OXFORD, Mich. – Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald argued in a court filing Thursday that bond should not be lowered for the parents of the suspected Oxford High School shooter.
James Robert Crumbley and Jennifer Lynn Crumbley are each facing four counts of involuntary manslaughter after police say their son, Ethan Crumbley, killed four students and injured seven other people on Nov. 30 at Oxford High School in Michigan.
McDonald said James and Jennifer Crumbley knew their son was a threat and still bought him a gun. A recently released court filing includes drawings believed to have been made by Ethan Crumbley that include images of guns and ammunition.
Why was so much evidence released at once?
Neil Rockind is a legal analyst. He said the case is a big battle and each side is throwing a lot at it. The defense is throwing a lot at the prosecution and the prosecution is throwing a lot of information at the defense.
The evidence was released in response to attorney’s for the couple requesting to get the judge to lower the bond. Rockind said it’s a huge decision for the judge because she set the bond.
McDonald responded to every argument the attorney’s made in their request to lower bond. She responded with brand new information and said the couple remains a flight risk, was found with four cell phones when they were arrested and they are having massive financial issues and dealing with substance abuse issues.
She said the parents missed warning signs about their son’s mental health including depression and animal torture.
Rockind said he is not surprised at the amount of evidence McDonald made public on Thursday.
“Essentially what the prosecution did, was they put enough on the plate for the judge to look at and think defense if over here -- the prosecution response is here. This is gonna be the prosecutor’s argument, ‘there’s just too much for you to at this point judge, to make a decision changing the bond,’” Rockind said.
Rockind said there is so much new evidence to go over at the bond hearing. Many times judges will keep the bond in place until the preliminary hearing in February, where even more evidence will be presented.