The mother of the accused Oxford High School shooter is in the 52-3 District Courtroom of Judge Julie Nicholson in Rochester on December 14, 2021, for a probable cause conference in their cases. Attorneys Shannon Smith and Mariell Lehman represent the Crumbleys.
The Crumbleys knew that their son was depressed and headed down a dangerous path, but they ignored his "troubling" texts, failed to get him help, and had extramarital affairs, according to the prosecutor.
The defendants knew six months before the shooting that their son was sad, that the family dog died, and that he was sending his mother disturbing texts. They bought a gun for their son instead of paying attention to him.
They knew he had a gun on the day of the shooting. The gun was kept in an unlocked cupboard by the parents.
They knew that their son was depressed, that he was fascinated with guns, and that he was seen watching violent videos of shootings. They had seen the drawings before they left school.
Prosecutors say that there were other signs that he needed help.
The prosecutor's filing states that the boy kept a baby bird's head in a jar on his bedroom floor and later placed it in a school bathroom. Extramarital affairs, financial issues and substance abuse were some of the issues the parents were focusing on.
The Crumbleys spent their time at a barn caring for their horses three to four nights a week for up to three hours at a time, and seeking other relationships, including the mother's extramarital affairs.
McDonald made this disclosure in a request to the court that James and Jennifer Crumbley remain locked up on $500,000 bond each, and that the couple not be granted a lower bond of $100,000 cash, as requested by the defense on Wednesday.
The Crumbleys are not a flight risk and have supporters in the community who will vouch for them, according to the defense.
The higher bond amount is appropriate for a couple who knew their son was struggling and failed to get him help.
McDonald claimed that on the day of the shooting, the gun that was purchased for her son for Christmas was in her boyfriend's car.
The Crumbleys are behind on their house payments and are a greater risk of flight now than they were following their court appearance, according to the prosecution. Their house is for sale and they have sold their horses.
The prosecutor's filing comes one day after defense lawyers asked a judge to lower the bond for the couple, arguing that they pose no threat to society and can be trusted to remain free pending the outcome of their cases.
In a novel case, the Crumbleys are accused of manslaughter for the death of a child in a school shooting. The gun that was used in the shooting was bought by the parents for their son, who is facing terrorism and murder charges.
Police say that after meeting with counselors and his parents at school, he opened fire in a hallway.
Lawyers say that the mother of the school shooting suspect text her son not to kill himself.
The school shooting in Oxford lasted 5 minutes. It was on social media.
According to police and the prosecution, a day before the massacre, a student in class was browsing on his cellphone for a gun. He was found the next day with a note that said "The thoughts won't stop" There is a sketch of someone bleeding.
The parents of the alleged Oxford High School shooter, James and Jennifer Crumbley, were charged with four counts of manslaughter during a press conference by the Oakland County Prosecutor.
His parents did not want him to go home. The student's backpack was never searched and police now say it contained the gun used in the attack.
Defense lawyers have argued in court that the Crumbleys are devastated by the school shooting. They didn't expect a school shooting or that their son would be responsible. This situation is terrible.
The Crumbleys were accused of putting students at Oxford High School in danger by failing to get help for their son, who posed a danger to others.
The prosecution will fail to prove its case according to the defense.
The defense has argued that they didn't know about the threat that was posed to Oxford High School and that they didn't cause the tragedy.
Four students were killed and seven other people were injured in a shooting on November 30. The gun that was used in the massacre was bought four days before the shooting by the Crumbleys.
Bond was denied to a person. The teenager's lawyers tried to get him out of jail and into a juvenile facility, arguing that he had never been in trouble before and that the shooting was an isolated incident. The judge decided that the case of the man was too important to allow him to be released from an adult jail.
The Crumbleys and their son are both in the Oakland County Jail, but they have no communication with each other. The parents will have a bond hearing in January.
The gun was not secured by the parents. The defense stated in court records that the Crumbleys had a gun in a locked and hidden location.
The two people are James and Jennifer Crumbley.
The five people killed in the shootings were Hana St. Juliana, Tate Myre, Madisyn Baldwin, and Justin Shilling.
A $100 million civil lawsuit has been filed against the school district on behalf of a student who was shot in the neck and survived, and her younger sister who watched it happen.
According to the lawsuit, the school district put students in harm's way by ignoring signs of a troubled teen who was allowed to return to class after showing troubling behavior in class.
His parents were summoned and a meeting with his counselors followed. The parents were against taking him out of school. He was sent back to class with his backpack, which police believe contained the gun used in the shootings.
According to school officials, the drawing of the gun and blood was part of a video game design, and that counselors did not believe he would harm others, so they let him return to class.
The defense has accused the prosecutor of charging the parents out of anger and of trying to send a message to gun owners.
McDonald has publicly stated that she knows it's a novel case, and that she has faced resistance from inside her office for bringing the case. She believes the charges are justified.
I want to be clear that the charges are intended to hold individuals who contributed to this tragedy accountable and also send a message that gun owners have a responsibility. McDonald has said that there are serious and criminal consequences when they fail to uphold that responsibility.
McDonald said that a parent could read the words "Help me" and know that their son had access to a deadly weapon. It is a crime.
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The article was originally published on Detroit Free Press.
