Michigan man appears in court after being charged with murder in 2010 disappearance of 3 sons

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ADRIAN, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan man charged with murder in the Thanksgiving weekend disappearance of his three sons made his first appearance in court Monday, the latest turn in a saga that has unsettled a small town for 15 years.

John Skelton was taken to Lenawee County from a state prison. He was close to finishing a sentence for failing to return 9-year-old Andrew, 7-year-old Alexander and 5-year-old Tanner Skelton to their mother on the day after Thanksgiving in 2010.

Skelton, 53, now is facing three counts of murder and tampering with evidence. The boys have never been found, despite searches in Michigan and Ohio and tips from across the country, but the father has long been identified by police as the culprit.

Skelton appeared in court and was returned to jail on a $60 million bond. It's not clear if he has an attorney yet. The county public defender didn't immediately return a message seeking comment.

In March, Skelton declined to participate in a court hearing to have the boys declared legally dead, telling a judge by video from prison: “Anything I say isn’t going to make a difference.”

The Skelton brothers disappeared while with their father in Morenci, a small town near the Ohio border, 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of Detroit.

A family friend, Brandy Fenner, said she will never stop looking.

“You get that pit in your stomach that you had 15 years ago," she told WDIV-TV. "We all want justice, and we all want answers. We deserve it.”