OXFORD, Mich. – Suspected Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley’s request to be transferred to the Oakland County Children’s Village has been denied, and he will remain in jail.
The decision comes one week after the 15-year-old went in front of a judge to argue that he should return to the Children’s Village. His defense tried to convince a judge that the Oakland County Jail doesn’t meet his needs as a juvenile offender.
“The purpose of this hearing is to determine solely where the defendant should be placed during the pendency of this case -- whether or not he should be placed at the Oakland County Jail or whether or not he should be returned to the Children’s Village, where the case originally started off at before he was charged as an adult,” Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Kwame L. Rowe said.
Prosecutors said Crumbley would be a “menace” to other juveniles at the Children’s Village and that he can be effectively and safely held at the jail. They shared evidence and spoke to three witnesses as part of their argument.
“In a text read with his friend and in his journal, he outlined a plan to stalk, rape, torture and ultimately kill a female classmate,” the prosecutor said. “He expressed delight in torturing a family of baby birds and he wrote about the joy he received in listening to them squeal as he killed them.
“He spoke of his admiration for Adolf Hitler and Jeffrey Dahmer, specifically stating, ‘When you die, you need to be remembered for a long time, doing something that will make people think of you until time ends.’”
A major part of the prosecutors’ argument centered around the possible dangers of Crumbley being around children, considering the charges against him involve high school students.
“To place this defendant with other at-risk juveniles who are presumably the same age has his victims would be contrary to the rehabilitation of those at Children’s Village and pose a potential risk of harm to their safety,” a prosecutor argued.
Crumbley’s defense insisted isolation inside the jail isn’t good for him.
“This extreme isolation is actually not beneficial whatsoever and actually harms Mr. Crumbley,” his defense said. “It is essentially a cement cell with a glass door, and because the rule is that he has to be out of sight and sound from adults, he has very little interaction with anyone.”
After a week of consideration, the judge ultimately sided with prosecution.
Click here to read the testimony from three witnesses who spoke in court that day.
