along with her grandson, Jakob Smith, an Adrian College student.

“They transported us down to the road in buses,” she said. “We had 50 people in a bus and they dropped us off at internals along the road.”

Bovee was on a team that scoured both sides of U.S. 127. She said the number of people who turned out to help was impressive.

“It’s just amazing, the overwhelming amount of people,” she said.

Officials planned to resume the search at 8 a.m. Tuesday. Weeks said search crews will gather at the Morenci fire station in the morning before heading out.

Anyone with information is asked to call 517-458-7104.

[Lori Davis]

http://abcnews.go.co...ory?id=12262791

Police: Missing Mich. Boys' Dad Lied About Woman
Police: Father of missing Michigan boys lied about relationship with woman entrusted with them
The Associated Press
By COREY WILLIAMS
MORENCI, Mich. November 29, 2010 (AP)

(AP)A father of three missing boys lied about a relationship with a woman he claims to have entrusted with their care, said the Michigan police chief leading the investigation into their disappearance.

Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks said Monday that police doubt the story of John Skelton, 39, who told them he handed over his children to a woman named Joann Taylor before attempting suicide Friday. The boys —Tanner, 5, Alexander, 7, and Andrew, 9 — were last seen Thursday in the backyard of their father's southern Michigan home and are believed to be in danger.

Authorities haven't named the father as a suspect, but Weeks said they also haven't ruled him out. The police chief said Monday authorities are looking for anyone who saw the three boys in their father's blue Dodge Caravan on Thursday or Friday along the Michigan-Ohio border. The FBI said the vehicle was on the Ohio Turnpike during that time.

"We believe the boys were in the vehicle the morning or evening before" they were reported missing, Weeks said. He said that despite the time since they were last seen, searchers "remain hopeful" they're still alive.

Police said they have extensively searched name records and other sources for Joann Taylor but have yet to find a woman by that name in a relationship with Skelton.

Authorities and volunteers searched Monday afternoon along busy U.S. 20 in northern Ohio highway for any evidence of the boys.

Cambridge Township fire chief Scott Damon said he had a crew searching east of Pioneer, Ohio, about 12 miles from the boys' home in Morenci.

"It's pretty flat land. We're just walking along," Damon said. "We're looking for any type of evidence. My group has not found anything."

Volunteers have been searching around Morenci, about 75 miles southwest of Detroit, for days. Monday morning, they checked fields, farms and wooded areas along the state boundary based on "information we've collected from a number of sources," Weeks said.

Police have searched Skelton's Morenci home and removed items but declined to identify them.

Weeks said Skelton was being treated at a hospital in Ohio for "mental health issues" after he told police that he tried to hang himself on Friday.

The boys were reported missing Friday by their mother, Tanya Skelton, Weeks said. A family friend said the boys were with their father as part of court-ordered visitation and their parents were going through a divorce.

About 200 people gathered Sunday evening for a prayer vigil at Tanya Skelton's church in Morenci, a small, mostly blue-collar and farming community. Lights were strung on poles along the town's main street, and festive decorations adorned windows in some of the shops and eateries in town.

Friends said the Skelton boys had started celebrating the holidays early by making greeting cards. One of the older brothers wrote "Jesus is awesome" on his and drew a Nativity scene, family spokeswoman Kathye Herrera said.

"They love church. They love the interaction, and they know all about Jesus," Herrera said, adding that John Skelton recently began attending services at the church.

Herrera said the boys' parents have been together for about 10 years. Earlier this year, John Skelton picked his two older sons up from school and took them to Florida, but later returned to Michigan, she said. Custody was awarded to Tanya Skelton, though John Skelton "had been seeing the boys with no issues," Herrera said.

Tanya Skelton attends a local college or community college, and John Skelton is a long-haul truck driver who hasn't been working in while, Herrera said. John Skelton's mother, Roxann Skelton of Jacksonville, Fla., told the Detroit Free Press that her son wouldn't hurt his children. She didn't return a phone message from The Associated Press. "I know my son, he's not a monster," she told the newspaper. "He's a good son and he would not harm his boys. I know those children are, you know, still with us."

Authorities said John Skelton told investigators Friday that he wanted the boys out of his house when he committed suicide, and he asked Taylor to take them to their mother. John Skelton claimed he met Taylor several years ago and the two had been involved in an online relationship, and she likely lived in southern Michigan.

But officers haven't been able to find a woman by that name or the silver van that John Skelton said she was driving.

Many of those who attended Sunday night's vigil tried to hold back tears, though others allowed them to flow freely. As "Silent Night" and other Christmas hymns played, people filed slowly past the altar, lighting small white candles before returning to the pews to continue prayers for the boys' safe return.

"Give us courage to face our fears," church Lay Leader Bob Dister said as part of a short prayer before leading into "The Lord's Prayer."

He wept as the vigil ended.

[Jenn]

http://seattletimes....chmichigan.html

Dad could be key in search for missing Mich. boys
The key to finding three young Michigan brothers who have been missing for nearly a week ultimately may lie with what their father tells police.

Originally published Wednesday, December 1, 2010 at 4:40 AM By COREY WILLIAMS Associated Press

MORENCI, Mich. — The key to finding three young Michigan brothers who have been missing for nearly a week ultimately may lie with what their father tells police.

For the fifth day in a row, an army of volunteers are expected to trudge across harvested fields, woodlands and dirt back roads in search of 9-year-old Andrew, 7-year-old Alexander and 5-year-old Tanner Skelton, who have not been seen since Thanksgiving.

So far, police say, the boys' father, 39-year-old John Skelton, hasn't told authorities much that they can use as the search for the boys evolves from rescue to recovery.

Skelton, an unemployed long-haul truck driver, was arrested Tuesday on three counts of parental kidnapping. He was being held in Lucas County Jail in Ohio and could face a hearing Wednesday to extradite him back to Michigan to face the charges in Lenawee County.

"He's been forthcoming with some information, the credibility of which we can't verify," Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks said Tuesday.

Weeks acknowledged police don't expect a "positive outcome" to the case after talking to Skelton over the course of the investigation.

Crews have searched parts of southern Michigan in and around Morenci, a small town of 2,000 people about 75 miles southwest of Detroit. They've also scoured hundreds of acres just south of Morenci in northwest Ohio for the boys.

A similar search in Ohio was conducted a few weeks ago about 130 miles to the southeast after a mother from Howard, Ohio, her friend, 13-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son disappeared. Police say the girl was found bound and gagged in a 30-year-old unemployed tree-cutter's basement and that he led them to the dismembered bodies of the other three stuffed in a hollow tree trunk.

The FBI and Morenci police haven't revealed the details of their talks with Skelton. Weeks said he has requested an attorney.

Skelton's sister said she doesn't believe authorities are giving her brother a fair shake.

Linda Ford, 40, of Jacksonville, Fla., said she has spoken twice with her brother since his failed suicide attempt Friday, including before his arrest on Tuesday.

Ford said authorities are trying to convince Skelton that a woman named Joann Taylor, whom he claimed to have given the children to, does not exist.

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"They're trying to tell my brother that he is Joann. That he made up an alter ego," Ford told the Detroit Free Press during a phone interview Tuesday night.

Ford said Skelton was depressed after being fired from his job with an Ohio trucking company. She said he also was fired more than a year ago from another trucking company for drunken driving.

"You can only push a human so far," she said.

Ford said her brother has consistently maintained that the children are with Taylor.

"His story has never changed," Ford said, adding that she "will stand by my brother."

About 250 volunteers joined agents, police and firefighters Monday in the search. Officials said about 225 signed up Tuesday. They were told to gather again at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Morenci's fire hall, the nerve center for the rescue operation.

Michelle Williams will be among them.

"I know the family - I've known `em for years," said Williams, 45, who brought chili to the fire hall this week for volunteers. "The grandmother taught me to sew. . They're great people."

Her heart sank when she learned of Skelton's arrest.

"It's just sickening. I just can't believe there's people out there that evil who would hurt their own kids," she said. "I'm still hoping that they find them and he's lied about the whole thing, because he's lied before."

Lee Ann Underhill, a Morenci resident who went to school with the children's mother, Tanya Skelton, searched for the boys between her long overnight shift at a plastics factory and a few hours' sleep. She said she knew the boys, and like others here, she said finding them is personal.

"I've been through fields, creek beds and woods," Underhill said after returning from a search Tuesday afternoon. "We're looking for anything out of the ordinary."

Another searcher, Bill Foster, said everyone in the town of 2,000 was hoping for a "Christmas miracle" and the boys' safe return.

"The search has to continue. We won't quit the search until we bring the boys home," Foster said.

Lenawee Sheriff's Department Corporal Jeff Paterson said he was part of a large group that scoured an 83-acre campsite in Ohio on Monday that's a few miles south of Morenci.

"There were three ponds, sewage lagoons, then a wooded area with a creek," he said. Several barns in the area also were searched.

He said when the terrain allows, grid searches are done, with searchers spreading out 10 feet apart and walking in the same direction. Eyes are focused on the ground at their feet.

"Do it nice and slow so you don't miss anything," he said.

Locals began combing through fields and woods Saturday, the day after the boys' mother reported them missing and the day after John Skelton tried to hang himself.

Skelton was arrested by FBI agents Tuesday afternoon following his release from a medical facility in Lucas County, Ohio. He initially told investigators he gave his sons to a female acquaintance to hand over to his estranged wife. Police say he was lying.

Tanya Skelton, 44, filed for divorce in September. A judge gave her custody of the boys, but she and John Skelton reached an agreement on visitation.

Police on Tuesday had the grim job of telling Tanya Skelton's family - her mother, specifically - that it was growing unlikely the children would be found alive.

Her reaction: "Imagine your worst nightmare come true," Weeks said. "How would you respond?"

[Jenn]

http://www.detnews.c...93/1409/METRO08

Father of missing Morenci boys faces kidnapping charges

Last Updated: November 30. 2010 1:00AM Francis X. Donnelly and Doug Guthrie / The Detroit News

Morenci— The father of three missing boys will be charged with three counts of parental kidnapping, authorities said today.

John Skelton has been released from the mental health facility where he has spent the last few days and is now in custody at the Lucas County Corrections Center in Toledo.

Police Chief Larry Weeks said the children — Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5 — had not been located but investigators would look into rumors of the boys' bodies being discovered near Holiday City, Ohio, at a press conference this afternoon at the Morenci Fire Department building.

Skelton, who has been at the Fulton County Health Center in Ohio, will be held in Ohio until he's extradited back to Lenawee County to face the charges. Skelton is expected to be arraigned in Toledo as early as Wednesday on the Michigan charges, said John Weglian, chief of the special units division of the Lucas County Prosecutor's office. He will be given an opportunity to waive extradition but if not, a bond will be set while extradition is sought by Michigan authorities.

Weeks said earlier today he didn't expect the four-day search to have a positive outcome.

"Imagine your worst nightmare come true," he said during a daily press briefing.

But Weeks wouldn't say specifically why he had reached that conclusion.

He said comments by several people, including the boy's father, suggested the boys weren't alive. But he wouldn't say what the comments were. Skelton had told investigators earlier he had given the children to an acquaintance, but police learned that he was lying.

Weeks said today he was shocked by Skelton's failure to tell law enforcement officials where his children were after they were reported missing Friday.

"I can't even express a response to that question," he said of the lack of information from Skelton.

The chief said he shared investigators' concerns with the boys' mother, Tanya Skelton, on Monday night.

The three boys were last seen Thanksgiving afternoon and were reported missing by their mother the next day.

Officials definitively ruled out any connection between John Skelton and a Joann Taylor, whom he said he gave the children to on Friday just prior to his suicide attempt.

The couple were enmeshed in a nasty divorce and custody battle. After Tanya Skelton filed for divorce in September, John Skelton took his two eldest sons out of town twice, once all the way to Florida.

He was forced to bring them back to Michigan after a ruling by a Florida judge.

Meanwhile, under a dark, drizzly sky today, police and volunteers searched for the boys at areas where the family has visited in the past.

At one spot, a few miles north of town, a boy's jacket was discovered and collected by the FBI. But it wasn't immediately known whether the jacket was connected with any of the three boys.

After much of Monday's search efforts focused on areas in Ohio, Tuesday's investigation appears to have targeted areas closer to Morenci.

With each day that the boys are missing, searchers today were losing confidence that they would be found alive.

"It's not good," said Valerie Easton, 43, a homemaker who joined the search three days ago. "I'm trying to be hopeful."

At 1 p.m., busloads of volunteers from around the region continued to head out into the country surrounding tiny Morenci to scour the roadways for signs of the missing brothers.

The crowds of those waiting to join the search included people of all types — some wearing firefighter gear, some still dressed for a work shift on the farm, and others strapped into hiking boots in preparation for hours of searching.

Buses carried the search parties of 20 or more from Morenci's fire station out of town to walk the roadsides — with six people on each side of the streets just outside of town. Earlier in the day, volunteers scoured a park on the city's west side for clues in the disappearance, but apparently found nothing.

Along Main Street in front of the Pizza Box restaurant, owner Trisha Burrow added an extra message to the dry-erase board with the day's specials. It read: "Pray for the boys to come home — Alex, Andrew and Tanner."

"We need to just keep praying," she said. "It's all we can do."

On Monday, authorities mainly turned their attention to nearby northern Ohio during the frantic hunt for the children.

The search late Monday focused in northwest Ohio and parts of Michigan, in an area from Morenci west to Pioneer, Ohio, south to Holiday City and east to West Unity. Police say they developed evidence putting the Skelton family's blue 2000 Dodge Caravan in the area Friday morning, between 4 and 7 a.m.

Authorities are asking for any information about the van, Michigan license plate number 9JQ H93. Tips can be phoned in to (517) 458-7104.

Law enforcement officials from two states and many smaller departments helped in the investigation, as well as the FBI and behavioral science experts.

[Jenn]

http://www.cnn.com/2...ng.boys/?hpt=T2

Police call for end of volunteer searches for missing Michigan boys

By the CNN Wire Staff December 2, 2010 3:23 a.m. EST

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

    * Police are asking that volunteer searches stop Friday
    * John Skelton is fighting extradition from Ohio
    * Chief says he refuses to believe the 3 boys are dead

(CNN) -- Police are asking that the volunteer searches for three missing Michigan brothers be stopped by Friday night.

Local authorities and federal investigators have been trying to find 9-year-old Andrew Skelton, 7-year-old Alexander William Skelton and 5-year-old Tanner Skelton last seen on Thanksgiving.

The end of the volunteer searches will allow authorities the opportunity to process what has been done and collected and to "re-evaluate our direction for the following week," said Larry Weeks, police chief of Morenci, Michigan.

John Skelton, the boys' father who has been charged with parental kidnapping, is fighting his extradition from Ohio, authorities said Wednesday. A hearing is set for December 14.

Skelton was arrested Tuesday upon his release from a mental health facility where he was being treated after a suicide attempt, Weeks said.

Although investigators have found "a number of items," they still do not know the children's whereabouts, Weeks said.

Asked whether he believes that the boys are dead, Weeks said Wednesday, "I refuse to believe that at this point," saying he wanted to maintain hope. He did, however, repeat his Tuesday statement that a positive outcome is not anticipated.

Investigators have not spoken with Skelton "in some time," he said, or developed any additional information. He previously said authorities are skeptical of the information Skelton has provided.

Skelton said he left the three boys with a woman, whom he identified as Joann Taylor, the morning before he tried to take his own life -- in part to ensure that they did not witness his suicide attempt.

Skelton said Taylor was supposed to take the boys to their home in Morenci, a southern Michigan town of about 2,400 people about 40 miles west-northwest of Toledo, Ohio, Friday afternoon, Weeks said. But the boys never arrived.

Earlier, authorities determined that Skelton had no "established relationship" with the person he named as Taylor, and they aren't certain that she even exists.

Authorities continue to ask for the public's help, hoping someone saw Skelton's blue 2000 Dodge Caravan, in which he was believed to be carrying the boys along a 25-mile stretch of road between Morenci and Holiday City, Ohio.

The last time someone other than a family member saw the boys was at 5 p.m. on November 25, according to the chief.

Police say Tanner is 3 feet, 6 inches tall with strawberry blond hair and blue eyes, and weighs about 40 pounds. Alexander is 3 feet, 9 inches tall, has brown hair and eyes, weighs about 45 pounds and has scars on his hairline and chin. The oldest brother, Andrew, is 4 feet, 1 inch tall, has brown hair and eyes and weighs roughly 57 pounds.

[Jenn]

http://www.wwmt.com/...eward-mich.html

Donor offers reward for finding missing Mich. boys

December 02, 2010 7:53 AM

MORENCI, Mich. (AP) - A police official says an anonymous donor has offered a $10,000 reward for the return or recovery of three young Michigan brothers missing for nearly a week.

Morenci (muh-REN'-see) Police Chief Larry Weeks said Wednesday the reward won't be given if the person is involved in the children's disappearance.

The boys' father is charged with kidnapping them.

John Skelton fought extradition from Ohio to Michigan on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, volunteers continue searching fields, woodlands and dirt roads in both states to search for 9-year-old Andrew, 7-year-old Alexander and 5-year-old Tanner Skelton, who have not been seen since Thanksgiving.

[Jenn]

http://www.wtol.com/....asp?S=13600461

Morenci police chief wants searches of private property for missing boys

Posted: Dec 01, 2010 10:51 PM EST Updated: Dec 01, 2010 11:28 PM EST By Tim Miller

SENECA TOWNSHIP, MI (WTOL) - Morenci, Michigan Police Chief Larry Weeks wants to shift the focus of the search for the three missing Skelton boys to private property.

"We've been out there looking around and just hoping against hope that we would find something positive," Larry Spradlin said.

Spradlin lives on 26 acres of land in Seneca Township just north of Morenci. He knows that any of these private rural lots may hold clues to where the boys are.

"There's a lot of open land around here that doesn't get a lot of traffic and with hunting season there's been people parked and walking all over the place and we don't think nothing about it this time of year. It's a lot of area to cover," Spradlin said.

Spradlin has already searched his land but will look more extensively after a new plea by Weeks.

"There are private lands that are out there that might pose vision obstructions from the roadway, buildings or structures, things that we haven't been able to access. It will be important to try to access those areas," Weeks said.

Weeks also announced he is putting an end to the volunteer searches in Lenawee, Williams and Fulton Counties by Friday night to give investigators the weekend to process what has been found so far.

After a fifth full day of searching along roadways and fields volunteers realize hopes of finding the boys alive have faded.

"At this point, we all kind of know, so we sucked it up and found a few things on this last trip. Some shirts and a pair of pants," volunteer Jeremy Clark said.

Spradlin knows the boys personally and hopes this hard work pays off, even if it's just for closure for the family. "You just want to do something to help those kids."

[Jenn]

http://www.toledoont....aspx?id=549481

Volunteers enter final day in search for missing boys

by Amulya Raghuveer  Posted: December 3, 2010

MORENCI, MICH. -- Friday marks the final day of the volunteer effort in the search for three missing brothers from Morenci.

On Thursday, rescue crews focused their efforts on the waters of Williams County, in search of 5-year-old Tanner, 7-year-old Alexander, and 9-year-old Andrew Skelton.  The boys have been missing since Thanksgiving Day when they were last seen in the backyard of their father's home.

John Skelton, 39, is being held in the Lucas County Jail on $3 million bond.  He is charged with three counts of parental kidnapping in relation to the boys' disappearance.

Investigators say they have word that Skelton's van was seen exiting the Ohio Turnpike in Williams County around the time the boys went missing.  Crews focused in on the area around the turnpike exit on Thursday, including both land and water searches.  Sonar imaging was used underwater to look for any sign of the boys; however, nothing out of the ordinary has been found as of yet.

A Skelton family spokesperson thanked volunteers from across the country as well as local law enforcement for their tireless search since the boys' disappearance. "They have given of themselves diligently, going without sleep and being away from their own families," Kathye Herrera said reading from a statement written by the family. "Everyone that has a child should understand what we are going through."

Morenci Police say the volunteer search effort will be suspended indefinitely as of Friday evening.  Public service crews will continue the effort from Saturday morning.

"We support their decision to stop the organized search for the weekend to give volunteers a time to recuperate and spend time with their own families," said Herrera.

Those wishing to join the final day of the volunteer search effort should report to the Morenci Bible Fellowship Church between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Friday.