The Michigan Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal that cleared the way for the parents of a teen who fatally shot four students at Oxford High School to stand trial on manslaughter charges.
James and Jennifer Crumbley are accused of providing guns to Ethan Crumbley and ignoring his mental health needs.this A state appeals court said in March The couple could face trial, a decision the Supreme Court upheld in a one-sentence order.
Prosecutors in suburban Detroit only have to prove probable cause to take the parents to trial, but the threshold is lower at this stage. The appeals court noted that the Oakland County jury will hear the parties’ broader case.
shooter killed Madison Baldwin, Tate Meyer, Hana Santa Juliana and Justin Schilling in November 2021 at Oxford High School, about 40 miles north of Detroit. Six students and a teacher were also injured.
Ethan Crumbley pleads guilty of terrorism and murder.The judge said last week He is eligible for a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Lawyers for the parents insist the school shooting was unforeseen. They admitted making poor decisions but were not guilty of manslaughter, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
The teen and his parents met with school staff the day of the shooting after a teacher noticed the violent drawings, but no one checked to see if there was a gun in his backpack. He was allowed to stay.
The 17-year-old, who was 15 at the time of the shooting, will be sentenced on December 8. The judge had the option of sentencing him to prison, which would make him eligible for parole in the coming decades.
Crumbley’s parents were taken into custody shortly after the shooting and were unable to pay $500,000 bail. Their son is in the same prison, but they have no contact with him.
Defense lawyers declined to comment on the Supreme Court order, citing a gag order.
Colin King, a psychologist who met the teenager, described him as a “feral child” who had been neglected by his parents. Judge Kwame Rowe said his family life was “not ideal” and his parents often drank and argued, but it was “not terrible”.
Rowe said Friday that the teen “appears to have a loving and supportive family.” “He vacationed with his family, had several pets, and would have family visits. … In the defendant’s own words, his childhood was ‘wonderful.'”
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