ADRIAN, Mich. (WXYZ) — Six people testified on day three of John Skelton's murder preliminary hearing, on Wednesday.
Watch Darren Cunningham's video report:
He's accused of killing his three boys in November 2010. Their bodies have never been found. He served 15 years for unlawful imprisonment.
On the stand Wednesday, Kelsey Beroski said her then-stepfather is Skelton's cousin. She said her parents instructed her to pick up Skelton at his home to take him to the ER. She said Skelton's ankle appeared to be injured and that he was on the phone with someone, telling them he had lost the boys. This was on the day of the boys' disappearance.
The courtroom also heard directly from Skelton's cousin and aunt. Their testimony shed light on the suspect's mindset leading up to the boys' disappearance and revealed a crucial discovery made on a family front porch the morning after Thanksgiving.
Charlene O'Brien, Skelton's aunt, told the prosecution, "(John) was obsessed over (his wife Tanya)."
The prosecutor asked, "What was he saying?"
Charlene recalled, "Well, I love her, and she don't love me. That sounds like a you problem."
She said Skelton complained that his wife, Tanya Zuvers, was threatening to divorce him.
The prosecutor asked, "Is this the same conversation where he's telling you that she's messing with the boys?"
Charlene replied, "Yes, and I say I don't believe that."
After she threatened divorce, Skelton accused Zuvers of molesting their sons. Charlene said John Skelton told her he would take matters into his own hands instead of calling the police.
A week later, the Skeltons' sons, Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner disappeared.
That morning, Skelton’s cousin, Brian O'Brien, said he found a duffel bag on his front porch. Brian's mother, Charlene, called police.
The prosecutor asked Charlene, "What do you recall the contents of that bag being?"
"As soon as I opened it, I seen three little coats," she recalled.
In between searches for the boys, Brian said he attempted to get Skelton to speak up.
Brian told the prosecutor, "I went down to Lucas County Jail to try to talk to him to see if I could get any kind of information to find out where the boys was at, figuring since I was family he would have something to say, but it was a big no."
During cross-examination, the defense highlighted testimony portraying Skelton as a devoted father.
The defense asked Charlene, "What was it like seeing John and his children? Was it a loving relationship?"
She said, "Yeah, I never seen any problem. I never seen either one of them mean to their kids or anything."
The defense asked Brian, "Did John appear to love his children?"
"Yeah," Brian replied.
The defense asked, "Did you ever see him abuse his children?"
Brian said, "No."
The defense asked, "Did you ever see him do anything off color with his children?"
Brian repeated, "No."
The defense asked, "Did he appear like a loving father?
Brian replied, "I would say yes."
