Tanya Skelton, the mother of three Morenci brothers missing since Thanksgiving, is not giving up hope her children are alive.
Speaking in a one-on-one interview
, which you can watch in the embedded player, Skelton recounted the moment she began to worry the boys' father would not return them from a court-ordered visit.
"I was panicked, scared, hopeful that when the agreed upon time of 3 p.m. came around that someone would pull up with my children," she said, wearing a sweatshirts that reads "prayers for a safe return home."
"As time went on, I began to wonder, who has my children? Are they safe? Are they scared? And I continued to wonder that. Because until they prove to me they are no longer on this earth, I believe and I feel in my heart they're still alive."
Nine-year-old Andrew, 7-year-old Alexander and 5-year-old Tanner Skelton were last seen at their father's home. Their parents were going through a divorce when they disappeared.
John Skelton was arraigned Wednesday on charges of parental kidnapping. Police say he tried to hang himself after his wife reported the kids missing and made up a story about having first given the boys to a female friend to give to their mother.
Hundreds of volunteers and officials spent days combing the countryside on both sides of the Michigan-Ohio border but found no trace of the brothers. "People I've never met are looking for my boys," Tanya Skelton said. "Taking time out of their lives and from their families to come look for my sons."
John Skelton remains in jail on $30 million bond and faces a Dec. 28 hearing that could determine whether there is enough evidence to take his case to trial.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.