John Skelton looks over some papers while waiting for the judge to start his extradition hearing at the Lucas County Courthouse, Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2010, in Toledo, Ohio. Skelton, the father of three boys missing since Thanksgiving, waived his right to an extradition hearing and was promptly processed and driven away to face charges across the state border in Michigan.John Skelton,
, on Tuesday offered an explanation for the disappearance of his three boys, but it wasn't necessarily a credible one.
Speaking by phone
, Skelton said he gave the boys to a foster family at J.D.'s Truck Stop in Niles on Thanksgiving and never saw them again.
"They're with a family right now that, you know, it's not me," he said. "I think that's the only disservice that I've done to the boys. I haven't hurt them."
Skelton said he feared his boys were being abused by their mother, prompting him to reach out to a rescue organization run by "either the Amish, Mennonite or some reorganized Mormons."
He claimed the leaders of that group used fake names -- Joanne, Virgil, Sue, Elijah -- and led him to believe he was handing over his kids for a trial run sleepover.
Asked why the FBI or other investigators have been unable to track down the shadowy group, Skelton said "it's an organization that, uh, knows what it's doing. We covered our tracks well."
Tanner, Alexander and Andrew were last seen on Thanksgiving in the backyard of their dad's home. Skelton originally told police he entrusted them in the care of a woman named Joann Taylor before he attempted to kill himself, but
.
Despite his assertion the group misled him, Skelton said he's happy how the situation has played out. "For right now, this is a good place for the boys," he said. "The boys are better off with their foster family right now."
Check out the full WDIV interview with Skelton here.