ADRIAN — Lenawee County prosecutors have filed six felony counts against John Russell Skelton, bringing murder charges in connection with the 2010 disappearance of his three sons.
The new filing includes three counts of open murder and three counts of evidence tampering.
According to the case record, the Michigan State Police initiated the complaint on November 12. The District Court assigned the matter to Judge Laura Schaedler, listing the case as open. The charges reference November 25, 2010, the same date the three children were last seen in Morenci. Skelton previously served a 10–15-year sentence for unlawful imprisonment but has maintained inconsistent accounts of the boys’ whereabouts.
The renewed Skelton murder charges mark the first time homicide counts have been formally brought forward.
The filing lists three open murder charges, each carrying a felony designation. The case also includes three additional felony counts for tampering with evidence in a criminal case, punishable by more than 10 years. All six counts identify Michigan State Police Detective Daniel Bowman as the petitioner. Court records show that the complaint was authorized, issued, and followed by a warrant signed and released on November 12.
The case will proceed through standard felony procedure, beginning with arraignment in district court.