OXFORD, Mich. – The Oxford High School shooter asked his parents to help in the appeal of his life sentence, but they turned him down, court records show.
The shooter pleaded guilty in October 2022 to 24 felony charges, including four counts of first-degree murder linked to the deaths of classmates Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, Justin Shilling, and Hana St. Juliana.
He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Now, at 17 years old, the shooter is fighting his sentence and asking for access to the confidential pre-sentencing reports for his parents, Jennifer and James Crumbley.
The Crumbley parents were both sentenced to 10-15 years in prison after they were convicted of four counts of involuntary manslaughter in separate trials.
The shooter’s defense team argues that his parents’ pre-sentencing reports include information relevant to his appeal. He asked an Oakland County judge for those reports on May 10.
His parents are refusing to disclose those documents, which include information about the family’s home life. That information could “shed light on his upbringing and possible mental state while he was growing up,” NBC reports.
In a response on May 14, James Crumbley asked the judge to deny his son’s motion, saying the shooter could inform his legal team about his home life without the reports.
“Counsel has an able-bodied client who can advise his own counsel as to his family,” James Crumbley’s attorneys wrote.
Jennifer Crumbley’s lawyers also objected to the request.
The shooter’s defense team asked for the reports to be released under a protective order so they can review them without releasing the information to the public.