Jury Deliberates in James Crumbley’s Michigan School Shooting Trial
Witness testimony and closing arguments ended on Wednesday. Mr. Crumbley faces involuntary manslaughter charges for the four students killed by his son.
James Crumbley “did nothing” to prevent his son from carrying out Michigan’s deadliest school shooting, prosecutors said in closing arguments on Wednesday, while his defense attorney argued that he was unaware of his son’s troubled mental state or plans to attack his schoolmates.
A jury must now decide whether Mr. Crumbley should be held partially responsible for his son’s rampage, which killed four people and injured seven others. The boy’s mother, Jennifer Crumbley, was convicted last month by a different jury in the same courtroom.
Prosecutors took the rare step of bringing criminal charges against the Crumbleys for the shooting at Oxford High School on Nov. 30, 2021. They accused Mr. Crumbley of missing cries for help from his son, Ethan, who was 15 at the time and complaining of mental health issues, and of failing to secure the gun used in the shooting.
“James Crumbley was presented with the easiest, most glaring opportunities to prevent the deaths of these four students,” Karen McDonald, the prosecutor in Oakland County, said in closing arguments. “And he did nothing.”
ADVERTISEMENT
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
Mariell Lehman, Mr. Crumbley’s defense lawyer, told the jury that prosecutors had left plenty of room for reasonable doubt. “You heard no testimony, and you saw no evidence, that James had any knowledge that his son was a danger to anyone,” she said.
Mr. Crumbley has been in jail since December 2021, when he and his wife were each charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of Madisyn Baldwin, 17; Tate Myre, 16; Justin Shilling, 17; and Hana St. Juliana, 14. The couple requested separate trials. Unlike his wife, Mr. Crumbley chose not to testify in his own defense.
The witness lists in the two trials were similar, but there were a few key differences in the evidence presented.
ADVERTISEMENT
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
At Ms. Crumbley’s trial, lawyers pored over her communications with her son, including months of text messages, as prosecutors tried to paint her as a detached and negligent mother. In the case of Mr. Crumbley, the testimony focused more on the Sig Sauer pistol that prosecutors say he bought his son as an early Christmas present four days before the shooting.
Image
A TV screen on a courtroom wall shows photos of four teenagers, with several people seated below it.
Photos of the four students killed in the Oxford High School shooting appeared on a screen during closing arguments in Mr. Crumbley's trial.Credit...Pool photo by Mandi Wright
Law enforcement officials who searched the Crumbleys’ home shortly after the attack testified this week that they had found the storage case for the gun lying open on the parents’ bed, along with an empty box of ammunition. They said there was no indication that the case had been locked.
Ms. Lehman said that before the shooting, Mr. Crumbley did not know whether his son was aware of the gun’s hiding place. During her rebuttal, Ms. McDonald pulled on a pair of gloves, picked up the murder weapon and a cable lock, and demonstrated for the jury that it could be locked in a matter of seconds.
Prosecutors also walked the jury through several entries in the shooter’s journal, including one that appeared to have been written the day before the shooting. “I have access to the gun and the ammo,” the entry said. “I am fully committed to this now.”
ADVERTISEMENT
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
It was not clear whether either of the shooter’s parents had seen the journal entries before the attack. But they were called to school on the morning of Nov. 30, after a teacher saw their son making violent drawings. Those drawings included an object that looked like the gun Mr. Crumbley had purchased, and phrases including “help me” and “blood everywhere.”
Neither the Crumbleys nor school officials searched the teenager’s backpack, which held the weapon. According to testimony from law enforcement, Mr. Crumbley, who had been working as a driver for DoorDash, made deliveries after the meeting and did not return home to check on the pistol until after he had learned about the shooting.
Ethan Crumbley pleaded guilty to 24 charges, including first-degree murder, and was sentenced last year to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He did not testify in his either of his parents’ trials.
Prosecutors called 15 witnesses to the stand in Mr. Crumbley’s trial, including people who saw the shooting and law enforcement officials who investigated it. The defense called only one witness: Karen Crumbley, the defendant’s sister. She said that until the shooting, she had never seen a reason to be overly concerned about her nephew.
Neither did Mr. Crumbley, according to his lawyer.
“He didn’t know,” Ms. Lehman told the jury. “He didn’t know what was going on with his son. He didn’t know what his son was planning. He didn’t know that his son knew where the guns were. And he didn’t know that his son had somehow obtained access to those guns, or a gun. He didn’t know.”
85
views
1
comment
US Attorney Mark Totten battles drug pipeline fueled by Mexican Cartels causing record high overdose
#Mexico #UnitedStates Attorney Mark Totten battles drug pipeline fueled by Mexican Cartels, causing record high overdose deaths #Fentanyl
Drug overdose deaths have hit another record high in the United States with more than 110,000 people dead in one year.
“The drug landscape right now is often changing, and it is especially concerning. The most striking characteristic is the sheer number of people who are dying. It’s largely being driven by one drug, and that is fentanyl, which is highly, highly lethal. it’s showing up in ways where people don’t necessarily realize what they’re taking. It’s showing up in fake pills.” #michigan
45
views
LIVE! Super Tuesday Live Updates:
Super Tuesday Primaries 2024
This year, 15 states will vote on Super Tuesday: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia. One territory, American Samoa, will also vote.
Total delegates at stake on Super Tuesday is now 854 for the GOP (or about 35% of the total delegates on offer) and 1,420 for Dems.
64
views
#TEXAS Panhandle wildfires have burned nearly 1.3 million acres in a week – and it's not over yet
and it's not over yetThere are five active wildfires across the region, according to Texas A&M Forest Service. The largest of those is the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Hutchinson County, which alone has burned nearly 1.1 million acres and is the largest wildfire ever recorded in the state. That fire was just 15% contained as of Sunday afternoon. The other fires include Gray County's Grape Vine Creek Fire, which has burned nearly 35,000 acres and is 60% contained, Moore County's Windy Deuce Fire, which has burned 144,206 acres and is at 55% containment, and Oldham County's Magenta Fire, which burned nearly 3,300 acres and is 85% contained. Hutchinson County is also facing the new Roughneck Fire, which has reached an estimated 300 acres and is 25% contained. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday the fires have left exceptional damage, saying much of the affected areas are "completely gone" with "nothing left but ashes on the ground." Early assessments show that up to 500 structures have been destroyed as of Friday afternoon, he said, adding that they will not know the true extent until later. "We have people who don't have a home, don't have a place to go to. ... And we as Texans need to collaborate together, to work not just on the restoration process
99
views
Former President Donald Trump & Biden Visit Border Ahead Of Super Tuesday
Former President Donald Trump and President Biden visit the Southern Border and showcase their different visions for handling the immigration crisis ahead of Super Tuesday, where Trump is expected to continue his dominating lead in the Primary.
59
views
Elon Musk Sues Open AI, the maker of Chat GPT
Billionaire Businessman Elon Musk is suing Open AI the maker of Chat GPT for break of contract
62
views
Texas Wildfire Becomes Largest, Most Destructive In State History
The Smokehouse Creek Wildfire in Texas has burned through more than 1 million acres, or 1,600 square miles, and is 15% contained, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service, and covers tens of thousands of acres in Oklahoma.
Two people have been confirmed dead. Former substitute teacher Joyce Blankenship, 83, was found dead at her home, family members said. Cindy Owens, believed to be in her 40s, from Amarillo, died yesterday, two days after she got out of her truck in Canadian and the fire "overtook her," officials said.
64
views
1
comment
#Breaking Semi Truck Hanging Off Clark Memorial Bridge Louisville,Kentucky
#Kentucky #louisville Semi Truck Hanging Off Clark Memorial Bridge which connects Louisville and southern Indiana.
51
views
#NEW Climate Protestors Blocking Roadways What Should Be The Consequence
What should be the consequence for climate protestors blocking roadways?
37
views
New #Michigan Campaign Urges Voters To Vote Uncommitted And Not President Joe Biden
A group of Democrats who started a movement in opposition to President Biden's support for Israel's war in Gaza sent a clear message in the Michigan primary, exceeding the amount of votes the group was aiming for and complicating the key battleground state ahead of this year's general election.
"Yesterday was a resounding victory," Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, who joined the "Listen to Michigan" movement, said during a news conference Wednesday claiming victory for the movement.
The comments come following the movement's push to have Democratic voters select "uncommitted" in Tuesday's Democratic primary surpassed the group's expectations, with just over 101,000 people selecting the option, according to Associated Press numbers as of Wednesday afternoon. That mark was more than 10 times the group's stated goal, which was to get 10,000 people, or roughly the same as the margin of victory in the 2016 election in the state, to select the option.Meanwhile, Listen to Michigan supporters have warned they are willing to continue growing the movement ahead of the general election, a potential headache for the Biden campaign in a battleground state that has seen close margins in the last two presidential elections.
93
views
#Michigan Presidential Primaries Michigan voters head to the polls critical 2024 battlegroundstate
#Michigan Presidential Primaries
Michigan voters head to the polls: The critical 2024 battleground state of Michigan is holding Republican and Democratic primary elections today.
#MichiganPrimary
138
views
#Michigan🚨 #Breakingnews Judge removes Kristina Karamo as Michigan GOP chairwoman
A judge has removed Kristina Karamo as Michigan GOP chairwoman.
Judge Joseph Rossi ruled there were enough votes to unseat Karamo in a special meeting of the party’s state committee on Tuesday (Feb. 27).
The removal means former State Representative Pete Hoekstra is now the chair of the Michigan Republican Party.
112
views
Michigan Supreme Court Rules To Allow Trump On 2024 Primary Ballot
Michigan Supreme Court Rules To Allow Trump On 2024 Primary Ballot
87
views
Detroit Pistons Set NBA Record For Longest Losing Streak In Single Season
Detroit Pistons Set NBA Record For Longest Losing Streak In Single Season
46
views
Colorado Supreme Court Rules Donald Trump Ineligible For The Presidency
Colorado Supreme Court Rules Donald Trump Ineligible For The Presidency Under Constitution's Insurrection Clause
69
views
Appeals Court Rules President Donald Trump Can Stay On Michigan Ballot
BreakingNews: Appeals Court Rules President Donald Trump Can Stay On Michigan Ballot
86
views
Federal Government To Expand It's Use Of Artificial Intelligence Despite Warnings
Federal Government To Expand It's Use Of Artificial Intelligence Despite Warnings
43
views
General Motors To Cut 1300 Jobs At Two Factories In Michigan
General Motors To Cut 1300 Jobs At Two Factories In Michigan
36
views