(WXYZ) — A preliminary hearing in the murder case against John Skelton entered its fifth day Monday. The courtroom heard testimony from the first officer to respond when the three Skelton boys were reported missing and from investigators who have searched for signs of life over the past 15 years.
Watch Whitney Burney's video report:
Skelton's sons — Tanner, Alexander and Andrew — disappeared on Thanksgiving Day 2010 while visiting their father in Lenawee County. The boys were presumed dead years later and have never been found.
Skelton had been serving a 15-year sentence for wrongful imprisonment of the boys and was set to be released last year. He is now facing murder charges in the case.
Court began Monday with Judge Laura Schaedler making note of an agreement between the attorneys in the case that no one will be permitted to give media interviews during the proceeding. The judge said the interviews could make finding an impartial jury a challenge if the case ultimately goes to trial. Whether there is enough evidence to proceed to trial is still being decided by the Schaedler.
Much of Monday's testimony centered on Ryan Hillard, now a police chief in the Village of Clinton, who worked as a part-time officer with Morenci Police at the time of the boys' disappearance.
Hillard was the first responding officer when the boys' grandfather requested a welfare check on Black Friday. The check came after the boys' mother, Tanya, said she received a message that her ex-husband had attempted suicide and was heading to a local hospital.
"Based on the information that was given, we had no idea where these three children were," Hillard said. "They could be in the house. They're young. They could be in danger. They could be locked in a room. Any number of things could be happening inside that house that could be a danger to those kids."
After searching John Skelton's home, Hillard said he found a Bible with verses circled and his ex-wife's name written in it, cords for electronics that had been cut, smashed cabinetry and a makeshift noose — but was unable to locate the three boys.
Hillard then went to the hospital to speak with Skelton, who said he had left the boys with a woman named Joann Taylor earlier that evening. Hillard said a subsequent search of Skelton's emails found no messages to or from anyone by that name.
Prosecutors also played a jail call between Skelton and his daughter that put investigators on high alert.
"Let's pray that we can get these boys back and they're okay," Skelton said in the call.
When his daughter asked where the boys were, Skelton said, "I don't know, honey. They were taken from me too. They didn't tell me where they was gonna be."
He also told his daughter, "Because it's a security thing, because Tanya got custody of them now. She can't abuse them anymore right now, okay."
Hillard also testified that in the same call, Skelton told his daughter, "You're the youngest Skelton now."
Defense attorney Bill Amadeo questioned Hillard about other calls.
"Do any of the other calls stand out to you?" Amadeo asked.
"I don't have specific dates, but there are a couple other ones where he uses the boys in past tense," Hillard said.
"Did he ever make a confession on any of those calls?" Amadeo retorted.
"He did not," said Hillard
The court also heard from two investigators — one from the Michigan State Police and another from the Secret Service — who were both tasked with conducting proof-of-life searches for the boys on different occasions over the last 15 years.
Kelly Hodges, a Michigan State Police criminal intelligence analyst with the cold case unit, says she searched databases that track interactions with police, pharmaceutical records, unemployment records, and even pawn shop sales records. She told the court she searched for their government names along with different spelling variations. Hodges testified that none of those searches produced results.
"During any of your searches have you had any positive indication of signs of life for Alexander William Skelton?" Hodges was asked. "No," she said. "Andrew Ryan Skelton? No. Tanner Lucas Skelton? No."
Secret Service agent Ryan Heethuis says he also conducted a worldwide search using advanced facial recognition and searched across the dark web. While some of those searches turned up results, there was no information leading police to believe the three boys are alive.
"We are on a number of child exploitation forums that are monitored daily," said Heethuis.
"Any hits at all?" attorneys asked the investigator.
"No, the facial recognition searches were not a hit anywhere," said Heethuis.
The preliminary hearing is set to resume Tuesday at 1 p.m. Prosecutors say they expect the hearing to wrap up Thursday.
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