John SkeltonADRIAN, Mich. — A man who maintains his three young sons, who have been missing since Thanksgiving, are still alive faces a sentencing hearing Thursday after pleading no contest in July to a charge of unlawful imprisonment.
John Skelton faces up to 15 years in prison in the Thanksgiving 2010 disappearance of Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton, who were 9, 7 and 5 when they disappeared. Their father is to be sentenced in Lenawee County Circuit Court in Adrian.
Prosecutors dropped a charge of parental kidnapping in exchange for the plea.
The boys were last seen at Skelton's home in Morenci, 70 miles southwest of Detroit near the Ohio state line.
The boys had gone to stay with Skelton for Thanksgiving under an agreement with his estranged wife, Tanya Skelton, who had exclusive custody of the children. He was supposed to return the boys to their mother after the holiday. Skelton has told police and a judge that he instead handed the boys over to an organization, but investigators don't believe him.
Judge Margaret Noe said in July that investigative reports by the FBI and Michigan State Police showed Skelton had unlawfully taken the boys.
The Skeltons are now divorced.
Despite the deal, Skelton acknowledged that he still could face more charges in the future.
"They can still charge you with homicide," defense lawyer John Glaser told his client in court at the time of the no contest plea, which is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such for sentencing purposes.
Skelton said in a television interview that his plea was the only way he could get out from behind bars and get the boys back.