Some thought the bones and other remains of three apparent children found in a Missoula, Montana shed last September could be the Skelton brothers, who vanished from Michigan in 2010.
They are not, the Missoula County Sheriff's Office said in a statement issued Friday, Feb. 9.
A team of investigators that included pathologists, anthropologists and police "ruled out" the possibility based on "advanced radiograph technology and dental record comparisons," the sheriff's office said.
Another missing 11-year-old boy from Washington was also ruled out as a possible match.
Based on the bone samples tested by University of North Dakota anthropologists, it was determined the bodies were buried at least 100 years ago.
"The report suggests that the bone fragments and teeth had been buried for some time prior to be uncovered and exposed to the elements," Missoula County sheriff's officials said. "The report narrows the age windows for the three sets of human remains as follows: Individual one, 2 to 5 years of age, individual two, 5 to 9 years of age, individual three, 6 to 8 years of age.
"The (report) suggests that Individual one and possibly some of the loose teeth are of Asian derived Amerindian ancestry."
The mystery of the missing Skelton brothers will continue.
Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton have been missing for more than seven years after visiting their father for Thanksgiving. The boys were ages 9, 7 and 5, respectively, when they disappeared.
The father of the children, John Skelton, maintains he gave the children away, a decision he has since regretted.
John Skelton told WDIV-Detroit reporter Sandra Ali during a recent interview that the night before Thanksgiving he made the boys their favorite meal and a cake to celebrate Andrew's birthday. The next evening, Skelton says he sent the boys to an "underground sanctuary" near the Indiana and Ohio border to live with two women and a man in their 60s.
Lenawee Circuit Court Judge Margaret Noe, who sentenced Skelton to 10-15 years in prison in 2011, called his explanation for the disappearance "ridiculous."
However, because the boys have never been found, police have been unable to bring any further charges against Skelton.
The boys' mother, Tanya Zuvers, who was divorcing Skelton, had exclusive custody of the children at the time the vanished, but agreed to let them visit their father if he returned them the next day.