James Crumbley, the father of the teenager who killed four students at Oxford High School in November 2021, has been found guilty of four counts of involuntary manslaughter. The verdict, delivered by a jury on Thursday, comes just weeks after his wife, Jennifer Crumbley, was convicted of the same charges. Both parents face up to 15 years in prison for each count, with sentencing scheduled for April 9.
The trial, which lasted nearly a week, focused on whether James Crumbley held any responsibility for the actions of his son, Ethan Crumbley, who used a SIG Sauer 9mm handgun to kill Madisyn Baldwin, 17; Tate Myre, 16; Hana St. Juliana, 14; and Justin Shilling, 17, and wound six students and a teacher at the Michigan high school on November 30, 2021.
Prosecutors argued that James Crumbley was "grossly negligent" for purchasing the firearm for his son days before the attack, failing to properly secure it, ignoring his son's deteriorating mental health, and not taking "reasonable care" to prevent foreseeable danger. "James Crumbley is not on trial for what his son did," Oakland County Prosecuting Attorney Karen McDonald said. "James Crumbley is on trial for what he did and what he didn't do."
Defense attorney Mariell Lehman countered that the prosecution's case lacked evidence and was based on "assumptions and hindsight." She maintained that James Crumbley had no knowledge of his son's plans or access to the firearm, stating, "You heard no testimony and you saw no evidence that James had any knowledge that his son was a danger to anyone."
The cases against the Crumbley parents represent a novel legal strategy aimed at expanding the scope of blame in mass shootings by arguing that parents can be held personally responsible for the deaths if they provide their child with a gun and ignore signs of declining mental health. Jennifer Crumbley's guilty verdict marked the first time a school shooter's parent was held directly responsible for the killings.
Throughout the trial, the prosecution called 15 witnesses, including shooting survivors, police investigators, and school employees, to testify. The defense called only one witness, James Crumbley's sister Karen, who stated that she had not noticed anything concerning during her visits with the family in April and June 2021.
Key points of contention during the trial included how the murder weapon was secured and how Ethan Crumbley gained access to it. Prosecutors presented evidence that a cable lock sold with the SIG Sauer was found unopened, and no other firearm locking mechanisms were discovered in the home. They also argued that James Crumbley missed clear warning signs of his son's need for help, including disturbing journal entries and a meeting with school counselors on the morning of the shooting.
Attorney Ven Johnson, representing the victims' families, issued a statement following the verdict, emphasizing that while the guilty verdicts won't bring back the lives of the four students, they represent "one more step towards holding everyone responsible accountable under the law, which is justice for the victims' families and the Oxford community."
The conviction of James Crumbley, along with that of his wife, Jennifer, marks a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings related to the Oxford High School shooting. As the community continues to grapple with the tragedy, the guilty verdicts serve as a measure of accountability for the parents' actions and inactions leading up to the devastating event.
Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, in a statement following the verdict, expressed his support for the families of the victims and the community, acknowledging the emotional toll of the legal proceedings. He also highlighted the "unconscionable actions of a troubled son and the inexplicably tragic inaction of two adults to exercise even the most basic responsible parenting," which forever changed the lives of four families and the Oxford community.
As the sentencing date approaches, the community looks to the future, hoping for healing and a renewed commitment to preventing such tragedies from occurring again.
CNN and CBS News also contributed to this report.
