Oxford High shooter stays in jail, but new prison hearing date set

Pontiac — Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley is remaining in the Oakland County Jail after a Tuesday hearing before Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Kwame Rowe, a short meeting that occurred a day before the one year anniversary of the shooting.

A month after he pleaded guilty to all charges in the Oxford High School shooting, Crumbley was back in court virtually Tuesday morning for the placement hearing as required by federal law every 30 days because of he 16 years old and being held in an adult facility.

Crumbley, his attorneys and prosecutors all appeared in a Zoom hearing before Rowe, who continued Crumbley's stay in the jail after all parties involved advised there was nothing new to report regarding the case.

"Defendant Crumbley did plead guilty to all 24 counts that he was charged with," Rowe said Tuesday. "...The Court does believe that it continues to be in the interest of justice to continue his placement at the Oakland County Jail."

At an Oct. 24 hearing, Crumbley’s attorneys entered the guilty plea to 24 criminal charges including terrorism causing death and first-degree murder, which carry up to life in prison. The 16-year-old was charged as an adult and required to admit that he intentionally tried to shoot and kill Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, Hana St. Juliana and Justin Shilling as well as the six other students and one teacher.

Earlier this month the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office filed a motion notifying the court that it planned to seek a life without parole sentence.

"As we previously stated, there have been no plea bargains, no charge reductions, and no sentence agreements," David Williams, Oakland County's chief assistant prosecutor, said in a statement. "The shooter has been offered and promised nothing. The motion filed yesterday is a formal declaration of our intent to seek the maximum possible sentence in this case."

Crumbley's next placement hearing will take place in January.

Before sentencing a juvenile to life without parole, a judge must hold a Miller hearing, named after a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that found that mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole were unconstitutional for juveniles. During such a hearing, attorneys can present testimony and evidence that certain factors in their client’s life and upbringing require additional consideration at sentencing — including their home life; environment; peer pressure; inability to know right from wrong; past criminal behavior; remorse and willingness to be accountable for actions.

On Tuesday, Rowe pushed the Miller hearing to Feb. 10. The judge noted, however, that the February court date was still tentative due to undisclosed procedural issues that may need to be addressed by the court prior to the hearing.

Defense attorneys had once argued it would be more appropriate for Crumbley, who was 15 at the time of the shooting, to be transferred to the county Children’s Village juvenile detention facility rather than be housed at the county jail. Others, including operators of the Children’s Village, have said the adult jail is the safest place and that Crumbley is isolated from adult inmates in his own cell.

Crumbley’s parents are also in the Oakland County Jail, each charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter related to the four deaths. The parents, who have pleaded not guilty, are also scheduled to go on trial, but their trial has been delayed after the Michigan Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a hearing before a three-judge panel of the state Court of Appeals. They face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

kruble@detroitnews.com