MORENCI, Mich. – It's hard to believe it will be three years this Thanksgiving since the Skelton brothers went missing from Morenci. That day, Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton vanished without a trace.
As their father sits in prison refusing to say what he's done with them, there's now been a shift in the case with Michigan State Police steeping in and taking over the investigation.
The boys' mother, Tanya Zuvers, has come a long way in three years. She's vowing not to let what her ex-husband has done force her to the bottom of a bottle, or worse. She has hope and wants you to as well.
The boys' father, John Skelton, angry at his soon-to-be ex-wife, took the children and is refusing to say what he's done with them, telling police all sorts of stories.
"As a mom, I haven't given up yet -- feel like they're gone," said Zuvers.
Zuvers had filed for divorce right before Skelton took the boys. To this day, she has a hard time believing he'd harm them. Skelton, who is currently in prison serving 13 to 15 years in connection with the disappearance of the children, has refused to see Zuvers' face to face, but he has emailed her twice.
"It was accusing me, no mention of Andrew, Alex or Tanner," Zuvers said.
The second one came on Mother's Day this year.
"He wrote me a second email -- Happy Mother's Day," said Zuvers.
The incongruity of being wished Happy Mother's Day by him is something Zuvers just deals with, just like the shift in the investigation.
Now, the Michigan State Police is the lead in her children's disappearance. Detectives continue to call her with possible info or evidence they need her to look at. She's convinced one day she'll finally know the truth of what happened.
"I am strong. This just one more hurdle," said Zuvers.
On Zuvers' wall at home she has faith, hope and love stenciled on the wall. She told Local 4 it's that mantra that keeps her going.