Prosecutor wants Crumbley parents banned from son's sentencing for Oxford H.S. shooting
Prosecutors asked a judge Friday to ban the Oxford school shooter's parents from their son's sentencing hearing in December, arguing that day is about the victims, not the parents.
"Regarding their request to be inside the courtroom, the people object to these defendants being given any preference over the victims of the Oxford High School shooting," Assistant Oakland County Prosecutor Marc Keast wrote in a court filing. "The People believe that the defendants’ in-person attendance would distract from those victims who will stand before Judge (Kwame) Rowe and make victim impact statements."
The prosecution's request came after James and Jennifer Crumbley on Thursday asked a judge to let them attend the sentencing, arguing their son may be ordered to spend the rest of his life in prison, and they want to be there for him. The Crumbleys have been in jail for almost two years on involuntary manslaughter charges for their alleged roles in the 2021 shooting: They bought their son the gun that he used in the massacre that left four Oxford High School students dead and seven other people injured.
Prosecutors: Ethan Crumbley's lawyers don't want parents at sentencing
The prosecution wants the Crumbleys to stay put, and says they can watch the sentencing from the Oakland County jail via a livestream, should that be permitted. The Crumbleys asked the judge for permission to do this, should their request to be in the courtroom be denied.
The prosecution said it did not object to that request. However, it argued that the Crumbleys' lawyers are asking the wrong judge for permission to attend the hearing.
The Crumbleys filed their request with the judge overseeing their case, Cheryl Matthews. The prosecution says they should have filed it with Kwame Rowe, who is overseeing their son's case, and, will ultimately hand down the teenager's sentence. Had they petitioned Rowe, the prosecution argues, the shooter's lawyers also would have been given an opportunity to respond to the Crumbleys' request.
According to the prosecution, the shooter's lawyers also don't want the parents present at sentencing.
"Upon information and belief, his attorneys object to defendants’ attendance in the courtroom," Keast wrote in his latest filing.
Defense attorney Paulette Loftin, the lead attorney representing the convicted shooter, Ethan Crumbley, could not be reached for comment.
Teen shooter faces life without parole
Ethan Crumbley, who was 15 when he carried out his massacre, pleaded guilty to murder and terrorism charges last year, admitting he planned and carried out the deadly shooting, and meant to cause panic and fear in the school that day.
According to courtroom testimony, Crumbley planned and obsessed about the school shooting in his journal, and wrote that he wanted to survive the rampage so he could witness the pain and suffering.
Last month, Judge Rowe determined that Ethan Crumbley is eligible for a sentence of life without parole following a lengthy and emotional Miller hearing, a mandatory proceeding that helps judges decide whether juveniles should spend the rest of their lives in prison. A video of the mass shooting was shown for the first time at that hearing, with the victims' parents in the courtroom. Students who survived the shooting, including a teacher who was shot, also testified about what they went through that day.
More: Oxford school shooter's long, emotional hearing ends with drama, name calling and outrage
In Ethan Crumbley's case, Rowe concluded he met the criteria for life without parole, though Rowe could still could allow the possibility of parole when he hands down the punishment on Dec. 8.
The Crumbleys, meanwhile, continue to maintain their innocence in their unprecedented case as the first parents in America charged in a mass school shooting. Prosecutors say they ignored a mentally ill son who was spiraling out of control, and instead of getting him help, they bought him a gun.
Prosecutors also argue that the Crumbleys, more than anyone else, could have prevented the shooting had they disclosed to school officials that they had purchased their son a gun when they were summoned to the school over his troubling behavior on the morning before the shooting. The Crumbleys never disclosed that information, but rather left for their jobs and promised to get Ethan help in the coming days.
A few hours later, Ethan Crumbley emerged from a bathroom and opened fire.
Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Prosecutor: Ban Crumbley parents from son's sentencing in Oxford case
