OXFORD, Mich. – Jennifer and James Crumbley, the parents of the Oxford High School shooter, were sentenced Tuesday after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
Judge Cheryl A. Matthews sentenced both Crumbleys to 10-15 years in prison, with credit for 858 days served.
Though the Crumbleys elected to have separate trials over the past two months, the end result was the same. Jennifer Crumbley was found guilty on all four counts of involuntary manslaughter on Feb. 6, 2024, and her husband met the same fate on March 14.
Here are some quick facts about the case:
- The four counts of involuntary manslaughter stem from the deaths of 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, 16-year-old Tate Myre, 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin, and 17-year-old Justin Shilling.
- Defense attorney Shannon Smith represents Jennifer Crumbley, and defense attorney Mariell Lehman represents James Crumbley. Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald and assistant Prosecutor Marc Keast represent the people. Oakland County Circuit Judge Cheryl A. Matthews heard both cases.
- The shooter was sentenced in December to life in prison without the chance of parole.
Here are the full updates from the sentencing.
Video of judge’s sentence
- 1:05 p.m. Tuesday
🎥 Here’s video of the judge revealing her sentence:
Sentencing breakdown
- 12:51 p.m. Tuesday
📄 Click here to read more about the sentencing.
Crumbley parents’ statements
- 12:49 p.m. Tuesday
🎥 Here are videos of the Crumbley parents’ statements:
Victim impact statements
- 12:43 p.m. Tuesday
🎥 Here are videos of the victim impact statements:
Sentences
- 12:35 p.m. Tuesday
Matthews said the following sentences are in the best interest of justice and are reasonable and proportionate:
- Jennifer Crumbley: 10-15 years with the Michigan Department of Correction, with credit for 858 days.
- James Crumbley: 10-15 years with the Michigan Department of Correction, with credit for 858 days.
‘Out-of-guidelines sentence appropriate’
- 12:34 p.m. Tuesday
Matthews said “an out-of-guidelines” sentence is appropriate and proportional.
‘Night and day’
- 12:33 p.m. Tuesday
Matthews said the court has spent “night and day” on this case. She’s considered the need to protect society and the ability for rehabilitation.
Matthews addresses Crumbley parents
- 12:31 p.m. Tuesday
Matthews said James Crumbley allowed “unfettered access” to guns and ammunition. She said he made himself out to be a martyr and threatened the prosecution.
Matthews said Jennifer Crumbley’s comment that she wouldn’t do anything differently “cut the victims deep.”
Matthews talks about ignoring signs
- 12:29 p.m. Tuesday
Matthews said it’s not the role of the court to make an example of the defendants.
She also said parenting is a complex job. But these convictions are not about parenting, she said. They’re about repeated acts or non-acts.
She said they ignored things that would make the hair on the necks of reasonable people’s necks stand up.
Matthews ‘knows her job’
- 12:28 p.m. Tuesday
Matthews said she’s very aware of her job not to be swayed by public opinion or the media.
Prosecution request
- 12:26 p.m. Tuesday
McDonald asked the judge to exceed the guidelines.
“We’re asking you to consider the devastating impact of their gross negligence that was foreseeable,” McDonald said. “’Help me.’ ‘Blood everywhere.’ ‘The world is dead.’ All the while, a 9 mm had just been purchased for him, and 50 rounds of ammunition.”
McDonald said the families will never get back another moment with those four children.
Pressure of sentencing
- 12:24 p.m. Tuesday
McDonald said there’s case law that suggests what sentence can be handed down.
She said victims can’t decide sentences, but their emotions should be considered.
McDonald said the families aren’t pressuring the judge -- the severity and the impact of the crime is one of the factors to be considered during sentencing.
Conviction ‘narrative’
- 12:23 p.m. Tuesday
McDonald said the parents weren’t convicted based on a narrative or because they were bad parents.
Remorse
- 12:22 p.m. Tuesday
McDonald said the remorse the parents are showing isn’t what the families are looking for. She said they want to hear the Crumbleys acknowledge that they made mistakes and that they are ready to be held accountable for those mistakes.
Parents’ concerns
- 12:21 p.m. Tuesday
McDonald said Jennifer Crumbley’s own statements acknowledge that she was called to the school and told to get help for her son. But she left.
Sentence request
- 12:20 p.m. Tuesday
Karen McDonald said the assertion that the parents were left in the dark is not true and was disproved at trial.
She referenced texts from the shooter that he was seeing things, that he asked for help, and that his parents laughed at him.
Sentence request
- 12:19 p.m. Tuesday
She asked the court to sentence James Crumbley to time served and supervision with a GPS tether.
She said the court has “significantly strong pressure” to issue a longer sentence.
Perceived threat
- 12:17 p.m. Tuesday
Lehman said even school officials with special training didn’t believe that the shooter was a threat to other people.
No knowledge of intentions
- 12:16 p.m. Tuesday
Lehman said there’s no evidence that James Crumbley had knowledge of his son’s intentions or that he had access to the weapon.
She said the gun might not have been stored responsibly, but it was stored legally.
Mariell Lehman on James Crumbley
- 12:15 p.m. Tuesday
Lehman said it’s not true that James Crumbley doesn’t accept any responsibility or show remorse.
She said in the same calls that the prosecution is trying to use to accuse him of threatening McDonald, he expressed that he wishes he would have known his son was a danger.
She said there has never been a time when James Crumbley hasn’t feel “horrific grief” for the victims, himself, and his own child.
“He grieves for the child he believed he had, not the one who pled guilty,” Lehman said.
Mariell Lehman speaks
- 12:14 p.m. Tuesday
Lehman spoke, saying she’s not going to belabor any points that have already been made.
Oxford schools
- 12:14 p.m. Tuesday
James Crumbley said he wanted to talk about what Tate Myre’s father said. He said the whole truth has not been told in terms of the culpability of Oxford schools.
“The truth has not been presented to you,” James Crumbley said.
Sentence request
- 12:12 p.m. Tuesday
“If I could go back and do things differently, maybe none of us would be here today,” James Crumbley said.
He asked the court to sentence him to time served and place him on probation for the maximum time allowed with a GPS tether for “as long as the court deems necessary.”
James Crumbley to Judge Matthews
- 12:10 p.m. Tuesday
James Crumbley said he hasn’t spoken to his son since Nov. 30, 2021, and hasn’t spoken to his wife since Dec. 3, 2021.
He said his experience pales in comparison to what the families of the four students who were killed have been through.
He said he grieves for what happened.
James Crumbley to Judge Matthews
- 12:10 p.m. Tuesday
James Crumbley addressed Matthews and said he understands the pressure and responsibility that’s been placed on her during the case.
He said he has the utmost respect for her, and asked that she sentence him in a fair and just way.
“You know that what my son did, I was not aware of, or that he was planning it, or that he obtained access to the firearms in my house,” James Crumbley said. “There was absolutely no evidence that suggested that.”
‘I would have done things differently’
- 12:09 p.m. Tuesday
He said he wants the families to know how truly sorry he is for what happened. He said he has cried for their losses more times than he can count.
“Part of you will be missing forever, but please know that I am truly sorry,” James Crumbley said. “I am sorry for your loss as a result of what my son did. I cannot express how much I wish that I had known what was going on with him or what was going to happen, because I absolutely would have done a lot of things differently.”
James Crumbley speaks to families
- 12:08 p.m. Tuesday
James Crumbley said he can’t imagine the pain and agony of the families who lost their children.
“As a parent, our biggest fear is losing our child or our children, and to lose a child is unimaginable,” James Crumbley said. “My heart is really broken for everybody involved.”
James Crumbley speaks
- 12:07 p.m. Tuesday
James Crumbley stood and removed his headphones and glasses to speak to the courtroom.
Emotions
- 12:06 p.m. Tuesday
Smith said there has been immense speculation about whether or not Jennifer Crumbley was “sad enough,” yet when she cried in the courtroom there was an objection from the prosecution about crying.
Matthews said she doesn’t doubt that the parents were in shock after the shooting.
‘Good heart’
- 12:05 p.m. Tuesday
Smith said Jennifer Crumbley has a “good heart” and no criminal history. She has an “enormous amount of love for her son,” Smith said.
She said the way Jennifer Crumbley has been painted by the case, the victim impact statements, and the media is not congruent with the truth.
Oxford schools
- 12:04 p.m. Tuesday
Smith said Oxford schools failed not only the victims, but also the Crumbley parents.
Judge’s reaction to Smith’s comments
- 12:03 p.m. Tuesday
Smith’s assertions that Jennifer Crumbley wasn’t responsible for the gun and that the gun was locked at the home didn’t go over well with Matthews.
Gun locks
- 12:02 p.m. Tuesday
Smith said there were multiple cable locks in the house. She said the shooter did something with the cable lock.
“Factually, during Mrs. Crumbley’s trial, it was not proven that the gun was not locked,” Smith said.
Matthews interrupts
- 11:59 a.m. Tuesday
Smith said Jennifer Crumbley was not the person responsible for storing the gun, and she believed it was stored properly.
Matthews interrupted Smith and said that’s an issue that has troubled her because she texted her husband about how much the gun cost, she shot the gun, and she posted pictures of the gun.
Matthews said the first jury determined that Jennifer Crumbley drove home with the gun from the gun range, and before James Crumbley got home, the shooter filmed a video with the gun.
Smith said that’s not correct. She said Jennifer Crumbley left the gun in the car for her husband to store it when he got home.
Compassion
- 11:59 a.m. Tuesday
Smith said Jennifer Crumbley does have compassion and spends nights crying not only for her son and herself, but for all of the victims.
Defense ‘hamstrung’
- 11:58 a.m. Tuesday
Smith said the defense was hamstrung because they couldn’t call the shooter or medical experts to the stand.
“I do believe the shooter would have helped and I do believe the forensic records would have helped,” Smith said.
Smith said there was an effort to make Jennifer Crumbley look like a horrible person and mother.
Victims’ families
- 11:57 a.m. Tuesday
Smith said it’s not surprising that the families want the maximum sentence because there’s a narrative that they believe to be true.
Shannon Smith speaks
- 11:56 a.m. Tuesday
Shannon Smith addressed the judge and said there are no winners in this case.
She said when Jennifer Crumbley expresses sadness, there’s a tendency for people to say she’s “shifting sadness from the victims and putting it on herself.”
Smith said there’s enough sadness to go around for all the victims and everyone involved in the case.
Addressing judge
- 11:55 a.m. Tuesday
Jennifer Crumbley said she doesn’t envy the decision Matthews has to make at the sentencing because there are pressures coming from many sides to issue the maximum sentence.
She said she carries remorse and deep regret.
“I will be in my own internal prison for the rest of my life,” Jennifer Crumbley said.
She asked for a “fair and judge sentence.”
‘Slander and hate’
- 11:54 a.m. Tuesday
Jennifer Crumbley said she can forgive the prosecution for the slander and hate against her and her husband. She said she has hated them, but understands that like her, they are imperfect.
She told the victims and their families that she won’t ask for forgiveness, but she wanted to apologize for the pain they’ve suffered.
‘It can happen to you, too’
- 11:53 a.m. Tuesday
“If there’s anything the general public can take away from this, it’s that it can happen to you, too,” Jennifer Crumbley said.
She said she still loves her son unconditionally.
‘I know we did our best’
- 11:52 a.m. Tuesday
She said it’s a stereotype that bad kids come from bad parents. She said the prosecution wanted to paint them as bad parents.
“We were the average family,” Jennifer Crumbley said. We weren’t perfect, but we loved our son and each other tremendously.”
She said, “I know we did our best.”
She said any parent could be in her shoes.
Meeting at high school
- 11:51 a.m. Tuesday
Jennifer Crumbley said the parents were never asked to take their son home that day, and that they would have done so.
She said they were told it would be best for their son to be around his peers.
Issues at school
- 11:49 a.m. Tuesday
Jennifer Crumbley said she was horrified to learn during the course of the trial about all the issues school officials had with her son without her knowledge.
“Not only were we left in the dark about previous concerning behavior, but in the counselor’s office that morning, none of those previous issues were brought to our attention,” Jennifer Crumbley said.
If they had known about all those previous issues, they would have taken more action, she said.
She said she wonders if Hopkins and Ejak have those same regrets, too.
‘Nothing she would change’
- 11:48 a.m. Tuesday
Jennifer Crumbley said when she said there was nothing she would change, she meant that her son seemed normal and she didn’t think she could have acted differently in the moment.
She said with the information she has now, things would “absolutely be different.”
“He was not the son I knew when I woke up on Nov. 30,” she said.
She said her son was a “good, quiet kid” who loved his pets and family vacations.
Message to families
- 11:47 a.m. Tuesday
Jennifer Crumbley said there’s nothing she can say to ease the suffering of the victims and their suffering.
She said she has spent countless nights thinking about what her son did to the Oxford community.
Jennifer Crumbley speaks
- 11:46 a.m. Tuesday
Jennifer Crumbley spoke next.
‘Time for the whole truth’
- 11:44 a.m. Tuesday
“It’s time for the whole truth to come out,” Buck Myre said. “It’s time to learn from this -- from the purchase of the gun, to the response. That’s when real change happens.”
He asked the families of the other three students if they’re ready for change.
Oxford schools’ role in tragedy
- 11:42 a.m. Tuesday
Buck Myre said it’s time to turn the focus to Oxford schools, “who played a role in the tragedy.”
“I fight for everybody in this room,” he said. “My rights aren’t being protected. Criminals’ rights are more important than our rights, my rights.
“We are ready for our government to perform an investigation on this tragedy.”
He said there should be an investigation into the “horrible response” to this tragedy and the “disrespect shown to us families.”
He called out Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, saying the sheriff referred to Tate Myre as a girl because he was “working to cover it up, instead of learning about every kid.”
Tate Myre’s father speaks
- 11:41 a.m. Tuesday
Buck Myre, the father of Tate Myre, spoke next.
He said it’s not time to celebrate the guilty verdicts, because the tragedy took an “incredible toll on our family.”
He said his family isn’t going to give the Crumbleys “as second of their time up here.”
No remorse or accountability
- 11:40 a.m. Tuesday
He said when the trials first started, he was focused on getting a guilty verdict, but he didn’t have strong feelings about their sentencing.
That view has changed because of their level of defiance, he said. They continue to show no remorse or accountability.
“They blame everyone but themselves and make threats of retribution,” Steve St. Juliana said.
He asked for the maximum allowable penalty.
Father talks about Hana St. Juliana
- 11:38 a.m. Tuesday
He said his daughter would go out of her way to help people who needed it. She was talented and curious, he said.
Steve St. Juliana said his daughter had aspirations to have a career dedicated to helping people. That’s all gone because the parents’ actions, he said.
Everyday struggles
- 11:37 a.m. Tuesday
He said he remains a shell of the person he used to be. He thinks of his daughter constantly, and every day is a battle.
He said he struggles to get out of bed to go through the motions of everyday life.
No accountability
- 11:37 a.m. Tuesday
“The defendants, through their choices and their gross negligence, enabled their son to murder my daughter and three other students,” Steve St. Juliana said.
He said they chose to stay silent. He said they keep objecting during proceedings and refusing to take any of the blame.
Father of Hana St. Juliana speaks
- 11:35 a.m. Tuesday
Hana St. Juliana’s father, Steve, spoke next, saying he was in an “odd state of mind today,” probably because he had to deliver another victim impact statement. He said he’s a private person and he can’t match the eloquent words that were read before him.
Addressing shooter’s parents
- 11:34 a.m. Tuesday
Reina St. Juliana said her sister was more of a person than the Crumbley parents combined could ever be, “times a trillion.”
‘You don’t have to roll your eyes’
- 11:31 a.m. Tuesday
At one point, Reina St. Juliana stopped reading and addressed one of the Crumbley parents -- apparently Jennifer Crumbley.
“You don’t have to roll your eyes -- it’s on video that she said that,” Reina St. Juliana said during her statement.
‘No punishment is enough’
- 11:30 a.m. Tuesday
Reina St. Juliana said the parents call themselves victims, but victims didn’t have a hand in causing the shooting.
She said there’s no punishment that could ever be enough, because she will always have to live without her little sister.
Failures as parents
- 11:28 a.m. Tuesday
Reina St. Juliana said the Crumbleys failed as parents. She said it was up to them to show their son how to love and be loved.
She said they’re still dangers to society because even after serving two years, they’ve yet to admit to their wrongdoings.
Hana St. Juliana’s sister speaks
- 11:27 a.m. Tuesday
Reina St. Juliana, the sister of Hana St. Juliana, spoke next.
Parenting
- 11:25 a.m. Tuesday
Shilling said there’s a responsibility to teach a child how to live and to set a good example. He said the sooner they can figure that out, the better off they all will be.
James Crumbley’s lack of remorse
- 11:23 a.m. Tuesday
Shilling said what stands out most about James Crumbley is that he shook his head in total disagreement when his verdict was read.
“He truly believes he did nothing wrong,” Shilling said. “How could you possibly think that? Four precious lives were lost at the hands of your son.”
He said he doesn’t understand how someone can wallow is a pool of self-pity when the blood of four children is on his hands.
Shilling said James Crumbley needs the maximum sentence for his lack of remorse and to understand his role in what happened.
‘She wouldn’t have changed a thing’
- 11:21 a.m. Tuesday
Shilling said he almost cried when Jennifer Crumbley said she wouldn’t change anything that happen, even knowing that four students were killed.
“She still says that she wouldn’t have changed a thing,” Shilling said.
He said this is why Jennifer Crumbley deserves the maximum sentence. He pointed to her lack of remorse and said she needs the full time to consider the gravity of the situation.
Securing weapon
- 11:20 a.m. Tuesday
Shilling said the parents supplied the weapon that their son wanted and failed to secure it.
He said the parents carry the “bulk of the responsibility” for mishandling many of the things that could have stopped the school shooting.
He said they failed their son, and ultimately the entire community.
‘Heinous acts of violence’
- 11:18 a.m. Tuesday
He said every single aspect of his life has been affected by the shooting.
He said James and Jennifer Crumbley neglected their son and provided him the tools necessary to carry out “heinous acts of violence.”
Describing emotions
- 11:17 a.m. Tuesday
Shilling said he doesn’t know what he could possibly say that the situation doesn’t already say for itself.
He said he hopes nobody else will ever have to give a victim impact statement.
He described the emotions he’s felt, such as sadness, anxiety, stress, and anger.
He said it’s been nearly two and a half years, and the wounds are still as fresh as they were that day.
Father of Justin Shilling speaks
- 11:15 a.m. Tuesday
Craig Shilling, the father of Justin Shilling, took the podium while wearing a sweatshirt showing his son’s face.
Maximum sentence request
- 11:14 a.m. Tuesday
Soave asked for maximum sentence for the Crumbley parents.
Justin’s note to mom on last birthday
- 11:13 a.m. Tuesday
Soave shared what her son wrote to her on his last birthday. She said it was an example of how a loving parent-child relationship should look.
Soave said it doesn’t appear the Crumbleys cherished or wanted their son.
“You have failed your son, and you have failed us all,” Soave said.
Crumbleys’ failures
- 11:12 a.m. Tuesday
Soave said her son would be getting ready to celebrate his 20th birthday if the Crumbleys had taken their son to counseling instead of buying him a gun.
She said they could have spoken up in the counseling office, checked his backpack, or taken him home.
Soave talks about her son
- 11:11 a.m. Tuesday
Soave said Justin was the best son that any mother could pray for. She said he was brave and spent his final moments protecting someone else.
“He was kind and inclusive to all,” Soave said. “He was full of love and joy. His future was so very bright and full of possibilities.”
Justin Shilling’s mother speaks
- 11:10 a.m. Tuesday
Jill Soave, the mother of Justin Shilling, thanked the judge and the prosecution team for their handling of the case.
Sentence
- 11:09 a.m. Tuesday
Beausoleil asked for the maximum sentence, saying it’s nothing close to the life sentence she’s been given.
Video of murder
- 11:09 a.m. Tuesday
Beausoleil said she had to watch video of their son putting a gun to her daughter’s head and pull the trigger. She described identifying her daughter after her daughter’s body had been left in a pool of blood.
“The so-called loss that you say you’ve suffered doesn’t compare to the loss of a child,” Beausoleil said.
Shaking heads during verdict
- 11:08 a.m. Tuesday
Beausoleil said the Crumbley parents shaking their heads while their verdicts were read is the most disrespectful thing she’s ever seen.
No compassion
- 11:07 a.m. Tuesday
“You say you wouldn’t do anything different,” Beausoleil said “Well that really says what type of parents you are, because there’s a lot of things I would do different. The one thing I would have wanted to be different would be to take that bullet that day, so she could live the life she deserved.”
Beausoleil said the Crumbleys show no compassion for the families of the victims.
“The lack of compassion you have shown is disgusting,” she said. “Not only did your son kill my daughter, but you both did, as well. The words ‘involuntary’ shouldn’t be part of your offense.”
Mistakes become decisions
- 11:04 a.m. Tuesday
Beausoleil said when the Crumbleys made the same mistakes over and over again, their mistakes became decisions, and they took her daughter away.
“You cared more about your well-being than the one life that you should put above anyone: your child,” Beausoleil said.
‘The worst possible thing’
- 11:04 a.m. Tuesday
She said the Crumbleys were getting alcohol and supplies before their arrest, and meanwhile, she was identifying her daughter’s body and planning a funeral.
“While you were running away from your son and your responsibilities, I was forced to do the worst possible thing a parent could do,”Beausoleil said. “I was forced to say goodbye to my Madisyn.”
Her daughter came first
- 11:03 a.m. Tuesday
Beausoleil said the Crumbleys were worried about getting a lawyer and what people thought of them, she was still trying to contact her daughter, because her daughter always came first.
Calling hospitals
- 11:02 a.m. Tuesday
She said they called police knowing their son had taken their gun. Meanwhile she was calling hospitals to describe her daughter’s appearance.
She said when they found out what their son did that they, she was still waiting for her daughter in the Meijer parking lot.
Addressing Crumbleys
- 11:01 a.m. Tuesday
Beausoleil said while the Crumbleys’ son was hearing voices and receiving a gun, she was helping her daughter apply for college and write her essays.
She said when the parents were called to the school the morning of the shooting, Beausoleil was rearranging her schedule to take Madisyn for an oil change.
Jennifer Crumbley ‘wouldn’t do anything different’
- 10:59 a.m. Tuesday
Beausoleil thanked the prosecution team for the work they put into this case and for taking the families’ feelings into consideration.
She said her mind keeps going back to something that happened during the trial: When Jennifer Crumbley said she wouldn’t do anything different.
Beausoleil talks about her daughter
- 10:57 a.m. Tuesday
Beausoleil spoke about her daughter, saying Madisyn had “pure talent” in poetry and art.
“The passion that she had for everything and everyone was remarkable,” Beausoleil said.
She said her daughter is the best thing that ever happened to her.
Mother of Madisyn Baldwin speaks
- 10:56 a.m. Tuesday
Nicole Beausoleil, the mother of Madisyn Baldwin, is the first person to make a statement in court.
Court resumes
- 10:54 a.m. Tuesday
Judge Matthews returned, and court is back in session.
Jennifer Crumbley returns
- 10:49 a.m. Tuesday
Jennifer Crumbley was escorted back into the courtroom. She took her place between Smith and Lehman.
James Crumbley returns
- 10:48 a.m. Tuesday
James Crumbley was escorted back into the courtroom. He took his place beside Lehman.
Both sides back in courtroom
- 10:39 a.m. Tuesday
Both defense attorneys and the prosecution have returned to their places in the courtroom.
What’s next
- 10:34 a.m. Tuesday
When court returns, we will hear victim impact statements from several people in the gallery, including parents and loved ones of the four students who were killed in the school shooting.
Court takes break
- 10:21 a.m. Tuesday
The court took a break before the start of victim impact statements.
Jennifer and James Crumbley were escorted separately from the courtroom.
Judge reads names of written statements
- 10:15 a.m. Tuesday
Matthews read a list of names of people who provided written statements about the sentencing to the court.
No further objections
- 10:14 a.m. Tuesday
Smith and Lehman said they have no further objections.
Matthews agrees about threats
- 10:12 a.m. Tuesday
Matthews said she believes those were indeed threats against the prosecutor, regardless of whether James Crumbley was in any position to follow through on the threats.
Keast on jail threats
- 10:12 a.m. Tuesday
Matthews said the threats could be played or read in court, if needed. Keast said he hoped not to have to do that.
Keast said James Crumbley knew that his jail calls were being recorded and that McDonald would listen to them. He said the calls were made while McDonald was “actively prosecuting the case.”
Here are some of the comments Keast read from the transcript: “There will be retribution,” and “I am on a rampage,” and “your a-- is going down,” and “you’d better be f------ scared.”
Matthews agreed that the variable was correctly scored.
Jail threats
- 10:11 a.m. Tuesday
Lehman said the statements made by James Crumbley while he was incarcerated were “venting frustrations,” but never “threatened harm.”
He was scored 15 points based on the assertion that he threatened physical harm to McDonald. Lehman said that scoring should be zero.
“There have been no threats of physical harm,” Lehman said.
Matthews weighs in
- 10:09 a.m. Tuesday
Matthews called it “simply not true” that Jennifer Crumbley took four Xanax and drank vodka and went to sleep before 11:16 p.m. the night they were arrested. That was what Jennifer Crumbley testified.
Matthews also called it “highly improbable” that the parents were asleep and didn’t know that police were searching the Detroit building.
Smith vs. Keast continues
- 10:07 a.m. Tuesday
Keast brought up the text messages about being on the run that were sent by Jennifer Crumbley’s phone, and Smith reiterated that it was James Crumbley who sent those messages on the phone. She claimed Jennifer Crumbley was already asleep at the time those messages were sent.
Keast and Smith spoke over each other for a few moments before Matthews clarified that it’s unclear to the court whether or not the parents intended to flee.
Matthews said the Crumbleys are the ones who “brought this circus to Detroit.”
Smith continues to argue about flight
- 10:05 a.m. Tuesday
Smith said prosecutors claimed the Crumbleys were “crouching” in the art studio, and that that was reported by the media.
Matthews said she knows the Crumbleys were lying on a mattress, not crouching near it (which would imply that they were hiding).
“It’s complete garbage that the prosecution has been allowed to carry that narrative through trial,” Smith said.
Issue of flight resurfaces
- 10:03 a.m. Tuesday
Smith continued raising objections to defense variables. This time, she argued about the issue of flight.
Keast interrupted her argument and said that matter was disputed over and over during the trials. Matthews agreed.
Smith was allowed to continue her argument, but Matthews made it known that she is not going to agree to her objection.
Smith argued that the media has reported inaccuracies about the issue of flight, and Matthews said she has no way to control the media.
Arguments continue
- 9:56 a.m. Tuesday
The two sides continued to argue about whether the number of deaths during the school shooting should increase the number of “points” in the sentencing scoring.
Lehman and Smith continually pointed out that it was the shooter’s acts that caused multiple deaths, regardless of whether the parents were negligent. Keast said the sentencing guidelines are clear.
Matthews agreed with the prosecution on each matter.
Matthews makes ruling
- 9:49 a.m. Tuesday
Matthews concluded that the scoring was done correctly and ruled in favor of the prosecution.
Keast: ‘Zero support’
- 9:47 a.m. Tuesday
Keast said there is “zero support” for the defense’s argument. He said four children were murdered and because of that, the parents were convicted of four counts.
He said the statute is “extremely clear.”
“They don’t get to have a scoring as if three children weren’t killed,” Keast said.
Lehman weighs in
- 9:47 a.m. Tuesday
Lehman also objected to the scoring.
“This is not a case where there were four separate grossly negligent acts alleged,” Lehman said. “There were four counts for the four deaths of the students.”
Lehman said James Crumbley didn’t make four separate criminal acts. She said it’s not like speeding through four stop signs and causing four crashes that resulted in death.
“In this case, it is arguable one grossly negligent act that resulted in four deaths,” Lehman said.
She said the sentencing guidelines don’t properly consider the facts of this unique case.
Smith on multiple deaths
- 9:43 a.m. Tuesday
Smith argued that Jennifer Crumbley’s crimes are not changed by how many people were killed in the shooting.
She said when the shooter made the decision to fire shots at the school, it was in his hands how many people were killed.
Smith said the basis of the four convictions were four deaths, not four “acts by Mrs. Crumbley.”
Schedule for no-contact discussion
- 9:39 a.m. Tuesday
Keast asked for a week to respond. Matthews said that response will be made by April 16, and the defense will then have a week, until April 23, to respond afterward.
Lehman put on the record that she and James Crumbley also object to the no-contact order.
Issue to be brought up later
- 9:38 a.m. Tuesday
The probation representative said there’s no precedent for this type of situation so she put it in at her own disgression.
Matthews said she doesn’t see any reason for the no-contact order and asked if there’s any response.
Keast asked if the issue could be brought up at a later time without adjourning the sentencing. Matthews agreed.
The issue will be brought up later: Can the Crumbley parents and the shooter communicate and/or visit each other while they’re imprisoned.
Prosecution responds
- 9:35 a.m. Tuesday
Keast said the prosecution is that the parents be treated like any other defendants.
He said since they are co-defendants and the shooter is a related defendant, they shouldn’t be able to communicate.
Matthews said they wouldn’t be housed together since they are opposite genders anyway.
Keast said the reason for the no-contact is the nature of the crime and the fact that they are related defendants.
‘Enemies’
- 9:34 a.m. Tuesday
Matthews said if James Crumbley and the shooter are in prison, they will be categorized as “enemies” so that they aren’t housed in the same facility.
Matthews said she’s not clear if there’s any objection from the prosecution.
No-contact clause
- 9:34 a.m. Tuesday
Smith argued against the no-contact clause that would stop Jennifer Crumbley from speaking to her husband and the shooter during her sentence.
Smith said they are a family and have a right to communicate.
Evidence
- 9:33 a.m. Tuesday
Lehman said many items in the narrative were not included in James Crumbley’s trial, such as the 2,000 messages between the parents.
Those messages were admitted for Jennifer Crumbley’s trial, but not James Crumbley’s trial.
Lehman said she wants his to be specific to his case.
Keast disagrees
- 9:32 a.m. Tuesday
Keast said he disputes the assertion that the probation narrative is inaccurate.
Lehman weighs in on probation narrative
- 9:31 a.m. Tuesday
Lehman said it’s clear that the narrative was “mostly written after Jennifer Crumbley’s trial.” She said it appears to her that it appears it was done before James Crumbley’s trial.
Matthews said she agrees. She clarified that the information was taken from the police report, and that’s how the Department of Corrections operates.
Smith’s issue with probation
- 9:28 a.m. Tuesday
Smith said the probation office’s summary of the trial is incredibly biased and has so many mistakes she could “talk about them for 10 minutes.”
Smith used as an example that the report says Jennifer Crumbley was “rarely home.” Matthews agreed that that is not a crime.
Individualized sentences
- 9:26 a.m. Tuesday
Matthews said the parents will get individualized sentencing, but it made sense to allow the victim impact statements to be made all at once, instead of making victims return twice for separate sentencing hearings.
Criminal history
- 9:23 a.m. Tuesday
Lehman brought up one item on James Crumbley’s criminal history, saying he was issued a citation that was later dismissed.
The citation was issued Aug. 9, 2017, Lehman said.
Matthews on substance use
- 9:21 a.m. Tuesday
Matthews agreed to strike drug abuse for Jennifer Crumbley, but kept “substance” and “alcohol” abuse for both parents.
Substance abuse
- 9:19 a.m. Tuesday
Both Lehman and Smith objected to court records saying that the Crumbley parents have a “substance abuse problem.”
Keast said there were 18 bottles of whisky and vodka used over a 26-day period.
Prosecutors said James Crumbley used marijuana daily without medical reasons.
Jennifer Crumbley arrives
- 9:11 a.m. Tuesday
Jennifer Crumbley arrived in the courtroom and sat in the middle of the defense table next to Smith.
James Crumbley arrives
- 9:10 a.m. Tuesday
James Crumbley arrived in the courtroom and sat at the end of the defense table next to Lehman.
More from courtroom
- 9:09 a.m. Tuesday
Several family members of victims are in the gallery before the start of proceedings.
ATF Special Agent Brett Brandon and Lt. Timothy Willis are also seated in the courtroom.
Scene inside courtroom
- 8:59 a.m. Tuesday
Shannon Smith and Mariell Lehman are sharing a table at the front of the courtroom, but the Crumbleys have not yet arrived.
Marc Keast and Karen McDonald are at the opposite table for the prosecution.
Shooter’s incarceration
- 8:47 a.m. Tuesday
After he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the school shooter was taken to the Thumb Correctional Facility in Lapeer.
He’ll remain at that facility until he turns 18 years old, and then he’ll be moved to a permanent prison.
Sentence at guest house?
- 8:33 a.m. Tuesday
Jennifer Crumbley has filed a request to server her sentence at her defense attorney’s guest house.
Shannon Smith’s guest home is in Oakland County.
The request is for Jennifer Crumbley to essentially be on house arrest with a GPS tether.
Jail threats
- 8:22 a.m. Tuesday
Prosecutors and the defense reached an agreement during James Crumbley’s trial to restrict his communication behind bars.
It was later reported that James Crumbley made threats toward McDonald during phone calls from jail.
His communication from that point forward was limited to his attorney and research relevant to his case.
Prosecution’s request
- 8:09 a.m. Tuesday
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald and assistant Prosecutor Marc Keast prosecuted both cases, and they have requested that both parents receive a sentence of at least 10 years in prison.
Sentencing guidelines
- 7:54 a.m. Tuesday
Each count of involuntary manslaughter has a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, but the Crumbleys’ counts will run concurrently.
That means the longest sentence they can receive, according to the sentencing guidelines, is 15 years.
Family members
- 7:45 a.m. Tuesday
Family members of the four students who were killed in the school shooting are expected to speak during the sentencing.
The shooter’s sentencing included statements from the parents of Justin Shilling, the parents and sister of Hana St. Juliana, the father and brother of Tate Myre, and the mother of Madisyn Baldwin.
Students spoke at shooter’s sentencing
- 7:31 a.m. Tuesday
Several students who were injured during the Nov. 30, 2021, shooting spoke during the sentencing for the shooter.
Among those students were Kylie Ossege, Riley Franz, a student who was trapped in the bathroom during the shooting, and another student who was struck in the leg.
Click here to read about or watch those victim impact statements.
Today’s schedule
- 7:18 a.m. Tuesday
The sentencing hearing is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday in Judge Cheryl Matthews’ courtroom.
It’s unclear how long the proceedings will last. Matthews will allow victim impact statements before announcing her decision.
