The trial of James Crumbley — father of Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley — is set to start in Michigan on Thursday. James Crumbley is accused of manslaughter in connection with his son’s deadly Nov. 30, 2021, attack. Oxford students Tate Myre, 16, Hana St. Juliana, 14, Madisyn Baldwin, 17, and Justin Shilling, 17, were killed when the shooter, then 15, opened fire on his classmates.
James Crumbley appears in court on Feb. 24, 2022 (image via screengrab from YouTube/WJBK)
According to prosecutors, James and Jennifer Crumbley — the defendant’s wife and shooter’s mother — knew their son was troubled. They 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 the shooter stayed behind.
Manslaughter is a felony under Michigan law, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
The defendant’s wife, Jennifer Crumbley, was convicted of manslaughter in February and will be sentenced on April 9.
Ethan Crumbley, now 17, 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.
