On Wednesday, a Michigan father accused of murdering his three sons, who were declared dead earlier this year, is set to appear in court.

John Skelton was indicted on murder charges last month, just before his anticipated release from prison following a 15-year sentence for the illegal confinement of his sons—9-year-old Andrew, 7-year-old Alexander, and 5-year-old Tanner, according to CrimeOnline. He is currently held on a $60 million bond.

The last known sighting of the boys was on November 26, 2010, playing in Skelton’s backyard. At the time, Skelton and Tanya Zuvers, the boys’ mother, were undergoing a divorce. Although Zuvers had sole custody, she permitted the children to spend Thanksgiving with their father.

After Skelton failed to return the boys, Zuvers alerted the authorities. Police found Skelton in a hospital, where he claimed to have injured his ankle during a suicide attempt. He offered several conflicting stories about the fate of his sons, ranging from giving them to a stranger to entrusting them to a secretive organization for their safety. None of these stories were substantiated.

Cell phone data revealed Skelton’s movement into Ohio the day after the boys were last seen. The phone signal disappeared shortly after, reappearing at his home more than two hours later.

Investigators never stopped looking for the boys, and earlier this year, a judge declared them dead after their mother filed a petition to do so.

“At the end of the day, one person is responsible for the disappearance of my sons,” Zuvers said at the time. “That person, at one point, claimed the boys would hibernate until they graduate. As of today, June 14, 2024, all 3 boys are over 18, and all would have graduated high school, yet they have not been returned to me and are still missing.”

In addition to three counts of murder murder, Skelton is charged with evidence tampering. He appears Wednesday for a probable cause hearing, WJBK said.