MI MI - Tanner Lucas, Alexander William, & Andrew Ryan Skelton, Morenci, 26 Nov 2010 #4

[CarrieBean]

Reading about so many cases including Sylar Newton and Zahra Baker, I often wonder what I would do as a parent. Although you never know how you would truly respond in that type of situation, I have to admit, the type of person I am, I'd probably avoid the press/media. I'm a fairly private person and as long as I was able to determine that LE was doing everything they could, I'd probably lay low too.

Just throwing that out there as a possible reason for her silence. It may just be her personality. She's already been crucified in the media for her past; she may prefer not to be scrutinized any more that she has been already.

Hope I made sense.

I think I would probably avoid the media as well. This is pretty much a situation for TS in which she'll be damned if she does, damned if she doesn't (by public opinion).

 

[Cubby]

As I think I am the only one on this board who thinks that JS may have hidden his kids rather than killed them, I want to try one more time to explain why:

First, the three women who know him the best, his mother, sister and estranged wife thought he was a good father and would not have suspected him to harm the children. What proof do I have of that?

"Tanya Skelton received exclusive custody after John Skelton returned from Florida with the boys, but the couple subsequently negotiated an agreement that allowed visitation. “The agreement was without my intervention,” Noe said. “It is not unusual for judges to encourage parents to engage in agreements between themselves relative to visitation because they best know the circumstances

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2010/11/30/news/doc4cf4cdf11c66d466424097.txt

Tanya negotiated this AFTER he had already taken them away twice! Why would a woman going through a divorce who had received exlusive custody negotiate visitation? There is ONLY one reason. She knows that the father-son relationship was a healthy one and believed it was good for her children. She NEVER would have agreed to visitation if she felt any threat at all from JS.

JS mother and sister both say that JS is a not a monster, he loves his sons and would never hurt them. JS sister even says he told her that he has hidden them.

http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/58202

Despite her brother's arrest Tuesday afternoon and statements by law enforcement that the boys likely were dead, Ford said she still believed they are alive. She said her brother had told her the children were in a safe place he wouldn't disclose.
"He is not a monster. He is a good father," Ford said. "The children are his life; he loves those boys."

Roxann, the mother of JS says the same thing:

http://www.toledoonthemove.com/news/story.aspx?id=547199

John Skelton's mother, Roxann Skelton of Jacksonville, Fla., told the Detroit Free Press that her son wouldn't hurt his children. "I know my son, he's not a monster," she told the newspaper. "He's a good son and he would not harm his boys. I know those children are, you know, still with us."


Second, why could he have taken the children? What would be his motive?

Because:

* He lost his job
* He was losing his house (foreclosure)
* He lost his wife (TS filed for divorce)
* TS had threatened that he would lose the boys the day before they disappeared
* JS went through this one time earlier when he lost custody of his daughter.

As a father it is difficult for me to imagine a loving father harming his child. But it is not difficult for me to imagine a depressed father in panic hiding his children and lying about it. Even confessing to everything in order to cover his tracks.

Of course, maybe everyone here is right that JS is just evil and he did kill them. But if the three women who know him best think that he is not evil and that JS could not harm his children and if there is a chance that he did not harm them, then I hope that at least some of the resources are looking into finding where they might be hidden. This story needs to be put on Americas Most Wanted. There is someone out there who has seen those boys and knows where they might be, regardless if they are dead or alive.

Hi Gene, respectfully highlighted in color by me.....

If I may reply to the two points, as a single parent myself.

1)First the costs of a long drawn out custody battle can go well above 10 thousand easily. It is possible based on the known facts neither parent had the money to spend on an attorney for a long drawn out court battle so they settled on a visitation/custody/parenting time agreement.

2)We have a man here, JS, who according to MSM was court ordered to pay a very nominal 315 per month in child support for a 17 yr old daughter from a previous marriage or relationship. MSM has reported JS spent time in jail for non payment of child support. As an SP and having spent time in the court for both CS and visitation I can say from first hand experience the judge gives lots and lots of chances before someone does jail time for non payment of support. There are many measures such as loss of drivers license, hunting license, tax return intercept etc. prior to sentencing a parent to jail. (Also, this is a little known fact, but some states have programs which will reduce or erase arrears if the non custodial parent agrees to stay current on CS from the date of the agreement. ) Being a loving parent takes more than hugs, kisses and being there physically. Parents need to be financially responsible for their kids as well. JS, was apparently willing to allow enough time to go by disrespecting the courts order for support he has already been incarcerated. I am certain if he was even making minimal 100 per month payments he would not have been sentenced to jail time because something would have demonstrated effort to the courts.

I think we need to look beyond the surface of what these three woman say about JS.

And we all know how a mans self worth works with his self image. He may have appeared the most loving caring father but there is a much deeper darker side to this man. Especially knowing that when he took off for FL he was gobsmacked TS didn't just follow him down there like an obeying wife.

I do see and respect your points, and I can tell you are a wonderful father and husband (If you are married) but that is clearly because you respect others and are willing to make compromises and concesssions. We really have not seen anything indicative of JS having the capacity to make compromises and concessions- and that is why I personally do not believe he gave or hid the children and they are safely hidden somewhere.

JMO respectfully

 

[Cubby]

The reason I asked if there were toxicology reports a few pages back was because when you look at those pictures of him in the wheelchair, he looks like he's been strung out on something. His beard is all scraggly, his face sunken, etc. He doesn't look healthy, at all. Not like those pics that were posted on his myspace account. I know they would probably have given him some sort of sedative while in the hospital, but the way he looked, it would take longer than a few days to get an appearance like that. I don't know how much crank goes on around here, but there's quite a bit of meth.

Ok, first I am such a dork I have heard of crank but I don't know what it is or how it differs from cocaine or crack. Can someone explain? :blushing:

Secondly, I think it is possible JS's appearance may simply be due to stress and not taking care of himself. Stress can age someone incredibly even without substance abuse. I'm not saying JS was or was not abusing drugs or alcohol, just offering another perspective.

jmo

 

[marycarney]

From bits and pieces of all the reports, all the way from the original kidnapping to FL, to the police officer saying one child greeted him in toy police officer gear and saying he wanted to be a police officer just like him, to the mistaken 911 call, seems like the police were somewhat “regulars” to this family?. There may have been other reports we aren’t hearing about? Or other incidences? (and maybe not)

Many people live their whole lives and never have a police officer at their door! Just seems quirky under the circumstances that “police” are mentioned so many times? Maybe that’s just me? Maybe that’s just journalism!

Does seem like if you were just "on the phone" the kids would of been hollering & looking for you, before calling 911! JMO but who knows?

I think a POSSIBLE explanation for the police knowing the family pretty well is the size of the town they live in. Granted, when I lived in Chicago - I never had the police at my house, but the small town I live in now - they are our neighbors, fellow church members and Little League coaches. The police know most of the kids, and who their parents are. I mean, there are only 2000 people in the whole town, it's hard NOT to know most people. JMHO

 

[Cubby]

I am glad we still have people on the board who are holding out hope that the boys are alive and just being held somewhere "safe". It is always good to hold out hope. Sadly, I am in the camp that believes they are deceased and I am obsessed now with locating their bodies, giving them a burial that they deserve, and seeing justice for what happened to them. I realize JS's family in Florida is supporting him, but I have seen that before. I don't know what their circumstances are, but the fact that none of them have traveled to Michigan/Ohio is bothersome to me. How could you NOT if your grandchild or nephews were missing? How could you not if your son was in the hospital for a "suicide" attempt and then in jail for kidnapping? I don't mean to bash his family. Quiet the opposite - something is wrong for them to not be able to travel and support their family member IMHO. It has no bearing on what happened to the kids, but certainly offers a different view into what kind of support system JS had to help him thru all of the recent events that seemed to be raining down on him.

BBM you and me both. I am desperate/obsessed with finding them too because not only does the boys mother and family deserve and need closure, I NEED to see this wonderful small town of Morenci get some type of closure as well. This towns LE department, citizens have come together in a way that we all should and I would be crushed to see no closure, even if it is not what everyone is hanging onto hope for.

jmo

 

[Cubby]

crank and meth are the same thing, catydid. i agree that his look changed drastically and that is a sign of something terribly wrong. i think it might be meth as well. he is sick.

TY I didn't know and did not see this post before I posted above.

 

[Cubby]

I think it is fair to discuss mom's silence to a degree, but I think her silence is completely appropriate given that she likely knows more than the rest of us do regarding the investigation. And if she permitted the visitation, there is no greater hell than the one she will put herself through if he killed them.

"No greater hell" - those three words resonate not only on how TS will feel but imo JS's intentions. I'll have to stop there because if I don't I'm afraid of what I might type and WS is too valuable to me.....

JMO

 

[Cubby]

Regardless of either parents past, good or bad. JS knows where the boy’s are. If they are deceased, and where they are hidden. Or if they are alive and with someone somewhere.
And him not telling, is disgusting and irreprehensible.

No matter how good of a father some say he has been. This is not the signs of a good father.
If the boy’s are alive, I’m sure they would want to go home to their mother.
If they are deceased, and he won’t even allow them a proper burial.
Either way, where do any of his friends and family, get “good father” out of that?

I’m just sick of hearing all these good fluffy stories about JS!! From the sister, the mother, the neighbors, the friends, etc……
He could have been made of gold in his past, he isn’t now! And I am talking about NOW. Where are those boy’s JS?.
However “good” he was in his past is moot now. All I see is selfish, cowardly, narcissist behavior. With not one ounce of concern for the well being of those little boy’s.

Whom I might add had no choice or control in either of their parents decisions!

Amen! Post of the day!

Where are your children JS! :furious:

 

[huskiki]

It is not just his family it is his wife as well!

Imagine,

* JS had just taken her babies not once but twice
* TS was awarded exclusive custody by a judge
* But after the judge gives her exclusive custody, she negotiates visitations rights with him.

During the custody battle JS drags out the sex offender issue "John Skelton filed a motion for custody on Sept. 27, saying his wife was a registered sex offender"

But what does TS say about JS? "Tanya Skelton said in a motion filed the same day as the divorce complaint that John Skelton's work as a truck driver kept him "on the road for weeks at a time." When he is home it's for a maximum of "two to three days at a time," she claimed.

http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/...Custody+battle+preceded+3+boys++disappearance

TS did not see JS as a bad father or a risk to her children. She is even now very quiet about all of this. No tearful press conferences. She is not pleading for her children to be returned. I am not slamming her for this. I just think that she knows JS alot better than anyone and her actions before and after the disappearance say alot.

Why do I keep pressing the point? I am worried that all of the resources are going into finding bodies somewhere nearby and not for finding boys possibly very away. This is a story that needs to be on Americas Most Wanted.

I do agree with your concern that resources are focusing on finding bodies and only looking at JS. ALL avenues should be explored, that includes looking for the boys alive, any and all conversations JS had in the weeks leading up to the boys disappearance, and TS as well. No stone should be left unturned.

With that being said, we don't know what else is going on in the investigation. LE could be working other leads that they haven't made the public aware of. They (LE) have been working very hard on this case and I don't believe they are overlooking anything that was presented to them. Sometimes they have to withhold information from the public and we have to deal with it. Based on JS's actions and statements LE has valid reasons to be performing recovery searches.

Can the boys be alive? Yes! Do I think they are alive? Sadly no but I will always hold on to a small percent of hope that they are alive. There are silver linings, Elizabeth Smart is just one example. There's just so much negative about the situation in this case.

 

[Java]

I think JS is just doing everything in his feeble power to attempt to build an insanity defense.
Whether or not he will ever tell? I do not know, I can only hope he will.

There is no telling what all he is telling LE and his defense att.
He could be saying he is hearing voices, seeing imaginary people, he doesn’t know where the kids are (what kids, there were kids??) I killed them, I didn’t kill them, I gave them to someone, I hid them, I tried to kill myself, I don’t know where I went I don’t remember, there were Teddy Bears, School Houses…….it’s all a blackout ………………… Ya, ya , ya.... KWIM?

I do not think for one shred of a second he is anywhere near insane. But if they can’t find the children, this could certainly be his ploy in all this senseless yammering of his, if the children are not found I can see it going this direction

Hopefully LE has a lot of evidence on him!

 

[catydid]

From bits and pieces of all the reports, all the way from the original kidnapping to FL, to the police officer saying one child greeted him in toy police officer gear and saying he wanted to be a police officer just like him, to the mistaken 911 call, seems like the police were somewhat “regulars” to this family?. There may have been other reports we aren’t hearing about? Or other incidences? (and maybe not)

Many people live their whole lives and never have a police officer at their door! Just seems quirky under the circumstances that “police” are mentioned so many times? Maybe that’s just me? Maybe that’s just journalism!

Does seem like if you were just "on the phone" the kids would of been hollering & looking for you, before calling 911! JMO but who knows?

Morenci is a very small community and it wouldn't surprise me if the police officers didn't know most kids by their first name. I live in a town near Morenci that is about the same size and I've had a police officer stop to say hi to the neighborhood kids when they're playing in the front yard. We also have a couple of officers who regularly show up to the kids sporting events and school functions even though they do not have kids in the school. The police officers in a small community like that are usually very active in all aspects of the community. I don't find it suspicious that this officer knew this little boy.

 

[Cubby]

I think JS is just doing everything in his feeble power to attempt to build an insanity defense.
Whether or not he will ever tell? I do not know, I can only hope he will.

There is no telling what all he is telling LE and his defense att.
He could be saying he is hearing voices, seeing imaginary people, he doesn’t know where the kids are (what kids, there were kids??) I killed them, I didn’t kill them, I gave them to someone, I hid them, I tried to kill myself, I don’t know where I went I don’t remember, it’s all a blackout …………………

I do not think for one shred of a second he is anywhere near insane. But if they can’t find the children, this could certainly be his ploy in all this senseless yammering of his, if the children are not found I can see it going this direction

Hopefully LE has a lot of evidence on him!

BBM. I wish I could believe this was about an insanity defense for JS. Sadly, I don't. I think this is about control and him doing his damndest to prove his point to TS- and everyone else who is collateral damage as a result of his choices- if he can't have his kids full time no one can.

You mentioned the fluff stories about JS earlier. I feel the same... and it makes me literally ill that this "loving father of the year, not!" is apparently willing to allow his children to be frightened and without their parents if they are alive somewhere, or is willing to leave them cold and alone without a proper burial if he harmed them.

I can not even put into words how angry I am that he will not share the location of his children.

jmo

 

[Java]

JS is just being so erratic and uncooperative, insanity may be a shot in the dark.
I aggree with you totally! I think it is controll too. His house was getting foreclosed on, wife leaving for good, has full custody.....

Didn't have anywhere to go, might as well go to jail, and screw everyone else in the process! Including his poor children. The longer he goes with out telling, he probably thinks things are in his favor. Especially if the little boy’s can’t be produced. And he's loving the "control"!

It's a total control issue, but he can't use that in court. He might try insanity instead.
Even though, that's a bunch of BS!

While I do agree it is unbelievably SICK, to put your children or anyone else’s children through something like this. Bless those poor kids.

ANGRY??? I just have visions of crowbars and knee caps!! I won’t say anymore and get kicked off of here!

 

[nanny2five]

TY I didn't know and did not see this post before I posted above.

maybe its a regional thing. i have always heard meth referred to as crank. i once lived in a very small town that became over run with it. in a matter of a couple of years the whole town was a mess. people with great careers, wonderful families, teachers, nurses, a lawyer, a banker and several truck drivers...right down the drain. the summer of 1999 about 10 people died from it. thats when i left. imo that latest pic of js looked exactly like what some of my friends became. i could be wrong, it absolutely could be the stress of the whole thing on him. i would love to see a pic of him on thanksgiving day and that might give a better idea of how healthy he looked just prior. one way or another i pray they are found today.

 

[wfgodot]

Yep, crank was synonymous w/ meth in my 'hood (in a small KS town way back when).

 

[maza]

one reason a mother who was awarded sole custody might "willingly" give visitation and say dad is a "good father" -- he might be extorting, blackmailing, threatening to harm her, someone in her family(sister, parent) the kids.. he may have some dirt on her parents or something. this is happening in my aunt's family. the ex-husband has them all by the you-know-whats and they are at his mercy. he has some kind of dirt on one of them -- don't know what it is, but when he sas dance, they dance. also, TS has the RSO - huge. he was OK with her being RSO while they were married, but as soon as the divorce starts, she's an unfit mother? that is a huge chunk of power in his court. as for the JS family saying "i love you" in messages, etc. empty phrase for a lot of families these days. think of all the times the Anthony family has spouted this crap. lots of talking the talk, no walking the walk. love is an action, not a word, IMO.

 

[cluciano63]

I feel bad for this small town, that their resources are being stretched to this point, because this man won't tell LE what he has done with these children.

And I already hate his lawyer, although it is not a rational feeling, for most likely being the reason he won't say another word. I can imagine the lawyer telling him that his "confession" was obtained under duress and not to talk anymore.

But I wonder if he would at least ask his client if it was possible to retrieve the children alive? Would the lawyer have this obligation? This question has come up in other cases, i.e. Kyron and I am never really sure of the answer.

 

[not_my_kids]

I feel bad for this small town, that their resources are being stretched to this point, because this man won't tell LE what he has done with these children.

And I already hate his lawyer, although it is not a rational feeling, for most likely being the reason he won't say another word. I can imagine the lawyer telling him that his "confession" was obtained under duress and not to talk anymore.

But I wonder if he would at least ask his client if it was possible to retrieve the children alive? Would the lawyer have this obligation? This question has come up in other cases, i.e. Kyron and I am never really sure of the answer.

I don't think his lawyer is obligated to ask, and I don't think he is obligated to give the answer if he were to give one. I have heard a criminal defense attorney tell a client, "I don't care if you are guilty, I care if they can prove it." I can't guarantee that this attorney is the same way, but I can't see us or LE getting any info from his attorney. It'd be nice, though!

 

[momof3kids]

So if these nooses were found and lets say he used them... wouldnt there be evidence on them?

 

[huskiki]

So if these nooses were found and lets say he used them... wouldnt there be evidence on them?

I was wondering the same thing. There would have to be something left behind on them. Perhaps something LE is keeping quiet for a reason.