Jurors watch deadly assault video in James Crumbley involuntary manslaughter case
Prosecutors waited until nearly the end of their case Tuesday before presenting their most powerful evidence against James Crumbley: Video of the 2021 Oxford High School mass shooting that shows his son roaming the halls and gunning down classmates.
It was the same video shown in his wife's trial, which ended with Jennifer Crumbley being convicted of involuntary manslaughter last month, making her the first parent in America to be held criminally responsible for a mass shooting committed by their child.
As in the mom's trial, at least one juror openly wept as she watched the images of the teenage gunman firing shots down a hallway.
Some jurors wiped their eyes with tissues while others sat with their hands over their mouths as the video played.
Like his wife, James Crumbley also became emotional, wiping his nose with a tissue as images played on the screen. Four students were killed in the assault.
Crumbley's lawyer previously fought to keep the video out, arguing it was unfairly prejudicial and meant only to inflame the passions of the jury. Moreover, defense attorney Mariell Lehman argued that her client's case had nothing to do with what happened inside the school that day, but with his actions before and after the shooting.
Oakland County Judge Cheryl Matthews, however, allowed the video as evidence. Prosecutors expect to rest their case Wednesday morning.
James Crumbley, who is not expected to testify in his defense, is charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter for buying his son the gun that he used in the shooting and not disclosing that information to school officials when given the opportunity. The shooter, Ethan Crumbley, pleaded guilty to all his crimes and is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Dad's jury hears evidence that his wife's jury did not
While much of James Crumbley's trial has played out like a replay of his wife's case, his jury has seen some different evidence, including an excerpt in the shooter's journal that is at the heart of a key claim by the defense: that the father did not give his son access to the gun.
The son wrote in his journal: "I will have to find where my dad hid my 9 mm before I can shoot (up) the school."
The gun to which the boy is referring is the Sig Sauer handgun that his father purchased during a Black Friday shopping trip, four days before the massacre. The boy was with his dad when he bought the gun, though the defense has maintained that the gun was not really a gift for the son, intended for use only at the shooting range with a parent.
Defense experts have argued that the journal excerpt also helps rebuff the prosecution's claim that the dad gifted the boy a gun, arguing that if the gun was really the boy's, then why did his dad have to hide it?
According to trial testimony, James Crumbley hid the gun in an armoire in his bedroom. It was unloaded in a case, and the ammunition was hidden in another drawer.
The prosecution also saved the shooter's journal for the end of its presentation, and showed jurors the following excerpts:
“I have zero HELP for my mental problems and it’s causing me to shoot up the f------ school.”
“I want help but my parents don’t listen to me so I can’t get any help.”
“All I need is my 9mm pistol which I am currently begging my dad for.”
“I will have to find where my dad hid my 9mm before I can shoot (up) the school.”
“First off I got my gun. It’s a SP2022 Sig Sauer 9mm. Second the shooting is tomorrow. I have access to the gun and the ammo. I am fully committed this to now. So yeah ... I’m going to prison for life and many people have about 1 day left to live.”
A peek inside the shooter's rooms shows shooting targets, shell casings
The jury Tuesday saw photos of the shooter’s two bedrooms, including a messy one where two used shooting targets of human silhouettes hung over his bed and empty shell casings littered his nightstand. An empty whiskey bottle was on the floor. A notebook was on a bed with drawings of a gun.
The jury also saw a photo of the Crumbley’s bedroom, where a photo of an empty gun case and box of ammunition was on the bed. The gun case was used for the 9 mm Sig Sauer handgun that the father had bought just four days before the shooting, the gun his son would eventually use to shoot up the school.
“This is how it was when we came in,” said Oakland County Sheriff’s Detective Adam Stoyek, the first witness to testify Tuesday.
Stoyak helped search the Crumbley home on the day of the shooting, and testified that James Crumbley was cooperative.
For example, in an in-car video after the shooting, Stoyek can be heard asking James Crumbley where the guns are in the house. James Crumbley told him about a case in the couple's bedroom that held the two .22-caliber guns and was locked with a combination of all zeros.
“I’m completely open and I want you guys to do what you have to do,” he said.
Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com
Contact Gina Kaufman: gkaufman@freepress.com. Follow her on X: @ReporterGina.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Prosecution ends case with Oxford High shooting video, leaves court in tears
