Vanished: The Disappearance of the Skelton Brothers
“I have, for several years now, I guess, accepted that my boys are probably not alive.”
Earlier this year, I read Tears of Rage by John Walsh, and I gained a new understanding of the profound heartbreak a parent suffers when their child goes missing. Since his son Adam’s abduction and murder, Walsh has gone on to host America’s Most Wanted and founded the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children with his wife, Revé.
Through their tireless efforts, thousands of children have been saved, and for the unsolved disappearances, they provide necessary advocacy for distraught families. No child is ever left behind, no matter how many years have gone by since their loss.
Three of the children that NCMEC continues to search for are Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner Skelton, all from the tiny border town of Morenci, Michigan. At the time of their disappearance in 2010, Andrew was 9, Alexander was 7, and Tanner was 5.
The Timeline
September 2010: Tanya Zulvers, the estranged wife of John Skelton and mother of the three boys, received a phone call from Morenci Elementary School. They were letting her know that John had picked up all three boys for a trip to Florida.
