MORENCI, Mich. -
Two years later, police say they know the key in the search for three missing boys from Morenci, Michigan but there have been roadblocks along the way.
Alexander, Andrew and Tanner Skelton were last seen playing in their father's back yard on November 25th 2010. They've never been seen since.
Police have said they do not expect to find the boys alive but the investigation is not ending. 13abc talked with Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks on this second anniversary.
He says they are some days when several tips come in, things like alleged sightings of the boys. Chief Weeks says he hears rumors all the time, people with their different theories of what happened to them. But he knows there is one key to this whole mystery that has never developed.
"We're here if he wants to have a conversation with us, I'd be glad to have any conversation with him he'd like," said Chief Weeks.
‘He' is John Skelton, the boys' father. He's the last person seen with them in 2010. All of the investigating of the past would not have been needed and a mother could have some closure if he would just come forward.
"The reality is John Skelton really is the one who knows the answers and he's been unwilling to provide those up to this point," said Chief Weeks.
The chief says tips increase around anniversaries like this. He's always hoped someone would recognize Skelton's van.
"Which has always been our focus and hope is that someone would report seeing the van that morning the day after Thanksgiving," said Chief Weeks.
Chief Weeks says Skelton and the van left Morenci around 4:30am that morning. They can trace him to Holiday City in Williams County around 5:02 am with him coming back to Morenci at 6:46am. He believes Skelton could have driven up to 80 miles from Morenci and returned.
"I'd like to think someday, some portion of his heart feels bad for what's happened to his children and would come forward and allow us to bring resolution to it," said Chief Weeks.
His department is treating this as a homicide investigation, an open investigation that could be solved very quickly.
"Absolutely it's frustrating but I know where blame lies. It lies with John Skelton. It's not my fault John Skelton did what he did and put us all in this position," said Chief Weeks.
The chief is asking people to really focus in on that van. If you or maybe you had some family in the area of Holiday City or Morenci on that day after thanksgiving two years ago, give them a call. Any information you have might be able to finally give the boys' family the answers they're looking for.
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