Live Blog: Sentence handed down to Jennifer, James Crumbley

Pontiac — The parents of the Oxford High School shooter were sentenced 10 to 15 years in prison Tuesday, drawing to a close historic criminal proceedings that marked the first time a father and mother of a mass school shooter had not just been charged but convicted of manslaughter in connection to their child's crime.

James and Jennifer Crumbley faced a maximum of 15 years in prison for their gross negligence in the 2021 shooting at Oxford High School carried out by their son, Ethan. The sentence was in line with what prosecutors had sought.

More:Parents of Oxford High School shooter sentenced to 10-15 years in historic case

Prosecutor addresses court

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said it was not true that the Crumbleys were left in the dark about their son's challenges. She referenced texts from the shooter about seeing things in the house, Jennifer telling his friend’s mother he was depressed and the shooter telling his friend he asked for help and was denied. 

McDonald said the Crumbleys have not shown remorse and accountability. The victims wanted them to say that they messed up and should’ve taken different actions, she said.

“Jennifer Crumbley and James Crumbley were not convicted based on a narrative,” McDonald said. “They were not convicted because somebody thought they were a bad parent.”

She again called out the Crumbleys' negligence and the suggestion that they are victims. She urged Matthews to even exceed the guidelines.

“They do nothing, and then they come here today and they claim they’re victims of the school, of the prosecution, of the emotional tensions of public opinion,” McDonald said. 

'There are no winners here'

Mariell Lehman, James' attorney, maintained that the gun used in the shooting was stored legally, with the gun and ammunition stored separately.

She also touched on the testimony of the shooter's counselor and the school's dean of students at the time, who said they didn't believe Ethan posed a threat to other people, even with their specialized knowledge and training to recognize warning signs.

“Even those individuals said they did not believe that his son was a threat to other people," said Lehman.

She said whatever Matthews decides, "there are no winners here. Everyone has lost."

Judge Cheryl Matthews seemed to agree, repeating what was said in an earlier memo: "It's possible to be sad for everyone here."

James Crumbley addresses court

Speaking for the first time in court, James addressed the parents' whose children were fatally shot by his son on November 30, 2021, saying his heart is "broken" for everyone involved.

James said he's cried "for your children more times than I can count," he said. "I know your pain and loss will never go away."

"I can’t express how much I wish that I had known what was going on with him (the shooter) or what was going to happen," he said. "I absolutely what have done a lot of things differently."

He asked Matthews for a "just and fair" sentence "based on the truth." He asked for time served with a GPS tether.

“I know the full amount of pressure that you have on you and the responsibility that has been placed on you during this case,” James said, addressing Matthews. “I’m simply going to ask you sentence me in a fair and just way.” 

He also called for the "truth" to be presented to the victims' families.

"It is time that we all know the truth. We have been prohibited from telling the whole truth," he said. "The whole truth has not been told. And I’m with you, Mr. Myre. I too want the truth. Because you have not had it, you have not had the truth at all. The truth has not been presented to you.” 

A 'damned' mother

Shannon Smith addressed how Jennifer has been "damned" in the court of public opinion, portrayed as a mother who was negligent but she was, and is, a caring person.

“(Jennifer) was not the person who was responsible for storing the gun and believed it was being stored properly and that it was locked,” Smith said.

Jennifer Crumbley addresses the court

Jennifer Crumbley expressed her "deepest sorrow" to the victims, acknowledging that there was nothing she could do to ease the victims' pain and suffering. She talked about grief and the "anguish and shame" she feels for her son's action.

"I will be in my own internal prison for the rest of my life," she said.

She also explained the statement she made during her trial that she wouldn't have done anything differently during the trial. She said she said it was misunderstood.

“With the benefit of hindsight and what I know now, my answer would be different,” Jennifer said.

She touched on what school officials said to her and James the morning of the shooting and how they testified that they didn't view her son as a threat. She also contended that the school never asked her and James to take the shooter home that day.

Jennifer also touched on finding faith and praying.

"One day you can wake up and everything can change," she said.

And she maintained that she and James were good parents and wanted their son to have everything he needed.

"We weren't perfect, but we loved our son," she said.

She maintained that what happened to her as a parent could happen to anyone.

"Ethan could be your child, your grandchild," she said.

Tate Myre's family addresses Crumbley

Buck Myre, whose son, Tate Myre, was fatally shot, said he was fighting for everyone in the courtroom room to protect their rights.

“This tragedy has taken an incredible toll on our family,” Myre said, his voice rising with emotion. “So our family isn’t going to give the Crumbley family a second of our time up here.”

Myre said it’s time to turn their focus to Oxford schools, who played a role in the tragedy.

"It's time to drive real change from this tragedy," he said.

Hana St. Juliana's father, sister speak in court

Steve St. Juliana, whose daughter, Hana, was fatally shot in 2021, said his daughter's death has destroyed a large part of his soul.

"Every day is a battle," he said, detailing everything he won't experience with his daughter, from graduation to marriage. "...I mourn all of the memories that will never be."

He said the Crumbleys "continue to choose to blame everyone but themselves."

“Hana, Tate, Madisyn and Justin are the ones who have lost everything,” St. Juliana said. “Not the defendants.” 

Reina St. Juliana, Hana's older sister, said her sister's life had only started. She called her a "light for so many others."

“She took her last breath in her own pool of blood in a school she hadn’t even been in for three months,” Reina said. 

Reina said the Crumbleys did fail as parents.

"Both of you,” Reina said. “Your mistakes created our everlasting nightmare.”

She said after the Crumbleys serve their sentences, she said she hoped they would live their lives more like Hana, "loving unconditionally."

Justin Shilling's parents address Crumbleys

Jill Soave, the mother of Justin Shilling, another student who died, said the ripple effects of James and Jennifer’s failures to act has touched everyone. She said her son was brave, kind and inclusive to all. He was full of love and joy and his future was so bright and full of possibilities.

Soave detailed all the "if only" choices the Crumbleys faced: getting their son counseling rather than buying him a gun; taking him home on the day of the shooting rather than leaving him; and not checking his backpack that day.

She said if they'd made different choices, "I wouldn't be standing here today."

"You have failed your son and failed us all," said Soave, calling for the maximum sentence for both parents.

Craig Shilling, Justin’s father, also called for the maximum sentence. He spoke wearing a sweatshirt with Justin’s smiling face on it. He said every aspect of his life has been impacted by the shooting.

“The wounds are still as fresh as they were that tragic day,” Shilling said. “I fight every day to not lose more of myself in that hole.”

He said the Crumbleys failed in their parental responsibilities and "did nothing" to address their son's deteriorating mental state. They also gave him what he wanted, a gun, and failed to secure it.

Shilling said he "almost died" when he heard Jennifer say during her trial that she wouldn't have done anything differently leading up to the shooting.

"Four precious lives were lost at the hands of her son...," he said. "The blood of our children is on your hands too."

Madisyn Baldwin's mom speaks

Nicole Beausoleil — the mother of Madisyn Baldwin, 17, who also was shot at Oxford High School — said her daughter lit up the room when she walked in and she had an infectious laugh. She said Madisyn had an influence that most would never achieve.

"The passion that she had for everything and everyone was remarkable," she said.

Beausoleil said her mind keeps going back to the moment when Jennifer testified that she wouldn’t do anything different.

“While your son was hearing voices and asking for help, I was helping Madisyn pick out her senior classes. While you were purchasing a gun for your son and leaving it unlocked, I was helping her finish her college essays,” Beausoleil said. “When you left without hesitation and not taking him home, I was worried if she’d be OK driving in her first snowfall of the season and if she brought a coat.”

When the Crumbleys were on the phone with each other, trying to figure out where the gun was, Beausoleil said she was on the phone with Madisyn’s father and family, trying to figure out where she was.

"The one thing I would've wanted to be different was to take that bullet that day," she said. "...You show no remorse, no respect, no compassion for our family."

Beausoleil said the Crumbleys failed as parents and asked Circuit Judge Cheryl Matthews to give them the maximum because of the "life sentence" she'll face without her daughter.

"The punishment that you face will never be enough," she said.

Threats to prosecutor

Mariell Lehman, James' attorney, denied her client was threatening Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald in calls he made from the Oakland County Jail over the last seven months in which he called her expletives and said she was "going down."

"He never threatened harm," Lehman said.

But Oakland County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Marc Keast rejected the notion James wasn't threatening McDonald. He also read some of the threats, noting that James knew the calls were being recorded.

“I don’t know any other purpose for what James Crumbley did other than to interfere with the administration of justice,” Keast said. “Rarely do we see the defendant threatening the prosecutor, let alone the trial team, let alone the elected prosecutor.” 

When Keast read James’ threats into the record, Jennifer glanced at James, shook her head and rolled her eyes. 

False narrative about Crumbleys' arrest?

Shannon Smith, Jennifer's attorney, accused prosecutors of continuing to use a "false narrative" that the Crumbleys were running from police before their arrest in early December 2021. She also accused the media of repeating that narrative "over and over and over again." They were arrested in a warehouse in Detroit, laying on a mattress and with $6,000 in cash.

"I can’t control the media," said Judge Cheryl Matthews. "Trust me."

Still, Smith called out prosecutors for how they handled the couple's arrest.

"It's complete garbage that the prosecution has been able to carry this narrative out through trial," she said.

But Matthews said prosecutors had no obligation to alert the Crumbleys of the charges.

Prosecutors "do not have to make arrangements with you (to turn the defendants in),” Matthews said. “The defendants were aware and did not turn themselves in. … They  brought this circus to the city of Detroit. They did.” 

Separate acts or one act

Attorneys for Jennifer and James raised several questions about the scoring for the sentencing guidelines outlined in a presentence report and whether the shooting in 2021 was one act or four separate acts.

"This is one act that resulted in four deaths," said Lehman, James' attorney. "I'm not trying to minimize that those students were killed" but it was one act... "There aren't four separate acts of gross negligence."

But several times, Matthews said she believed the report was accurate.

Matthews said she believes James and Jennifer weren't charged for their son's actions, but rather, "they were charged with everything they did and didn’t do up until the moment he used that weapon."

Scoring guidelines too high?

Smith, Jennifer's attorney, argued that prosecutors are scoring the sentencing guidelines too high. Both Crumbleys were given points for multiple victims, but Jennifer had no impact on how many people her son shot, Smith said.

Smith repeatedly reiterated there are no previous cases to guide them on how to sentence parents for their child's mass shooting.

"At the end of the day, Mrs. Crumbley shouldn't be sentenced as if she could control that four people were murdered, or if she had shot 100 people."

“The guidelines don’t take into account a situation like this,” Smith said. 

Oakland County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Marc Keast disagreed and said the "statute is extremely clear, four separate counts," for the four students killed.

"They don’t get to have a scoring of zero as if three children weren’t killed," he said.

Matthews agreed with Keast, saying each victim should be counted as a separate act. 

No contact order

Smith, Jennifer's attorney, raised questions about a proposed no contact order in the presentence report that would prohibit Jennifer and James from having contact with one another and their son, Ethan.

"This is a family," Smith said. "Despite even having felonies on their records, they have a constitutional right to be a family unless the prosecution can articulate a reason that is valid and surpasses a certain standard to disrupt the family from being able to have contact with each other."

Matthews said traditionally, codefendants are not housed together in prison. She said the Michigan Department of Corrections would treat James and the shooter as enemies and would not house them together.

Keast said they are asking for the defendants to be treated like any other defendants, and to not allow contact because they are codefendants.

Matthews said she did not see a reason for a no contact order and agreed to hold on making a decision on one.

Alleged inaccuracies in presentencing reports

Attorneys for both parents raised issues about alleged inaccuracies in the presentencing reports, one about James having mental health issues and another about Jennifer never being home.

“It’s very obvious that probation did not sit through trial and hear all the evidence that came out in trial. There is a number of mistakes and it is so biased,” said Smith, Jennifer's attorney, referring to the narrative of the crime in the presentence report. 

Keast said he believed the reports were accurate.

History of substance abuse

A presentence investigation noted both James and Jennifer had issues with drug and alcohol abuse.

Mariell Lehman, James' attorney, said the presentencing report was inaccurate and that he didn't have a substance abuse issue.

Matthews noted that the investigation found that he used marijuana daily and also had issues with alcohol.

Matthews amended the report to note that Jennifer did not have a drug problem.

Defendants in courtroom

Shortly before proceedings began just after 9:15 a.m., James and Jennifer were brought into the courtroom, both in jail uniforms and handcuffs.

The couple, who've been barred from having contact with one another, made no eye contact. Jennifer did look at James, but he didn't look at her.

Who will deliver sentence?

Matthews, who presided over each parent's trial, will deliver their sentences. Victims impact statements will be read in court before the sentence is handed down.

Separate juries found each parent guilty of four counts of involuntary manslaughter earlier this year for the deaths of four students shot by their son at Oxford High School in 2021: Madisyn Baldwin, 17; Tate Myre, 16; Justin Shilling, 17; and Hana St. Juliana, 14.

Families in courtroom

Families of all four victims were in court Tuesday morning: Steve and Reina St. Juliana; Craig Shilling; Buck and Sheri Myre; and Nicole Beausoleil, Madisyn's mom. Krystyna Baldwin, Baldwin's stepmom, also was in court.

Shilling wore a sweatshirt with his son's photo on it. Buck Myre wore a shirt with a name for the peer counseling foundation, 42 Strong, his family created in Tate's memory.

Sentencing memorandums

Oakland County prosecutors portrayed the Crumbleys as grossly negligent parents who not only ignored their son Ethan's spiraling mental health before the 2021 shooting, but bought him a gun, which wasn't securely stored. In their sentencing memorandums for both parents, they also said the Crumbleys have shown little remorse.

Attorneys for Jennifer, 46, and James, 47, meanwhile, are calling for time served. The Crumbleys have been held at the Oakland County Jail since their arrest in December 2021, days after the shooting.

Ethan is already serving a life sentence without the chance of parole after he pleaded guilty and was sentenced in December of 2023. He's now at the Thumb Correctional Facility in Lapeer.

How will James' threats will factor into sentencing

In calls made from Oakland County Jail, James called Oakland County Prosecutor Prosecutor Karen McDonald expletives and said she was "going down." Prosecutors delved into the alleged threats in their sentencing memorandum.

But Lehman, James' attorney, said the calls weren't threats, but her client venting his frustration over the lack of an investigation before he and his wife were charged.

Come back to The Detroit News for more on this developing story.

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