MI MI - Tanner Lucas, Alexander William, & Andrew Ryan Skelton, Morenci, 26 Nov 2010 #3

[elepher50]

Pond in Holiday City - some panned views so folks get an idea of where it is - the pond can be seen from the toll (turnpike?):

 

[peeples]

I'm going to guess his mother gave him money for the trips and probably for other things as well.

 

[Wondergirl]

According to this USA Today article, JS only took the 2 oldest boys in September, because the youngest was beside his mother. Andrew wasn't belted in and was crying the car as he drove away.

My heart breaks thinking of what these boys must have went through.

On Monday, a Lenawee County Circuit judge granted a motion by Tanya Skelton for exclusive parenting time with her three children because of her husband's claims of turning over the boys and attempting suicide.

According to court documents, Tanya Skelton filed for divorce from her husband after he took her two older sons to Florida without permission. Records say John Skelton put his two older sons in their van in September 2010, but was unable to take Tanner because he was standing beside his mother.

According to documents, Andrew was crying and not in his seat when John Skelton drove off.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-11-30-michigan-missing-boys_N.htm

 

[KAE]

A cell phone doesn't have to be in use to get a "ping" it only has to be on. A cell phone will ping off the nearest cell phone tower in that area. From what I've read from some of the locals is that these particular areas are fairly small towns and densly populated, I suspect there aren't many towers in that area and one tower (where LE got the ping) may cover a large area.

I posted this link yesterday I think:
http://www.cellreception.com/coverage/oh/pioneer/page1.html

I did a quick screen shot:

 

[Wondergirl]

Updated Map for November 30, 2010:

http://toledoblade.com/article/20101130/NEWS16/11290408/-1/NEWS24

 

[grace60]

I'm having a hard time with the idea that a father would kill his kids to get out of paying child support. Not that anything surprises me any more but I would just like to think a person wouldn't stoop so low. I suppose the idea of paying child support on top of being unemployed, and recently separated could drive a person to desperate measures ...BUT ...why not just kill himself and let his kids live. Sorry for rambling ...I just don't get some people :banghead:

Having lived in that area (not Morenci) I can tell you that there are small towns spaced apart by 10, 15 miles and some as small as 500 people. Most people who were born and raised in the area are related in one way or another and almost everyone knows everyone. John was fairly new to the area because he married a local woman. I guarantee you people knew John and he had no idea he knew people looking at him and maybe watching him knew him. When people say who would ever find those children I promise you that all the farmers knew every inch of their property and would know if something was not right. If you have never lived in a area like that you will never understand it. If you have you will. I think he felt like an outsider. His wife divorcing him and having to pay child support and knowing he would most likely have to move away from his kids to find work may have pushed him to do what he did. Maybe more people were on "her side" in this divorce. He had no family around and he was feeling desperate. What he did was horrible. It's a fact of life people snap. I wish he had someone to talk to but IMO he probably didn't. I don't condone what he did and hope he gets whatever is coming to him. It's just the way I see things after living in a area like this. And there are areas like this all over the USA.

 

[grace60]

Holiday City, Ohio - basic map and then street views. It looks like a truck stop as described - the area is flat - looks like some gas stations and a couple of hotels.

I've been there that's all there is.

 

[elepher50]

OT: For any who followed Zahra case there is some horrible breaking news now on her thread.

Sorry for the OT.

 

[Strawberry Fields]

Someone needs to give that ankle a good yank and twist, twist, twist.

I hope he was not administered any pain medications or anything else to dull his pain while he was in that mental hospital. I did catch a glimpse of a couple of people who I think were his neighbors on one news clip on TV today and one man said bring him back to this neighborhood, we'd get him talking.

If he has harmed those precious angels, he certainly deserves the DP. (IMO).

 

[grace60]

A cell phone doesn't have to be in use to get a "ping" it only has to be on. A cell phone will ping off the nearest cell phone tower in that area. From what I've read from some of the locals is that these particular areas are fairly small towns and densly populated, I suspect there aren't many towers in that area and one tower (where LE got the ping) may cover a large area.

That was the problem when I was there. The phones did come in good along the toll road. That's why most people used the Nextel 2 way radios. The 2 way came in great because a lot of farmers used them also. Great for talking to the little woman when plowing the fields.

 

[peeples]

OT: For any who followed Zahra case there is some horrible breaking news now on her thread.

Sorry for the OT.

do you have a link, once i leave a thread I can hardly find my way back LOL If i'm blindly searching I'm completely lost :banghead:

 

[wfgodot]

do you have a link, once i leave a thread I can hardly find my way back LOL If i'm blindly searching I'm completely lost :banghead:

2010.11.30 Nancy Grace - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

 

[huskiki]

Having lived in that area (not Morenci) I can tell you that there are small towns spaced apart by 10, 15 miles and some as small as 500 people. Most people who were born and raised in the area are related in one way or another and almost everyone knows everyone. John was fairly new to the area because he married a local woman. I guarantee you people knew John and he had no idea he knew people looking at him and maybe watching him knew him. When people say who would ever find those children I promise you that all the farmers knew every inch of their property and would know if something was not right. If you have never lived in a area like that you will never understand it. If you have you will. I think he felt like an outsider. His wife divorcing him and having to pay child support and knowing he would most likely have to move away from his kids to find work may have pushed him to do what he did. Maybe more people were on "her side" in this divorce. He had no family around and he was feeling desperate. What he did was horrible. It's a fact of life people snap. I wish he had someone to talk to but IMO he probably didn't. I don't condone what he did and hope he gets whatever is coming to him. It's just the way I see things after living in a area like this. And there are areas like this all over the USA.

It's true, people snap and it's usually a combination of things that lead them to it. I also wish he had turned to someone and that they could have helped him. We hear/read about cases like these all the time and they aren't limited to small town USA, a person can feel like an outsider in a the suburbs or in a big city. They can also feel alone when they have people/family in their lives. My problem is that I just can't understand why a father would kill his children just to get out of paying child support. It's somewhat, I hesitate to say understandable because that's the wrong word but I'm at a loss for another word, "understandable" if he had felt like an outsider, that he had no where to turn (in his mind), that he was depressed over the divorce, etc. And like you, I'm not condoning what he did and he deserves what he gets.

I pray those little boys are found soon!

 

[Pollywog]

There are plenty of dead beat dads (moms as well) out there and they avoid jail time some how and never pay child support. This jerk could have done the same and left his boys alone.

 

[Reannan]

There are plenty of dead beat dads (moms as well) out there and they avoid jail time some how and never pay child support. This jerk could have done the same and left his boys alone.

Good point Pollywog! Never thought I would see the day when I respected a dead beat dad or mom, but that would certainly be preferable to what this monster has apparently done. He could have simply said "screw this" and moved back to Florida. If he did it to get out of paying child support, then he is a bigger fool than I already have him pegged for. I mean really - DID HE REALLY THINK HE COULD GET AWAY WITH THIS??? Really??? He is apparently also an arrogant fool.

 

[Snarky247]

Is there any chance at all that Dad is lying about killing the boys to torture the mom? Maybe - just maybe - those little guys are somewhere in a shack or a hotel room & Dad is getting off on the pain he's causing.

Yeah - I know it's not likely at all but it beats the alternative version of what has probably happened.

 

[cluciano63]

As far as motives go, often the parent is trying to get back at the other parent, in cases similar to this one...I think that is at least a partial "reason."

 

[Jolynna]

I agree that parents don't commit kill their children to avoid child support. Parents often do kill their offspring to hurt the other parent.

Here are links to several articles on the subject: http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/126/3/325

 

[jashrema]

I'm local and they are NOT reporting that JS admitted killing his sons...do we have actual confirmation (tape) of a police spokesperson or fed saying this? Or is this just a viral rumor like finding the bodies was?

 

[boggled_in_ohio]

without getting banned, all I can say is *&$#*$&(&#(!&$(&%(!#&(!&$&$!@($&!($&!()&$!(@$&!(@.

Oh, I'm so angry -- killing 3 boys! You're own flesh and blood? Then have the cajones to try to cover it up with a non-existent internet friend, attempted suicide, and broken ankle. Which by the way, you probably broke when you dumped the bodies in a ditch.

I've had a broken ankle and hope the pain was 10 x worse for him. The biastard!

MOO

Mel

Sadly this isnt the first time this sort of thing has happened around here. Do you remember the case from 2003- Where Manual Gehring killed his two children Philip and Sarah Gehring ? He dumped their bodies off of the same turnpike area that they are searching now for these boys. In fact, US Marshalls and other LE literally walked my property along with others searching for their bodies! (Yes I live that close to the turnpike that we were included in the search area). It was very chilling to see this. Also there was another case in Fulton county, Ohio (I believe it was in Swanton) many years ago too where the husband stabbed or shot his wife, then killed the 2 children, and shot at EMT's/police as they came to the standoff. The helicopters were flying right over my house that day as well, that's how close to me this was too. I cannot believe how many times these horrific crimes have been so close to my location, and now this one as well =(