DETROIT — A Michigan judge has officially declared three brothers dead over 14 years after their mysterious disappearance during Thanksgiving, a heartbreaking case that continues to haunt the community. Investigators firmly believe their father is responsible for their vanishing, yet no charges have been filed.
Lenawee County Judge Catherine Sala made the declaration at the request of the boys’ mother, establishing their date of death as November 26, 2010.
“This tragic case has had a profound and lasting effect on the Lenawee community,” Judge Sala expressed. “No amount of condolences can truly alleviate the suffering that has occurred.”
Despite the judge’s acknowledgment of the intense emotions surrounding the case, she declined to label the boys’ father, John Skelton, as their murderer due to insufficient evidence.
“To make such a claim would only reinforce speculation without substantive proof,” said Judge Sala.
Skelton, who is currently serving a 15-year sentence for failing to return his sons to their mother, has never been charged with their deaths. His release is anticipated by November.
During the hearing, Zuvers argued that a formal death declaration would offer her much-needed closure and honor the memory of her sons, who were just 9, 7, and 5 years old at the time of their disappearance from Morenci, Michigan.
The brothers vanished while with their father during a holiday visit, despite being scheduled to return to their mother the following day. Extensive searches, including those in wooded areas and waterways across Michigan and Ohio, have failed to locate any traces of the children.
Authorities reported that Skelton provided a series of misleading statements regarding the boys’ alleged whereabouts, directing investigators to various locations that turned out to be false leads.
Skelton did not participate in the recent hearing regarding the declaration of his sons’ deaths, stating, “Anything I say isn’t going to make a difference.”
