Hours after police said they were captured hiding in a Detroit commercial building, a judge set a combined bond of $1 million for the parents of the Michigan kid charged with killing four students at Oxford High School.
During a Zoom hearing, James and Jennifer Crumbley entered not guilty pleas to each of the four involuntary manslaughter counts against them. When a prosecution indicated their son had full access to the gun used in the crimes, Jennifer Crumbley sobbed and struggled to react to the judge’s questioning, and James Crumbley shook his head.
Judge Julie Nicholson set each of the parents’ bonds at $500,000 and ordered GPS monitoring if they paid to be released, agreeing with prosecutors that they posed a flight risk.
The Crumbleys’ defense attorneys continued to contend on Saturday that they had no intention of fleeing and had made plans to meet their lawyers early that morning. Attorney Shannon Smith accused prosecutors of “cherry-picking” evidence to make public, including the claim that their teenage son had unrestricted access to the weapon his father bought for him days before the incident, according to prosecutors.
“Our clients are just as distraught as the rest of us,” Smith added, adding that the gun was “locked.” During the hearing on Saturday, she didn’t disclose any additional information.
On Friday, the Crumbleys were charged with involuntary manslaughter by Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald’s office, accusing them of failing to interfere on the day of the tragedy despite being confronted with a drawing and terrifying message — “blood everywhere” — found at the boy’s desk. According to a McDonald’s representative, they could each face up to 15 years in prison.
The Crumbleys engaged in “egregious” behavior, according to McDonald, from purchasing a rifle on Black Friday and making it available to Ethan Crumbley to refusing to remove him from school when they were summoned a few hours before the shooting.
The duo had been on the run since Friday afternoon, according to authorities. The US Marshals Service issued a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to their arrests late Friday.
The Crumbleys’ lawyer, a Smith, claimed Friday that the couple had fled town earlier in the week “for their own protection,” and that they would be returning to Oxford to face charges.
Smith said they spoke by phone and text on Friday evening and faulted prosecutors for neglecting to communicate with her and colleague defense attorney Mariell Lehman during Saturday’s hearing.
“Our customers were going to turn themselves in regardless; it was just an issue of logistics,” she explained.
However, McDonald said on Saturday that the pair stole $4,000 from an ATM in Rochester Hills on Friday morning, not far from the courthouse where they were supposed to appear that afternoon.
“We cannot be certain that these folks will return to court on their own,” she said.
Late Friday, a Detroit business owner observed a car linked to the Crumbleys in his parking lot, according to Oakland County Undersheriff Michael McCabe. When the company owner dialed 911, a lady observed near the vehicle bolted, according to McCabe. The duo was ultimately tracked down and apprehended by Detroit cops.
The couple “were aided in getting into the building,” according to Detroit Police Chief James E. White, who added that the person who assisted them could face charges as well.
McDonald gave the most detailed account of the events leading to the shooting at Oxford High School, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Detroit, on Friday.
Investigators said Ethan Crumbley, 15, came from a bathroom with a gun and shot students in the corridor. As an adult, he faces charges of murder, terrorism, and other offenses.
According to Michigan law, authorities can pursue the involuntary manslaughter allegation brought against the parents if they believe someone contributed to a circumstance where there was a high risk of harm or death.
According to experts, parents in the United States are rarely charged with school shootings involving their children, despite the fact that most juveniles obtain guns from a parent or relative’s home.
On Monday, a day before the massacre, school officials were concerned about the younger Crumbley when a teacher noticed him looking for ammo on his phone, according to McDonald.
Jennifer Crumbley was contacted, and she sent her son a text message that said, “Lol. I’m not angry with you. According to the prosecutor, “you have to learn not to get caught.”
A teacher discovered a message on Ethan’s desk on Tuesday and photographed it. “The thoughts won’t stop,” it said, with a graphic of a rifle aiming at the words. “Assist me,” McDonald pleaded.
She also pointed out a drawing of a bullet with the words “Blood everywhere” written over it.
A person appeared to have been shot twice and was bleeding between the gun and the bullet. According to the prosecutor, he allegedly wrote “My life is pointless” and “The planet is dead.”
According to McDonald, the school swiftly convened a meeting with Ethan and his parents, who were instructed to get him into treatment within 48 hours.
The Crumbleys “resisted the concept of their kid leaving the school at that time” since they didn’t ask their son about the gun or check his backpack.
Instead, the adolescent returned to class, where the shooting took place.
Oxford Community Schools Superintendent Tim Throne outlined the school’s response to Crumbley’s behavior for the first time in a written statement released Saturday. Crumbley indicated shooting sports were a family passion during his initial encounter with a counselor and a staff member, according to Throne.
Crumbley claimed the designs were part of a video game concept during the second meeting with guidance counselors and said he wanted to pursue a career in that sector, according to the letter. Crumbley remained calm and focused on his homework while staff attempted to contact his parents and drove them to school, according to guidance counselors.
During that discussion, the parents did not inform the counselors that they had recently purchased a pistol for their kid, according to Thorne.
“Given the child’s lack of prior disciplinary offenses, the decision was made to return him to the school rather than send him home to an empty house,” he explained.
When Crumbleys’ parents were brought in for a meeting about his behavior, the prosecution, McDonald, had alleged that they should have notified counselors their son had access to a pistol.
“Ethan, don’t do it,” Jennifer Crumbley texted her son after the incident, she claimed on Friday.
Ethan Crumbley may have been the shooter, according to James Crumbley, who called 911 to report a gun taken from their home. According to McDonald, the gun was kept in an unlocked drawer in the parents’ bedroom.
On Nov. 26, Ethan accompanied his father to the gun store and shared images of the weapon on social media, writing, “Just bought my new beauty today,” according to McDonald.
Jennifer Crumbley stated on social media over the long Thanksgiving weekend that she and her son were “trying out his new Christmas present,” according to the prosecution.
When asked if the father could face charges for buying the pistol for his son at a news conference, McDonald said it would be up to federal officials to decide.
McDonald was questioned about keeping Crumbley at school.
“Of course, he shouldn’t have returned to that classroom in the first place….” That, I believe, is a universal viewpoint. She answered, “I’m not going to chastise or attack, but absolutely.”
“The inquiry is ongoing,” McDonald said when asked if school leaders could face charges.
