Eight months after being sentenced 10-15 years in prison on involuntary manslaughter charges, Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of the Oxford school shooter, is challenging her conviction and is hoping to have her sentence overturned.
RELATED VIDEO: James and Jennifer Crumbley sentenced to 10-15 years in Oxford High School shooting
In a press release, Crumbley's attorney, Michael Dezsi, claims that his client's convictions "stem from a trial riddled with legal errors where key evidence was withheld, and cooperation agreements were peddled and suppressed to secure testimony for the prosecution to convict an individual who committed no crime."
Crumbley's son opened fire at Oxford High School on Nov. 30, 2021, killing four students – Tate Myre, Hana St. Juliana, Madisyn Baldwin and Justin Shilling – and injuring six other students and a teacher.
"The prosecution has tried to mold us into the type of parents society wants to believe are so horrible that only a school or mass shooter could be bred from," Crumbley said in her sentencing in April. "This is a very unfair assumption to have. We were good parents, we were the average family."
Deszi is also claiming that two of the prosecution's key witnesses entered cooperation agreements to testify against Mrs. Crumbley, and that the defense was unaware of this agreement, which denies Crumbley's right to a free trial.
With the assistance of law student's from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, Deszi's office formally requested that Crumbley's convictions be thrown out. This comes in the form of a 34-page legal brief filed with the court, which you can read in it's entirety below.
"There’s a reason why no parent in America has ever been held responsible for the criminal acts of their child in relation to a school shooting. It is because Mrs. Crumbley committed no crime. This case should be concerning for parents everywhere," Deszi concludes in the statement.
Scripps News Detroit has reached out to the Oakland County prosecutor's office for comment on this matter. A representative for the office sent us the statements below from Prosecutor Karen McDonald and Chief Assistant David Williams.
“Parents everywhere are worried. But they are not worried about being prosecuted, they are worried about their kids being shot at school. James and Jennifer Crumbley are the rare, grossly negligent exception, and twenty-four jurors unanimously agreed they are responsible for the deaths of Hana, Madisyn, Tate, and Justin. Holding them accountable for their role is one important step in making our schools safer.”
In response to the arguments in Defendant’s Motion regarding witness testimony. Statement from Chief Assistant David Williams: “No witnesses were given anything for their testimony, and there was no immunity – these witnesses testified without any promises or protection whatsoever. The Michigan Court of Appeals has already reviewed the legal issues raised by Jennifer Crumbley and rejected them. Where there are egregious facts like these – where two parents ignored the obvious signs that their son was in crisis, bought him a gun and failed to secure it, and then failed to disclose the existence of the gun or take their son home when he drew out his plans, including writing “blood everywhere” with a picture of a gun and a body with bleeding bullet wounds, they can and should be prosecuted. ” For ease of reference please see the attached opinion from the Michigan Court of Appeals, noting the statement on page 16 that reads: “Defendants’ actions and inactions were inexorably intertwined with EC’s actions, i.e., with the intervening cause. This connection exists not simply because of the parent-child relationship but also because of the facts showing that defendants were actively involved in EC’s mental state remaining untreated, that they provided him with the weapon used to kill the victims, and that they refused to remove him from the situation that led directly to the shootings.”
Earlier this year, juries convicted Jennifer and her husband, James, following weeks of witness testimony and closing arguments. The parents had separate trials.
What happened during Jennifer's trial?
Throughout the trial for Jennifer, the court heard from several lawyers and saw nearly 500 pieces of evidence including text messages, video of the day police searched the Crumbley home following the shooting and items found at a Detroit warehouse where Jennifer and her husband James were arrested when authorities were searching for them.
Text messages between the shooter and his parents were also presented in court. Testimony included law enforcement, school officials and Jennifer Crumbley herself.
The dean of students at Oxford High School at time of the shooting took the stand to speak about the day of the incident. After teachers found disturbing drawings and internet searches, the shooter’s parents were called in for an emergency meeting.
Afterward, the shooter was sent back to class and his parents left. Jennifer Crumbley returned to work. Her boss was one of two colleagues to testify about her the day of the shooting, saying after the school meeting, she had opportunities to leave work or continue working from home to address issues with her son but decided to stay.
Hours later when the shooting happened, colleagues testified that Jennifer Crumbley had a strong reaction and left work in a panic.
A 49-minute video showed Jennifer Crumbley in the back of a police car as officers searched her home. Prosecutors wanted jurors to take notes of her demeanor.
Inside their home, officers say they found multiple BB guns, knives and targets in the shooter's two bedrooms. Crumbley was asked about the gun and ammunition, which she said was her husband’s responsibility.
Evidence found at the warehouse after the couple’s arrest included cigarette butts near their vehicle, a mattress, food, $6,617 in cash and prescription medication.
A longtime friend of Jennifer Crumbley, who she admitted to having an affair with, also took the stand. She messaged him after the shooting saying "We're on the run again.”
However, Crumbley testified that she and her husband were not hiding but were waiting for their attorney to turn themselves in.
During closing arguments, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald spoke about what constitutes an involuntary manslaughter conviction and detailed it through the law. She then went through the different witnesses who testified for the prosecution.
"Just the smallest thing could have saved Hana and Tate and Justin and Madisyn," McDonald told the jury during closing arguments.
She pointed to what she said were many missed opportunities where Jennifer Crumbley could have helped prevent the shooting including seeking mental health treatment for him.
Defense attorney Shannon Smith said the evidence provided by the prosecution was cherry-picked to paint a picture that did not resemble Crumbley's actual life. Smith said the Crumbley “family played together,” “had fun together” and “did what families do.”
Smith also pointed to the school after leaders told his parents during an emergency meeting hours before the shooting that they didn't think the shooter was a threat.
"No parent would purchase a weapon if they believed their child had mental illnesses," Smith told the jury during closing arguments.
She also said the shooting “was not foreseeable for Mrs. Crumbley.”
This story was originally published by Kellen Voss at Scripps News Detroit.
