OXFORD, Mich. – Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of the Oxford High School shooter, has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in a landmark ruling and potential precedent-setting case.
A jury returned with the verdict on Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 6, 2024, after listening to seven days of testimony. They heard from 21 witnesses called by the prosecution, followed by Crumbley herself -- the only person called to the stand by the defense.
Prosecutors had the burden of proving that Crumbley caused the deaths of 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin, 16-year-old Tate Myre, 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, and 17-year-old Justin Shilling, four Oxford High School students who were shot and killed by Crumbley’s son on Nov. 30, 2021.
For Crumbley to be guilty of involuntary manslaughter, the jurors had to determine that she caused the deaths of those students by either failing to provide reasonable care or being grossly negligent in providing care.
“Those theories are two different ways to prove the same crime,” Judge Cheryl A. Matthews said. “Either or both of these theories, if proven, are sufficient to establish the crime of involuntary manslaughter.”
Reasonable care involves a parent’s duty to take action to control a child when it’s necessary to prevent harm. Gross negligence means “willfully disregarding the results to others that might result from an act or failure to act.”
In other words, prosecutors had to show that Crumbley knew or should have known that her son was a danger to others and taken action to prevent him from being able to take that harmful action.
Crumbley’s guilt also needed to be proved beyond a “reasonable doubt.”
“A person accused of a crime is presumed to be innocent,” Matthews said. “This means you must start with the presumption that the defendant is innocent. This presumption continues throughout the trial and entitles the defendant to a verdict of not guilty, unless you’re satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that she is guilty.”
Matthews said in order to reach a guilty verdict, each element of involuntary manslaughter must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, which is defined as “a doubt based on reason and common sense.”
Crumbley’s husband, James Crumbley, will face a separate trial in the near future. The pair were originally going to be tried together, but they asked for separate trials in November, and a judge granted their request.
“My first thoughts today are with the families of the victims and the community so terribly impacted by this tragedy. You have my unwavering support. I know that this is not just a reopening of a wound, it is tearing wider a wound that has yet to heal. Each time my staff re-lives that terrible day in that school through their testimony, I can see the burden in their faces.
I applaud the jury that plowed new ground with this verdict today. If among a parent’s first thoughts when you hear word there is an active shooter at your child’s school isn’t to wonder if my child is hurt but is my son the gunman. That tells me you saw the signs and did nothing. Accountability and responsibility matter. There is ongoing help and support for the community not just through the Sheriff’s Office, but through the Oxford Resiliency center. Reach out.”
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard
Full coverage of trial
Click here to watch the full replays of testimony from all 22 witnesses in the trial.
If you want to read moment-by-moment updates about what happened each day, you can do so with our update articles below:
Here are deeper dives into some of the notable moments from the trial:
- Jury selection: Jury seated ahead of trial