Judge sentences John Skelton to 10-15 years in prison in disappearance of three Morenci boys

MORENCI, Mich. (WXYZ) - A judge has sentenced John Skelton to serve 10-15 years in prison in the disappearance of his three sons.

He will get credit for 289 days already served.

In an Adrian courtroom Thursday morning the judge told Skelton, “Because of you Andrew, Alexander and Tanner have been silenced.”

Skelton made the statement, “I would have done things differently if I felt like the system didn’t fail me.”

During the sentencing the judge told Skelton that he has continued to lie.

“I do not know where your children are, I wish I did. So many good people could find peace... I believe you set this in motion and they will suffer.”

“You must be held responsible for the consequence for your actions.”

“I will depart from the sentencing guidelines…” said the judge.

Just before sentencing, Skelton’s now ex-wife Tanya Skelton asked for maximum sentence without any chance of parole during her impact statement.

“Nobody will be able to love those three boys as much as I do,” said Tanya.

John Skelton was the last person known to have seen Tanner, Alexander and Andrew. The brothers were only 5, 7, and 9 when they vanished.

Action News caught up with Skelton's parents at Metro Airport on Wednesday evening. They're standing by their son and will be at the sentencing.

"I believe him. I believe in him," said Roxann Skelton, the grandmother of the missing boys.

Skelton has been sitting in the Lenawee County Jail since the beginning of the year.

While police are calling his sons’ disappearance a murder investigation Skelton maintains they are alive. He says he gave the brothers to an underground organization to protect them from his now ex-wife, Tanya Skelton.

Tanya has never been accused of any wrongdoing by law enforcement, and John has not offered any proof that his story is true.

Skelton could face additional charges should further evidence surface in the case.

John's parents say they don't condone how he handled the situation but sympathize with him, believing his claims that no one would listen when he said Tanya was a danger to the children.

"I hate to see a young man with a lot of potential to be put away for something that is unconditional love," Roxann said.

Tanner, Alexander and Andrew were last seen playing in John’s yard at his home in Morenci on Thanksgiving last year.
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Chilling Details Revealed at Plea Hearing

When Skelton agreed to plead no contest to unlawful imprisonment charges in July the judge in the case read through various law enforcement reports, which revealed new chilling details in the case.

"John Skelton said (to investigators) he doesn’t know where his children are and is said to say the children will hibernate until they graduate," Judge Margaret Noe said at the July hearing.

"When talking to other investigators, however, Skelton said on the evening of November 25th, 2010 he wrapped his children in blankets and gave each one a stuffed animal – placed them in his van and drove them away,” said Noe.

During that hearing Judge Noe's voice appeared to break when reading from a portion of her notes where John's words leave detectives thinking the worst.

“He said the boys could be found in a school house – a two-story brick building. Later he asked if the investigators searched a park. Later again he drew images from what he references as dreams and or nightmares, saying the boys may be near or behind a dumpster," said Judge Noe.

Noe also revealed that John had searched for "neck-breaking" on his computer just one week before the boys vanished. Nooses were also found in John’s home.

Skelton entered the plea as part of a deal with prosecutors in Lenawee County Circuit court in a hastily called hearing. The plea came just one week before his preliminary exam was set to begin.