MORENCI, MI (Toledo News Now) - UPDATE: Morning search for 3 boys is delayed in Morenci, MI
Posted by Dave Dykema - email
MORENCI, MI (WTOL) - Investigators have not tracked down a woman that the suicidal father of three missing boys said he dropped them off with. Police and the community continue to search the area.
Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner Skelton, 5, were last seen Friday afternoon in their father's yard. The father reported he dropped the boys off with a woman he met online from Jackson, MI. The police have not found this woman.
Police say the father of the boys has not been ruled out as a suspect in their disappearance.
The largest group yet gathered Sunday to search for three missing boys from Morenci, Michigan.
The Morenci Fire Department served as the search team command post. It's a huge undertaking but volunteers say they are not giving up until they find the boys.
"Everybody wants to be the person that's finds them. Everybody wants to be the person that finds everything in okay order. They hope to reunite everybody," volunteer Joseph Garrow said.
"I can't imagine how it would be to go to bed at night and not even know where my kids were, whether they were safe, whether they were warm. I just don't think I could handle it," volunteer Brenda Stevens said.
Groups of volunteers canvassed two locations, Lime Creek and Harrison Lake areas that stretch for miles. Morenci Police say they are focusing on places the boys visited often.
But even with a mountain of a task ahead of them, these volunteers don't plan to leave any stone unturned.
"We'll go 'til we find them. We got a lot of area to cover, got a lot of state parks around, so we'll keep it going," said Bill Foster, who organized the search.
The search began at dawn. Hundreds of volunteers from Michigan and Ohio came to search for the boys and more than seven local fire departments were on hand to help coordinate and lead groups through fields and into woods.
Search organizers say they appreciate the heartfelt support from people in Ohio and Michigan.
"Make you feel better to know that you do have the support of the community and the other departments," fireman Les Tietje said.
Here's a full description of the boys:
White Male, Brown Hair & Blue Eyes
Age: 5
Height: 3'6"
Weight: 40lbs
White Male, Brown Hair & Brown Eyes
Age: 7
Height: 3'9"
Weight: 45lbs
White Male, Brown Hair & Brown Eyes
Age: 9
Height: 4'1"
Weight: 57lbs
Please call 517-458-7104 if you have any information.
