LEWANEE COUNTY, Mich. (WXYZ) — A judge is working to determine if there is enough evidence to send John Skelton to trial on murder charges connected to the 2010 disappearance of his three sons.
For 15 years, there has been little to no explanation about what happened to 5-year-old Tanner, 7-year-old Alexander and 9-year-old Andrew Skelton. Tuesday's court testimony gave a deeper look at the tension between John Skelton and his wife leading up to the boys' disappearance.
The morning began with testimony from the family pastor, who recalled comments made by John Skelton following the boys' disappearance that made her believe he had killed them.
Get a recap of Day Two of the Preliminary Hearing in the video player below
"When he told me 'Pastor Donna, you of all people must understand what I mean when I say I sent them home," Donna Galloway said. "That was when the hope and the thoughts that I would see the boys again and that it would be a happy reunion was gone."
Later, former coworkers of Skelton took the stand, testifying to a change in his demeanor as his marriage with Tanya Uvers fell apart. They also talked about disturbing comments they say he made on the job.
"I was outside talking to a few guys and I didn't know John was behind me and I said I was thinking about going to Lost Nation to go bow hunting and the comment that he said was 'Lost Nation? You could bury a body out there. Between the swamp and the quicksand no one would ever find it," Frank Karamic, who worked with Skelton at 3D Transport, said.
A close friend of Skelton later recounted similar remarks during his testimony.
"Just out of the blue he said if you ever had to get rid of somebody, hog barns. You know hogs eat the body and there's nothing left," the friend said.
The friend also detailed a conversation between himself and Skelton in which the defendant mentioned concern that his sons were being sexually abused by their mother.
"And so again before Thanksgiving of 2010 is he telling you that he thinks that something might happen," prosecutors asked.
"He didn’t tell me in specific words that something might happen but he did say that if he’s going to lose his children, if he couldn’t have him, Tanya couldn’t have them either," the witness said.
An attorney, who was hired by Tanya Uvers after she says Skelton attempted to take their children to out of state without permission, also took the stand. He recounted the contentious situation between the two leading up to the boys' disappearance.
The court also heard from Skelton himself, as prosecutors played video of him speaking with law enforcement about his and his sons' whereabouts around Thanksgiving and the building tension between him and his wife.
"Did you have a Facebook chat with somebody that morning where you said you were going to kill yourself? On Wednesday morning? I was talking about it. Tanya was destroying my life. She blamed me for whatever. Playing with my emotions. Giving me stuff and then taking it away," Skelton said.
The five boys were last seen on Thanksgiving Day 2010. Their bodies have never been recovered.
Skelton was previously serving a 15-year sentence for wrongful imprisonment in connection to the case. He was set to be released last year when prosecutors announced murder charges.
Once the preliminary hearing concludes, the judge will determine if there is enough evidence for the case to head to trial. If convicted as charged, Skelton faces life behind bars.
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