Ethan Crumbley, the accused Oxford High School shooter, is expected to enter a guilty plea during a court hearing on Monday morning and experts are weighing in on what could happen.
Many in the community want to know what is next for Crumbley and experts are saying this will be a case like no other.
“Buckle up,” said Local 4 legal analyst Neil Rockind who says these next steps in the case of the suspected Oxford School shooter could be one wild ride.
“If a juvenile, which Ethan Crumbley clearly is, is convicted of first-degree murder, that just begins the analysis. The next question is whether or not the prosecutor elects to seek to have him sentenced to life without parole,” said Rockind.
It is widely believed that Crumbley will be pleading guilty to 24 charges, including multiple counts of first-degree murder and terrorism.
Legal analyst Neil Rockind believes this can go one of two ways. Life without parole, or a different sentencing structure.
He says it all depends on a few factors. “They’ll focus on things like, how was he in prison? How long has he been in jail? How has he been with the guards? How has he been with others? Has he been attending school? Has he improved psychologically since he’s been in jail? All those things will be factors that will be considered if the prosecutor seeks a sentence of life without parole.”
In addition to Ethan’s case, we are still waiting to see how the case of the Crumbley parents will play out in the courtroom and how it will affect cases going forward.
“Think about the fact that he may not be available to his parents for many, many years as a potential witness,” said Rockind.
Officials say there have been no plea deals or any agreements made in this case whatsoever.
The hearing is expected to be held Monday morning and will be streaming live on Local 4+ and ClickOnDetroit.