PONTIAC, Mich. – In a landmark trial, jury selection began Tuesday, Jan. 23, for Jennifer Crumbly, the mother of the convicted Oxford High School shooter.
Cameras were prohibited in the courtroom during the juror selection process.
Background: Jury selection begins for mother of Oxford High School shooter
She and her husband James Crumbley are the first parents to be charged in connection with a school shooting.
The historic case will be watched across the country. Jennifer Crumbley is accused of not doing enough to stop her son and faces of four counts of involuntary manslaughter.
Prosecutors will need to prove that she was aware her son had access to the gun and was was negligent in caring for him. Crumbley has argued she didn’t know what her son was planning.
The jury selection process moved slowly. 325 potential jurors were summoned to Oakland County courts. The judge has been asking the potential jurors about their ability to serve impartially, leading to dismissals for some due to pre-existing commitments.
Watch: Inside the Crumbley jury selection process
The prosecutor claims the parents purchased the gun used in the killings of Justin Shilling, Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre and Hannah Saint Juliana and ignored warning signs in their son’s behavior.
The defense is pushing for Crumbley’s son to testify. The shooter had said in his diary that he reached out to his parents for mental health help in the days leading up to the shooting and they ignored him. Crumbley’s attorney said he spoke to doctors and psychiatrists, and not to his parents for mental help.
The judge said she expects to have a jury seated by the end of Wednesday.
Jennifer’s husband, James, also faces charges, but a request for separate trials was granted in November. James Crumbley’s trial is scheduled for March 5.
