PONTIAC, MI — When the parents of the accused Oxford High School shooter go to trial, they will be doing so in their native Oakland County.
And when that trial takes place, the defense plans to call the alleged teen shooter himself to testify on his parents’ behalf.
A hearing held Monday, June 27, saw husband-and wife James R. Crumbley, 45, and Jennifer L. Crumbley, 44, appear before Oakland County Circuit Judge Cheryl A. Matthews, who ruled on several motions brought by the couple’s defense attorneys, Shannon Smith and Mariell R. Lehman.
Chief among the motions was one seeking a change of venue, as Smith and Lehman have alleged media publicity and statements from Oakland County Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald have tainted potential Oakland County jurors’ objectivity.
The Crumbleys’ are each charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter as prosecutors maintain they were criminally negligent in not preventing the Nov. 30 shooting. Prosecutors allege the shooting was carried out by their son, Ethan R. Crumbley.
The Oxford High School shooting claimed the lives of students Madisyn Baldwin, 17; Tate Myre, 16; Hana St. Juliana, 14; and Justin Shilling, 17. Six more students and a teacher also suffered gunshot wounds.
“It’s a general rule that a defendant must be tried in the county where the crime is committed,” Matthew said. “However ... a court may change venue upon good cause shown by either party. It may be appropriate to change venue of a criminal trial when widespread media coverage and community interest have led to actual prejudice against the defendant.”
Matthews denied the defense’s motion, ruling insufficient evidence had been shown that it would be impossible to seat a jury of Oakland County residents. It is preferable to wait until jury selection has been attempted before changing the venue, the judge continued.
In another defense motion seeking to restrict publicity, Matthews said she has no intention of censuring the media. She did ban the prosecution and defense from making statements on the case to the media or online, ordering their comments only be made in court hearings or in proper filings.
The defense also filed a motion seeking to prohibit the prosecution from presenting evidence from Ethan Crumbley’s journal, text messages, and online searches.
“The shooting is tomorrow,” the teen wrote in one journal entry, according to Matthews. “I’m about to shoot up the school and spend the rest of my life in prison.”
Other messages saw Ethan Crumbley describing his parents’ dismissal of his requests to see a doctor or therapist and ignoring his complaints of paranoia, insomnia, and visual and aural hallucinations.
“I want help but my parents won’t listen to me so I can’t get any help,” the teen wrote, again according to Matthews.
The teen’s writings also included desires for infamy and for the shooting to cause President Joe Biden’s impeachment, the judge said.
Matthews found the journal entries and text messages were relevant and admissible. She found his online searches were not admissible, as there was no evidence his parents were aware of them.
Another defense motion sought to exclude evidence of possible marital infidelity between the Crumbleys’, how much time and money they spent on their horses, the family home being messy and containing alcohol and marijuana, the presence of a Nazi coin in their house, that Ethan Crumbley played violent video games, that he kept a baby bird’s severed head in a jar in his bedroom for months, and his Instagram posts.
Matthews prohibited the prosecution from introducing the Nazi coin, the state of disarray the house was in, the presence of alcohol and marijuana, the couple’s martial problems, and their son’s Instagram posts. She did allow them to introduce the horseback riding issue, saying it is relevant to demonstrate their lack of concern for their son’s mental health needs.
Matthews reserved ruling on the bird’s head issue, saying it was unclear if it was kept in Ethan Crumbley’s bedroom and, if so, for how long. The head in question was found in an Oxford High School restroom shortly before the shooting.
Toward the hearing’s end, attorney Smith said the defense plans to call Ethan Crumbley to testify in his parents’ trial, which is currently set to begin Oct. 24.
Ethan Crumbley is charged with 24 felonies: four counts of first-degree murder, one count of committing a terrorist act causing death, seven counts of assault with intent to murder, and 12 counts of felony firearm. He and his parents remain in custody.
Prosecutors have alleged James Crumbley bought his son a 9mm Sig Sauer SP on Nov. 26, just four days before the shooting. On Nov. 27, Jennifer Crumbley and her son went to a shooting range and posted about having a “mother-son day” on social media, prosecutors have said.
On Nov. 29, Ethan Crumbley was caught looking up ammo on his cellphone during class.
The morning of the shooting, the Crumbley parents and their son met with school staff regarding Ethan’s behavior, which included disturbing drawings and writings in his homework.
After the meeting, Ethan was allowed to return to class. Police have said they believe he already had the 9mm handgun in his backpack during the meeting.
In a Feb. 24 preliminary examination for the Crumbley parents, witnesses testified Ethan had expressed having a mental breakdown and was experiencing hallucinations.
“Like I hear people talking to me and see someone in the distance,” Ethan messaged a friend, according to Oakland County Sheriff’s Detective Edward Wagrowski. “I actually asked my dad to take me to the doctor yesterday but he just gave me some pills and told me to suck it up. Like it’s at the point where I’m asking to go to the doctor. My mom laughed when I told her.”
In a Feb. 8 hearing, a coworker of Jennifer Crumbley testified she began mentioning “marital issues” that began in 2021 and led to a temporary separation from her husband. The coworker also said Jennifer Crumbley claimed to have had an extramarital affair and had been meeting with this other person during work hours.
About noon on Dec. 3, Oakland County prosecutors issued warrants for the Crumbleys. The couple was supposed to surrender to authorities with the help of attorney Shannon Smith but did not do so. Smith told police she had made several attempts to reach the Crumbleys, to no avail.
Also on Dec. 3, the Crumbleys allegedly withdrew $4,000 from a Rochester Hills ATM.
The U.S. Marshals Service announced a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the Crumbleys’ arrest.
The manhunt ended early on Dec. 4 when a Detroit business owner called 911 to report seeing the Crumbleys’ black 2012 Kia Seltos SUV in his parking lot on Bellevue Street near East Jefferson Avenue, Oakland County Undersheriff Mike McCabe has said.
An “extensive search” by Detroit police and K-9 units led to both Crumbleys being found in a locked room within a building.
Ethan Crumbley was a 15-year-old sophomore when the shooting occurred and has since had a birthday. He is taking GED courses from within the Oakland County Jail, where he is segregated from adult inmates.
Ethan Crumbley’s case is set for a review hearing regarding his placement at the jail at 9 a.m. on July 21. His trial is slated to begin Jan. 17, 2023.
Read more on MLive:
Judge orders independent attorneys to counsel parents of alleged Oxford High School shooter
Accused Oxford High School shooter pursues GED from behind bars in Michigan
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