On Wednesday, a judge in Michigan ruled against granting a new trial to the parents of a convicted school shooter, maintaining their convictions related to the tragic incident.
Jennifer and James Crumbley faced convictions on four counts of involuntary manslaughter each during separate trials in 2024, as reported by CrimeOnline. They received sentences ranging from 10 to 15 years in prison.
The Crumbleys’ son, then 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, admitted guilt and was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murders of Hana St. Juliana, 14; Justin Shilling, 17; Tate Myre, 16; and Madisyn Baldwin, 16, during the November 2021 shooting at Oxford High School, which also left seven others injured, including a teacher. He is currently challenging the sentence and seeking to withdraw his guilty plea.
According to the Detroit News, the elder Crumbleys had argued that prosecutors failed to provide evidence to their defense attorneys, violating discovery rules. In her ruling, Judge Cheryl Matthews wrote that although there was evidence that had been suppressed, it would not have changed the outcome of the cases.
Despite the suppressed evidence, Defendant Jennifer Crumbley received a trial and verdict worthy of confidence based on the cumulative effect of the significant evidence against her,” Matthews wrote, saying the same thing in the ruling denying James Crombley a new trial.
Jennifer Crombley’s attorney said he would appeal the ruling. Her husband’s attorney was not available for comment.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald, who prosecuted the cases, said it was now time to turn attention away from the Crombleys.
“These cases have always been about just one thing: justice for Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, Hana St. Juliana, Justin Shilling and the other Oxford victims. Judge Matthews’ ruling makes clear that no issue raised by the defense affected the trial or the jury’s verdict,” McDonald said in a statement. “The bottom line is both James and Jennifer Crumbley were convicted by juries of their peers after receiving a fair trial.”
Jennifer and James Crumbley were criminally charged for failing to get their son mental health treatment and not securing the gun used in the mass school shooting. Additionally, James Crumbley purchased his teen son the gun which he used to carry out the shooting four days later.
