A Michigan judge ruled on Wednesday that three boys missing since 2010 are legally deceased — but there is not enough evidence to prove their father killed them.
While handing down her ruling, Probate Judge Catherine Sala said there were lapses in testimony provided by former Morenci police Chief Larry Weeks and FBI Special Agent Corey Burras. The judge ruled there was insufficient evidence proving Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5, were murdered on or about November 26, 2010, or that their father killed them, according to WTOL.
The missing boys’ father, John Skelton, is currently serving a 15-year sentence for kidnapping his sons. He virtually appeared in court on Monday, but he refused to provide testimony about his sons’ whereabouts.
READ: What Happened to the Skelton Brothers?
“I’m at a disadvantage. Anything I say isn’t going to make a difference,” he said.
John Skelton was not present for Wednesday’s hearing, per WTOL.
Last June, the boys’ mother, Tanya Zuvers, filed paperwork to have her three sons declared deceased. The judge granted Zuvers’ petition to have her sons declared legally dead under the statutory declaration of death, which is five years without proof of life.
John Skelton has never been charged for his sons’ presumed deaths. He told investigators multiple stories about the boys’ disappearance, including claiming he gave them to an organization to protect them from their mother, who he said was abusive.
Zuvers had sole custody of the boys, as she and John Skelton were in the middle of a divorce. They had spent the holiday with their father, and their mother was to pick them up the next day.
During his testimony on Monday, Burras said the John Skelton searched online about how to break a neck, potassium cyanide, and rat poison. The searches were allegedly conducted the same month his sons disappeared.
Read CrimeOnline’s continuing coverage of the Skelton brothers case
The FBI agent also alleged that John Skelton addressed Zuvers in a suicide note, stating, “You will hate me.” Burras said he believed the note implied that he killed their sons.
John Skelton was denied parole in 2022. His release is scheduled for November.
[Feature Photo: Handout]
