A Michigan jury has reached a verdict in Jennifer Crumbley’s historic criminal trial.
Jennifer and her husband, James Crumbley, the parents of Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley, each face four charges in connection with the November 30, 2021 shooting that killed four students and injured seven others. He has been charged with manslaughter.
James Crumbley is being tried separately. The Crumbley family became the first parents in U.S. history to go to trial for a school shooting.
“As a parent, you spend your life protecting your child from other dangers,” Jennifer Crumbley said on the witness stand Thursday, answering questions from the defense. “You would never think you have to protect your child from harming someone else. That’s what struck me. What I had to endure the most was protecting myself. A child has harmed and killed another person.”
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Michigan school shooter mother Jennifer Crumbley accused the boy of not calling for help before the 2021 shooting that killed four people, including his father, James Crumbley, on Thursday. He took the stand at his manslaughter trial after the jury heard he blamed the man for his crimes. student. (Mandy Wright/Detroit Free Press via AP, Pool)
Her defense team argued that she should not be held responsible for Ethan’s crimes because she did not know that her son was planning a school shooting.
Prosecutors argued that Ethan’s repeated cries for help were ignored, and that the then-15-year-old shot using a gun his parents had allegedly bought him as a gift.
“I wish he had killed us instead.”
Jennifer’s lawyer, Shannon Smith, said prosecutors had presented “select evidence” to charge Jennifer with manslaughter.
“It’s clear that real life is messy and complicated, and during this trial I will openly admit that I am a messed up lawyer. … I’m a human being, Mrs. Crumbley is a human being, and that “That’s what this lawsuit is about: ‘She’s not a perfect person or a perfect parent,'” Smith said in her closing statement.
Ethan Robert Crumbley (left) has been charged with first-degree murder in the high school shooting. His parents were also charged after the shooting. (Oakland County Sheriff)
Smith added that the shooting was “obviously unforeseen by Mrs. Crumbley.”
Prosecutors say Jennifer was shot on the morning of Nov. 30, 2021, when she arrived at Oxford High School to meet with a school counselor after Ethan was found scribbling disturbing notes in class. suggested that it could have been stopped before it occurred.
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His note included a picture of a gun and the words “Help me,” “I’m bleeding,” and “My life is worthless.”
James and Jennifer Crumbley met with their son and school leaders on the morning of the shooting after Ethan Crumbley’s teacher noticed him drawing disturbing pictures in class. did. (Oakland County)
“You could have been with him,” Oakland County Assistant Prosecutor Mark Keast said Friday.
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“I could have done that,” Jennifer Crumbley testified.
Ethan Crumbley has pleaded guilty to killing 16-year-old Tate Mire. Justin Schilling, 16 years old. Hannah St. Juliana, 14 years old. He is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Jennifer Crumbley is on trial for the manslaughter of four students killed by her son Ethan Crumbley in 2021. (Mandy Wright/Detroit Free Press via AP, Pool)
Prosecutors argued that Jennifer and her husband left their son at school and went about their daily lives instead of taking him home. Ethan then pulled a gun from his backpack and shot a total of 11 people, killing four of them.
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Prosecutors also said Ethan Crumbley made a 19-minute video the day before the shooting explaining what he would do at school the next day.
Jennifer Crumbley, 45, was charged with manslaughter in the Nov. 30, 2021, attack on Oxford High School in Michigan. (Mandy Wright/Detroit Free Press via AP, Pool)
After the shooting, the Crumbleys allegedly fled Oxford and went to Detroit after initial questioning by police. U.S. Marshals ultimately arrested them several days later on December 4, 2021.
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“The moment this shooting became public and appeared in the newspapers and the media, Jennifer Crumbley started telling her story, and then she ran. And she didn’t run just because she was selfish. No. … She ran and started deleting ‘text messages, but she knew she had done something wrong, so she started talking about something else,” said Oakland County Prosecutor. Karen McDonald said in her closing statement Friday.
