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

[zoebella]

Mayor: City hall is closed, many city services are not being offered this week (i.e. recylcing) in the town because those resources are being used for the search.

Wow. Add that to my list of people/resources being used for this. That mayor looked torn up. I feel bad for these people. They really are giving every ounce of all they have to try and find these boys.

I am so angry with JS I could spit nails.

 

[nursebeeme]

family rep to speak first

((taking no questions))

we cannot find the words to express gratitude for those who gave food, cards, prayers, searchers, etc etc etc... etc... unbelievable volunteers have come as far away as Texas. we thank you. special thanks to all LE... etc... we support decision to stop organized search for the weekend to reorganize, reflect, etc... media has been great getting word out that the boys are missing. hope that the media will respect privacy and not focus on "us" no further media interviews with family until further notice
____

LE

areas of interest continuing to be searched

williams county areas searched this morning

searches stopped over weekend are VOLUNTEERS... they have LE groups that they can call upon over the weekend

no convo with John.. he has asked for a lawyer

continue to be helpful he will share location of boys with LE.

from personal standpoint.... this is the LAST SCHEDULED PRESS CONFERENCE... he has had a chance to meet all three of these boys before this happened... says John one time told him that he wanted to be a police officer someday

any effort fbi to bring his mother, etc to appeal to him? le says agents from florida have contacted family members in florida... and locally... they are confident in the direction they are going

safe to call a stalemate? le says that word has not been used. info coming into tip line not getting as much as they did... they will continue to press ahead

dive teams out? yes they are working in areas today. no leaving any stone unturned

any word on accomplice? le says no... no evidence to indicate an accomplice whatsoever

----------

Keith pennington/mayor of Morenci

anual christmas parade for sat cancelled...
city hall closed to public reopen on tuesday
recycling center also closed this week


when boys turned up last week morenci thrust into spotlight.... do not welcome circumstance of this spotlight but proud of the community in this situation. proud of police and fire chiefs and helping everyone to get thru this. continues to praise them. not satisfied with outcome and will not be satisfied until the boys are home... he does know the community wishes to say thank you for all who helped them at this time. they said they are unable to handle this on their own and are unable to fix it and they have reached out to others and others reached out to them to help. early on 20 teams reached out and it brought tears to his eyes to see that people care that much.... since then the list has tripled... all we have to offer you is our thanks. incredibly the volunteers that have showed up each day have increased in number... thought with weariness of searchers and nastiness of weather the numbers would be down but by his estimation they had 400 searchers yesterday and thanks each one of them. many came from surounding areas but what they have done/shown us they are neighbors in truest sense of the world. lastly he knows that the community wants to reach out to the family... dont know what they are feeling... many cannot say they have lost a son... but does have a friend that tragically lost a son and his friend knows what you are going thru and he can be a help and hopes that family will allow him to give comfort where community cannot.

what would you say to john? if you know where they are at please tell us.

dedicate lights at park to boys? hasn't heard of those plans

city hall closed because of search/investigation.

is command post being relocated? no will be in front rooms

think kids are alive? he certainly hopes so

how many full timers in LE? 3... and 5 part time

 

[Cazzie]

My reception was very choppy...

It was Andrew that said he wanted to be a police officer someday (while showing his PO toy). This happened when Chief Weeks "had occasion" to go out to their house one day. Hmmmm.

 

[huskiki]

I still have not caught up from late last night but thanks to nursebeeme for the update on the pc. Time to go back and read!

 

[zoebella]

Thank you Nursebeeme for that great cliffnote version of the press conference.

One note - it wasn't John who said he wanted to be a police office, but rather one of the boys. I cannot remember which one, either.

I hope it is okay I posted this...I just didn't want there to be any confusion!

 

[sreshowtime]

Maybe I shouldn't say this but...Quite frankly I am tired of this family spokesperson bit....as difficult as it might be , for once I would like to see the mother on camera speaking on behalf of her sons...put her face with her name and make her more 'real' to me.Does that make sense?
And still, no one in his family has come to Morenci...perplexing.


God be with those dear boys...in flesh or spirit.

 

[imamaze]

Didn't know if this had been posted yet or not...

Toledo dive and rescue team searching Williams Co. for missing boys
The Toledo Fire Department dive and rescue team began searching one or more locations in Williams County for the three missing Morenci, Mich. boys.
More...

 

[JenRen]

Maybe I shouldn't say this but...Quite frankly I am tired of this family spokesperson bit....as difficult as it might be , for once I would like to see the mother on camera speaking on behalf of her sons...put her face with her name and make her more 'real' to me.Does that make sense?
And still, no one in his family has come to Morenci...perplexing.


God be with those dear boys...in flesh or spirit.

BBM and ITA! I guess they might not be a close family? I can say, if it were one of my family, I would be right there, and there are some in my family that I'm not that close with......it wouldn't matter! Even if I could only make it on the weekends due to work, etc. Nothing would keep me away, even if I thought another family member did something horrible to them!

This is part of the reason I still hold some hope that they will find the boys alive, due to the nonchalant way his family is appearing with this case.

 

[Cubby]

Didn't know if this had been posted yet or not...

Toledo dive and rescue team searching Williams Co. for missing boys
The Toledo Fire Department dive and rescue team began searching one or more locations in Williams County for the three missing Morenci, Mich. boys.
More...

From the above link:

Chief Weeks said law enforcement officials have interviewed relatives of Mr. Skelton both in Michigan and Florida. He said they have appealed to the father to tell them where the boys are but that he still has not given a location of where his three sons may be.


I imagine the jail there is pretty small. I wish I could offer him a spot at 26th and California and leave him in with the GP there. He'd start talking.

 

[yodle]

I would like to believe that the boys are alive, and the comments about JS's family seeming calm for such a horrible situation are convincing. But if JS's motive in taking the boys was to get them away from their mother and hide them with his family, why would he confess something to LE that will certainly land him in jail, unable to have any contact with them?

 

[lisser]

BBM and ITA! I guess they might not be a close family? I can say, if it were one of my family, I would be right there, and there are some in my family that I'm not that close with......it wouldn't matter! Even if I could only make it on the weekends due to work, etc. Nothing would keep me away, even if I thought another family member did something horrible to them!

This is part of the reason I still hold some hope that they will find the boys alive, due to the nonchalant way his family is appearing with this case.

BBM

I found this statement online from his sister:

Despite her brother's arrest Tuesday afternoon and statements by law enforcement that the boys were likely dead, Ms. Ford said she still believed they are alive and that her brother hid them somewhere. She said she had spoken with Mr. Skelton earlier in the day and he told her the children were in a safe place but would not say where they were.

http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20101201/NEWS16/11300393/-1/NEWS


I want to believe so much these boys are still alive.

 

[sreshowtime]

(Me thinking- you can say whatever you want to me over the phone....but in a life or death situation like this- I would want to look you in the eyes, read your face, see your body language, be IN your presence when speaking with you about such grave matters)

surely his family would be allowed to visit with him personally, if they came

back to pulling me hair and gnashing my teeth

 

[hblocal01]

Janet Rollins, Tanner's teacher, said in her more than 30 years of teaching, he is the sweetest kid she has had. On Wednesday, she said he loved to draw and was considerate. Rollins recalled last month when the kids were outside, and Tanner told her, "I can run really fast, but you gotta say 'Flash,' " then sprinted ahead.

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_story.aspx?storyid=142499&catid=14

These recollections are ripping my heart out, even more. Praying my hardest for these dear boys.

 

[Java]

“She (LF) said she had spoken with Mr. Skelton earlier in the day and he told her the children were in a safe place but would not say where they were.”
------------------------
If this is so……..
These people are setting themselves up for a slew of charges. If and when the boy’s are found.

One reason I have a hard time thinking someone else has the boy’s. I could see someone helping out JS maybe but, under these circumstances it would land them in the hokey too.
I think he’s lying, and playing his family. The boy’s may be in a “safe place”, meaning to him, that no one would find them.

I would hold on to almost anything though, to think they would be found alive. It is still my hope.
But JS and his games, tell my intuition differently.

 

[illeKllaH]

I would like to believe that the boys are alive, and the comments about JS's family seeming calm for such a horrible situation are convincing. But if JS's motive in taking the boys was to get them away from their mother and hide them with his family, why would he confess something to LE that will certainly land him in jail, unable to have any contact with them?

I don't believe that it's been confirmed that he has actually admitted to anything. The claims came from sources but due to everything else he has said being a lie, police won't confirm. It also doesn't make sense, to me, that he would just say, "Hey, I killed them," when he has revealed very little other info. And as far as why he would hide the boys and subsequently end up in jail, if that's what has happened (and I think we all pray it is), I would think the bottom line to JS is that TS doesn't have them and is living in a personal hell...and will every day of her life if she doesn't see her boys again/doesn't have proper closure.

 

[Cubby]

Imo JS's definition of a safe place could simply mean with God-safe from the hurts of living in a divorced home ( or any of JS's other perceived hurts). I don't believe in a safe place means with anyone caring for them nor do I necessarily believe in a place he is certain they'll never be found. At least I hope not.... (He doesn't strike me as being as able to disappear someone as Drew P or Craig S)

Regardless of the outcome I want these boys found soon.

 

[tfrohning]

I would like to believe that the boys are alive, and the comments about JS's family seeming calm for such a horrible situation are convincing. But if JS's motive in taking the boys was to get them away from their mother and hide them with his family, why would he confess something to LE that will certainly land him in jail, unable to have any contact with them?

IMO he don't care has long has Mom don't get her boys.

 

[huskiki]

Ok, I'm caught up and more confused than ever!

JS's sister stated that he planned on taking his life, changed his mind, slipped and that's how he injured his ankle. I can see that taking place. So his intent was to kill himself. Why? The only thing that makes sense in my mind at the moment is murder/suicide but he didn't follow through. I'm not sure if I'm happy he didn't kill himself or not. He's told so many stories that LE probably can't believe anything that he says any more ...not that he's talking now.

TS is in hiding, not putting her face in the media for the sake of her boys. I don't know what to think about this any more. I can't even begin to imagine the pain she is feeling right now and everyone responds differently when put in these situations but ...why not plead for the safe return of her boys? IMO she must be convinced that they are no longer alive. Before today I didn't think she had any involvement but then someone suggested that maybe the boys were brought home, that and the fact they it seems they live close to each other. I don't know, something is throwing me off today.

Why did JS say he killed his boys? Is it fact or is he so confused in his mind that he doesn't know what happened? We know he's capable of lying so there's no telling what is correct and what is not. How frustrating for LE and the family!!

I pray these boys are found today!

 

[impatientredhead]

The fact that Weeks says dad is no longer speaking to investigators tells me everything I need to know. He is working a defense angle. He talked to them when he thought he could sell them a BS story, when that didn't work he stopped talking, and doesn't want to be extradited.

I had missed the detail that he had gone to a church event the weekend before thanksgiving with the wife and boys as a family. She must have been so blindsided by this, thinking they were really working towards coparenting plans. I wonder if he had it planned then? So sad.

 

[Heidi J.]

Maybe I shouldn't say this but...Quite frankly I am tired of this family spokesperson bit....as difficult as it might be , for once I would like to see the mother on camera speaking on behalf of her sons...put her face with her name and make her more 'real' to me.Does that make sense?
And still, no one in his family has come to Morenci...perplexing.


God be with those dear boys...in flesh or spirit.

Her children are missing and have been for a week now.. LE have said they don't expect a good outcome. What could she possibly say to people, that might help the situation? People from the beginning have put her down and thrown their opionions at her for being a RSO.

This mom has had her world crushed this week.. My heart goes out to her.
Let her be.
JMO