Crucial hearing starts for Ethan Crumbley — and Oxford students who witnessed his horror

Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press
Updated ·3 min read
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It's going to be a tense and emotional day in Oakland County Circuit Court on Thursday, as school shooter Ethan Crumbley appears for a hearing that will decide his fate, and include testimony from students who witnessed his massacre at Oxford High School.

The prosecution also may show video footage from the deadly shooting, which has never before been publicly disclosed, hoping to convince the judge that Crumbley deserves life in prison without the possibility of parole for his crimes. The victims' families are expected to be in the courtroom.

The video and students' testimony are part of Crumbley's so-called Miller hearing, a mandatory proceeding during which the judge will decide whether a life without parole sentence is appropriate for the teenager, who murdered four students and injured six students and a teacher in the 2021 shooting at Oxford High School. The hearing starts at 9 a.m. and is expected to last two days, possibly three.

Oxford High School shooting suspect Ethan Crumbley pleads guilty for his role in the school shooting that occurred on November 30, 2021, during a his appearance at the Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac on Monday, October 24, 2022.
Oxford High School shooting suspect Ethan Crumbley pleads guilty for his role in the school shooting that occurred on November 30, 2021, during a his appearance at the Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac on Monday, October 24, 2022.

'The difficult home life of Mr. Crumbley'

Crumbley was 15 when he carried out his crimes, using a gun his parents had bought him as an early Christmas present. Because of his age, he is entitled to a hearing during which both sides will argue why he should — or should not — get life without parole.

The prosecution has argued life without parole is a fitting punishment for Crumbley, who pleaded guilty to everything he was charged with, admitting he intended to cause panic and fear and that he detailed his plan in his journal the day before the shooting, writing: "I will cause the biggest school shooting in Michigan's history. I have fully mentally lost it." He also wrote: "The first victim has to be a pretty girl."

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald speaks to the judge after Oxford High School shooting suspect Ethan Crumbley pleads guilty for his role in the school shooting that occurred on November 30, 2021, during a his appearance at the Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac on Monday, October 24, 2022.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald speaks to the judge after Oxford High School shooting suspect Ethan Crumbley pleads guilty for his role in the school shooting that occurred on November 30, 2021, during a his appearance at the Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac on Monday, October 24, 2022.

But Crumbley's defense team believes he deserves an opportunity at freedom one day, given his age, health challenges and difficult home life.

"The Miller hearing will give the court, as well as the public, a good inside look into the difficult home life of Mr. Crumbley and what challenges he was facing," Paulette Michel Loftin, Crumbley's attorney,  previously told the Free Press. "I believe that the hearing will show that Mr. Crumbley is worthy of an out date, and that there is potential for rehabilitation inside the Michigan Department of Corrections."

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Why Crumbley gets a hearing

The U.S. Supreme Court and Michigan Supreme Court have held that mandatory sentences of life without parole for juveniles are unconstitutional and require the so-called Miller hearing, which is named after the 2012 Miller v. Alabama case before the U.S. Supreme Court. It involved Evan Miller, a 14-year-old from Alabama who was sentenced to life without parole for beating a man to death with a baseball bat during a robbery. The high court held the sentence was unconstitutional and amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.

The ruling has since required courts to hold Miller hearings for juveniles facing a sentence of life without parole. In Crumbley's case, Oakland County Circuit Judge Kwame Rowe will consider several factors in reaching a decision, including:

  • Crumbley's background and mental and emotional development.

  • His home life, family environment and character.

  • His record while incarcerated.

  • The circumstances of the crime, including the extent to which Crumbley was involved and how his family or peer pressure may have played a part.

The prosecution has argued that Crumbley's parents are also to blame for the tragedy, alleging the couple ignored their son's mental health issues and instead of getting him medical help, they bought him a gun.

Jennifer Crumbley, sat to the left of attorney Mariell Lehman as her husband, James Crumbley sat to the right in the Oakland County courtroom of Judge Cheryl Matthews on March 22, 2022, regarding pretrial matters.
Jennifer Crumbley, sat to the left of attorney Mariell Lehman as her husband, James Crumbley sat to the right in the Oakland County courtroom of Judge Cheryl Matthews on March 22, 2022, regarding pretrial matters.

The parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, are facing involuntary manslaughter charges and deny wrongdoing. They maintain their son is the only one responsible for the deaths, and that they had no way of knowing he would carry out a school shooting. Their case is pending before the Michigan Supreme Court.

Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ethan Crumbley: Crucial hearing begins for Oxford shooter