The parents of Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley were denied new trials after their lawyers argued prosecutors withheld evidence vital to their defense.
Last year, Jennifer and James Crumbley were convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years in prison based on evidence they allowed their son undue access to the firearm he used to kill four students at his high school in 2021.
Setting aside those convictions and restarting the trial process would be too drastic, according to Oakland County Judge Cheryl Matthews.
‘The court would effectively be ignoring the impact of dozens of hours of testimony, postulating a basis for the jury verdict, dismissing a plethora of other evidence suggesting guilt, and impermissibly speculating about what “might have happened,”‘ Matthews said in remarks reported by The Associated Press.
Prosecutors never argued the Crumbleys were aware Ethan planned to commit a mass shooting at Oxford High School but did say they failed to lock a gun up at home.
They were also accused of buying the gun Ethan used and ignoring their son’s worsening mental condition.
This was exemplified when they didn’t take him home the day of the shooting when school officials called them into a meeting to show them his disturbing drawings of guns, bullets and a person with bullet holes in their body.
James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of the Michigan school shooter, were denied their appeals for a new trial. They alleged that prosecutors withheld vital evidence to their defense against involuntary manslaughter charges for which they were convicted last year
Ethan Crumbley (pictured in during his sentencing hearing on December 8, 2023) killed four students in his eventual rampage at his high school
Thirteen people total were hit with gunfire from Crumbley at Oxford High School on November 30, 2021
School administrator Nick Ejak and counselor Shawn Hopkins testified about that meeting, claiming that James and Jennifer were ‘too busy’ to take him home and went back to work. Less than two hours later, Ethan opened fire.
Lawyers for the Crumbleys pointed out that Ejak and Hopkins gave earlier interviews to investigators, who promised they’d see no criminal charges related to the shooting. Neither man was ever charged.
These agreements were not known to jurors and defense lawyers, who argued that prosecutors should have produced them.
The defense team said if they had known, they would have more extensively cross-examined Ejak and Hopkins at trial.
Prosecutor Karen McDonald’s team said the deals weren’t immunity agreements and didn’t need to be shared.
Jennifer’s appellate lawyer said the fight will continue in higher courts. The parents were tried separately.
‘So the prosecution intentionally cheated and violated the court rules, but they didn’t cheat hard enough for the court to do anything about it,’ Michael Dezsi said.
Since December 2023, Ethan Crumbley has been serving a life sentence without parole for the shooting he committed on November 30, 2021.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald holds up the gun used by Ethan Crumbley during his mother’s trial on January 25, 2024
Pictured: Jennifer Crumbley is seen showing her son how to use the gun he would soon use to kill and maim his fellow classmates
On the morning of the school shooting, teachers became concerned after finding alarming drawings and writings on his homework, including drawings of shooting victims around ‘the thoughts won’t stop… Help me’
Students Madisyn Baldwin, top right, Hana St. Juliana, bottom left, Tate Myre, top left, and Justin Shilling, bottom right, were killed in the rampage
That day, Ethan went to school with a semi-automatic handgun that had been purchased for him by his parents as an early Christmas present.
Images of Jennifer teaching her son how to use the weapon were shown in court.
While in class, he doodled terrifying images on a math worksheet that concerned his teachers. They included a bloody body and a gun pointing at the words, ‘The thoughts won’t stop. Help me.’
Also written on the paper were the phrases ‘My life is useless,’ ‘The world is dead,’ and ‘Blood everywhere.’
School officials said Crumbley talked his way out of trouble by claiming the drawings were part of plans to create a video game.
After his parents were called in and declined to take him home, Crumbley stayed in school and his backpack was not checked for weapons.
He later emerged from a bathroom with a pistol and began firing on fellow students. Thirteen people in total were hit.
Police say Crumbley’s first victim was freshman Phoebe Arthur, who was shot in the face but miraculously survived.
Students Madisyn Baldwin, 17, Hana St. Juliana, 14, Tate Myre, 16, and Justin Shilling, 17, were killed in the rampage. Six students and a teacher were also wounded.
