James Crumbley, far left, and Jennifer Crumbley, second from right, await sentencing for manslaughter on April 9, 2024 (via Law&Crime).
The parents of Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley, who killed four of his classmates in Michigan with a gun his father had purchased for him days earlier, will spend at least a decade behind bars.
Oakland County Circuit Judge Cheryl Matthews sentenced Jennifer Crumbley to 10 to 15 years behind bars on Tuesday. James Crumbley received the same sentence. Both will receive credit for more than 850 days already served.
Both Crumbleys were convicted after separate trials of manslaughter. Under Michigan law, manslaughter is a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Ethan Crumbley, then 15, opened fire on his classmates on Nov. 30, 2021, killing Tate Myre, 16, Hana St. Juliana, 14, Madisyn Baldwin, 17, and Justin Shilling, 17. According to prosecutors, Jennifer Crumbley was the last person in possession of the weapon her son used to carry out the attack — a handgun she had described on social media as her son’s Christmas present days prior. They also alleged that she didn’t take reasonable steps to stop the rampage and find care for her son.
Matthews barred both defendants from contacting the families of the victims and said she will later issue an order regarding the defendants’ ability to contact their son.
According to prosecutors, James and Jennifer Crumbley knew their son was troubled — and had been called to the school the day of the shooting after teachers discovered disturbing and violent drawings he had made in a math workbook. The parents ultimately left the school after meeting with school officials and their son, while Ethan Crumbley stayed behind.
Arrest warrants were issued for Jennifer and James Crumbley after the shooting. They appeared to have attempted to evade apprehension by the police but were eventually found hiding in a building near downtown Detroit, around 30 minutes away from Oakland.
Ethan Crumbley pleaded guilty in October to all 24 charges against him, including murder and terrorism. He was sentenced to a lifetime in prison without the possibility of parole.
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