Father of missing boys sentenced

ADRIAN, Mich., Sept. 15 (UPI) -- A Michigan man whose three sons have been missing for nearly a year was sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison for failing to return the boys to their mother.

Judge Margaret Noe sentenced John Skelton, 39, of Morenci Thursday for three counts of unlawful imprisonment. Charges of kidnapping were dropped as part of a plea agreement, the Detroit Free Press reported. The boys, ages 5, 7 and 9, were last seen in the backyard of Skelton's home on Thanksgiving Day 2010.

Investigators say they strongly believe the children are no longer alive and consider Skelton a prime suspect in their deaths, the Toledo (Ohio) Blade reported.