After 15 years stalled in painful limbo, justice has finally knocked on the door of the shocking American missing persons case: John Skelton, the ruthless father, is now officially facing murder charges for his three sons, Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner.

The most shocking development is that these grave accusations arrive just weeks before John Skelton, who has been serving time for unlawful imprisonment, was scheduled for release.

THE NIGHTMARE STARTED ON THANKSGIVING 2010

On Thanksgiving Day in 2010, a family was shattered. The three Skelton boys were last seen playing in their father’s backyard. The next day, the boys’ mother, Tanya Skelton, alerted the police when John failed to return the children.

From there, a chain of clumsy lies began. John claimed he had handed the children over to a non-existent woman named Joanne Taylor from a supposed rescue group that was never real. Investigators quickly dismantled this pretense. Simultaneously, the scene inside John’s house hinted at violence and instability: cut cords, broken glass, and an atmosphere of chaos.

15 YEARS OF LIES AND HAUNTING

Although initially only convicted of parental kidnapping and sentenced to 15 years, John Skelton never provided any solid clues about the boys’ whereabouts. He continuously offered vague and contradictory statements, testing the patience of investigators.

Now, with a judge’s ruling in March 2025 declaring the three brothers legally deceased, the path to murder charges has been cleared. This follows a recent interview where John maintained his uncooperative stance.

The timing of these murder charges, right on the cusp of John’s release date, leads many to speculate: Has critical evidence perhaps emerged in these final days?

The case of the Skelton brothers remains an open wound in the community, and charging the father is a significant step in the search for painful closure for these forgotten victims.