A Michigan judge sentenced James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of the Oxford (Michigan) school shooter, to 10-15 years in prison on Tuesday. They learned of the decision after hearing what the families of the victims had to say. They took advantage of their time in front of the stand to express their feelings about what happened that day several years ago. The couple has up to 42 days to appeal.
The trial against both parents began a few months ago and, last March, the Court found them guilty of involuntary manslaughter for the crime committed by their son, Ethan, who shot and killed four classmates in November 2021. Ethan is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
However, a Michigan court decided that blaming the shooter alone was not enough and decided to charge his parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, with four counts of involuntary manslaughter. According to the members of the jury, both ignored their son's mental state and even bought him the weapon that he used days later in the brutal shooting that not only injured seven people but also killed Tate Myre, 16; Hana Santa Juliana, 14: Madisyn Baldwin, 17; and Justin Shilling, 17.
The historic Oxford shooting trial
This unprecedented trial is the first time parents have been held accountable for their children's actions. However, both deny being responsible for what happened although, they initially stated, they would not have done anything different. "Of course, I look back after all this happened, and I have asked myself if I would have done anything differently. I wouldn’t have," Jennifer Crumbley said during the trial.
Now, her response has been slightly modified and, in statements reported by The Detroit News, she claimed that she would have changed many things and that she deeply regretted her son's behavior:
At trial, when I was on the stand I was asked if I would have done anything differently, I testified that I would not have — and that is true without the benefit of of (sic) hindsight that I have now. With the information I have now, of course my answer would be hugely different. There are so many things that I would change if I could go back in time. I knew my son to be a quiet, good kid, who loved his pets. I never imagined he would hurt other people in the way that he did.
Jennifer Crumbley's lawyer, Shannon Smith, tried to get her a lower sentence. She said in statements reported by BBC that her client "has lost everything" and should not have to pay for her son's actions:
She in reality has lost everything. And she is saddled with extra baggage knowing the horrific acts her son did to others and always second-guessing every choice she made as a parent.
