Morenci community asked to remain alert

Family seeking clues to 3 missing boys

Don Zuvers, grandfather of three missing boys, holds a poster with their pictures. Mr. Zuvers was at a news conference Tuesday at First United Methodist Church in Morenci, Mich., where he asked people to be alert to their surroundings and report anything that may be the remains of Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, 5, who have been missing since Thanksgiving.

MORENCI, Mich. -- Keep your eyes open.

That's the message the grandparents of the three missing Skelton boys have for the public. The youngsters -- Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner -- were 9, 7, and 5 respectively when they disappeared Thanksgiving Day.

Tuesday, the boys' maternal grandparents, Beverly and Don Zuvers, appeared at a news conference and asked people to pay attention to their surroundings while their traveling the Morenci area.

"They're out there somewhere," Mr. Zuvers told a group of reporters in First United Methodist Church.

The boys are believed to be dead. Their father, John Skelton, 39, is being held in the Lenawee County jail on a multimillion-dollar bond on kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment charges in the boys' disappearance. He has denied harming the boys and said he gave them for safekeeping to a mysterious group called the United Foster Outreach and Underground Sanctuary. Investigators, however, said no such group exists.

The boys' disappearance generated an outpouring of support from the community. A reward of up to $60,000 is being offered for information leading to their return or the recovery of their bodies.

Mr. Zuvers noted that with the arrival of spring, people would be spending more time outdoors. He urged them not to hesitate to call police if they saw anything that might be the boys' remains.

"It's better to be wrong than sorry," he said.

Appearing with the Zuverses were Kathye Herrera, a Skelton family friend, and the Rev. Donna Galloway, pastor of the church.

Noticeably absent was the boys' mother, Tanya Skelton. Mrs. Zuvers said Ms. Skelton was coping as best as she could in the absence of her sons and now had a full-time job working in a greenhouse.

Mrs. Zuvers said she would like to say to John Skelton: "We need to know where the boys are and you hold the key." But she added that Mr, Skelton had used the boys to hurt Tanya Skelton and she didn't believe he would come clean about what he had done to them.

The Detroit office of the FBI, which has been involved in the investigation, distanced itself from the news conference. It issued a statement Tuesday saying there had been no new developments in the case.

Contact Carl Ryan at: carlryan@theblade.com or 419-724-6050.