OXFORD, Mich. – Oakland County prosecutors exposed new evidence against the parents of the Oxford High School shooter this week, including Facebook messages, interview recordings, and a piece of information about the gun receipt.
In a filing with the Michigan Supreme Court on June 8, prosecutors released more of the evidence they’ve collected against James and Jennifer Crumbley in order to prove that the couple should go to trial on involuntary manslaughter charges.
The Crumbley defense team turned to the state’s Supreme Court last month after the Michigan Court of Appeals upheld a ruling from a lower court to send the parents to trial.
Both parents are facing four counts of involuntary manslaughter after their son opened fire inside Oxford High School in November 2021, killing four students and injuring many others.
Prosecutors argue the shooting was foreseeable to the parents, focusing on the purchase of the gun and messages from both parents that suggest they might have known their son could be a danger to himself and/or others.
In an effort to strengthen probable cause and ensure the case goes to trial, prosecutors revealed a bit more of their evidence against the Crumbleys. They did so “as an offer of proof” that there is more they plan to present during the trial.
“The evidence presented at the preliminary examination exceeded the low bar that is the probable cause standard,” the June 8 filing reads. “But, if there were any question regarding whether this low bar was met, the People note that there is additional evidence to be presented.”
Facebook messages
Facebook messages between James and Jennifer Crumbley were offered as part of this new evidence.
On March 8, Jennifer Crumbley told her husband that she was “freaking out” because she couldn’t reach her son after school, according to the filing. She was frustrated with James Crumbley because he didn’t pick their son up, prosecutors said.
“I told you to pick him up because he’s upset and I don’t want him to do anything stupid, (expletive),” the message said, according to prosecutors.
Officials argue the messages show both parents knew about their son’s “mental distress” several months before the shooting.
Jennifer Crumbley interview
Prosecutors also cited a recorded interview of Jennifer Crumbley right after the shooting, when she tried to “deflect responsibility,” they claim.
“For example, despite her earlier messages to defendant that she was ‘very concerned’ about their son’s drawings and that it constituted an ‘emergency,’ she told the interviewer that she ‘didn’t even look at them closely,’” the filing reads.
In the same interview, she said her “biggest fear was that he was gonna turn the gun on himself,” according to prosecutors.
“Such fear only highlights the foreseeability of their son using the murder weapon, whether it be on himself or others,” the filing reads.
Gun range receipts
Prosecutors said gun range receipts, Jennifer Crumbley’s social media posts, and pictures from the shooting range suggest the parents knew about their son’s proficiency with guns.
The Crumbleys also took the receipt for the murder weapon with them when they fled Oakland County after the shooting, according to the court filing.
“This receipt was on defendant’s person when defendants were apprehended,” the filing says. “Defendants’ flight and the taking of the receipt for the murder weapon during such flight provide an inference of their consciousness of guilt.”
Request to deny appeal
Prosecutors concluded their argument by saying they could present more evidence, but that they believe they have already established enough probable cause to send the case to trial.
The filing argues that the parents’ negligence was a contributing factor in the shooting, and that some sort of harmful act was “reasonably foreseeable.”
“Because the Court of Appeals opinion is consistent with this court’s caselaw and was not clearly erroneous, this court should deny leave to appeal,” the filing concludes.
You can view the full filing below.