Ethan Crumbley’s mother took the stand Thursday, moments after breaking down in tears after watching surveillance footage of her son’s school shooting.
Jennifer Crumbley bows at her desk with her head in her hands as footage of her 15-year-old son going on a rampage and killing four people at Oxford High School is played in court on November 30, 2021. I was seen doing it.
Her lawyer, Shannon Stone, was also seen looking away from the screen with a pained expression on her face as the harrowing video played.
The two then hugged each other in court. The sixth day of Crumbley’s trial on four counts of manslaughter marks the first time a parent has been charged in connection with their child’s school shooting.
“Public speaking is probably my biggest fear,” said Crumbley, who then took the stage around 1 p.m.
“So [I’m] I’m very nervous,” she told the court.
She talked about her only child’s hobbies, including shooting BB guns and practicing target practice in the backyard.
She said she also liked playing video games and collecting coins. According to “Click Detroit.”
Crumbley also said she believes she created an environment where her son could come to talk about his mental health issues.
“I trusted him and felt like the door was open for him to come to me with anything,” she said.
The mother also testified that she never asked to see a mental health professional, saying she didn’t think her son needed to see a psychiatrist because he only felt anxious before tests.
She was also asked about her relationship with Brian Melouche, which she kept secret from her son and husband, and about her relationship with a friend of Ethan’s, with whom she had moved away earlier that year.
“I called him second son,” she said.
A large part of Thursday’s trial revolved around the investigation into the shooting by Lt. Timothy Willis of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, which included how he planned Ethan’s path and how he found the 90-year-old man in his backpack. This included how many of the sheets of paper showed images of firearms. Click on “Detroit”.
Willis also discussed Ethan’s diary, which was written from front to back and mentioned the shooting incident on every page.
Quotes include, “I had no way to deal with my mental health issues, which led me to shoot up a school,” and “I plan to shoot up a school and spend the rest of my life in prison.” It is said that Click on “Detroit”.
Now 17 years old, he writes in one passage: SP 2022 Sig Sauer 9mm. The second shoot is tomorrow. I have access to guns and ammunition. I’m fully committed to this right now. That’s right…I’m going to prison for life, whereas most people have about a day to live. ”
It also included a picture of a woman holding a gun to her head and different types of ammunition, local newspapers said.
Afterwards, a video was played from inside the school. Some parts were audio only.
Crumbley and her attorney kept their heads bowed throughout the performance.
Body cameras also showed Crumbley and her husband, James, being placed in the back seat of a police car after officers arrived at the home after the shooting.
During the exchange, Jennifer was handcuffed, but James was not.
Both were questioned by police.
Days later, the parents were indicted, and Willis told the court that he knew they were not home at the time and sent Fugitive Apprehension Team leader David Hendrick to search for them. said.
“I told him to go find them,” he told the court.
The court was also presented with documents showing the Crumbleys bought cellphones at Walmart, stayed in hotels and withdrew thousands of dollars “on multiple occasions.”
Her trial continues.
