Trauma of testimony may be too much for Oxford High officials to take the stand again

Oxford High School officials who testified in Jennifer Crumbley's historic school shooting trial might not testify in her husband's upcoming trial because reliving the trauma from the witness stand again may be too difficult, according to a new court filing.

"Due to emotional impact of witness testimony, it is a real possibility that one or more witnesses may be unable to testify," Assistant Oakland County Prosecutor Marc Keast wrote in a filing that helps explain why the prosecution may call on students to testify in the trial of James Crumbley. His son carried out the 2021 deadly mass shooting at Oxford High School, using a gun gifted to him by his parents.

James Crumbley goes to trial March 5 on involuntary manslaughter charges as the prosecution seeks to hold him responsible for the deaths of four students murdered by his son, Madisyn Baldwin, 17; Tate Myre, 16; Hana St. Juliana, 14, and Justin Shilling, 17.

The shooter's mother, Jennifer Crumbley, was convicted on identical charges a week ago, though her trial did not include any student witnesses.

Two teens who were wounded are on prosecution witness list

Four Oxford High School personnel testified in the mother's trial: A teacher who was shot in the arm; an assistant principal who encountered the shooter during his rampage in a hallway and tried to save the life of a student killed in the massacre; a counselor who met with the shooter in the hours before the shooting over a troubling drawing he had made, and the dean of students, who also met with the shooter over his drawing and let him return to class, concluding the teen was no threat to the school.

This go-around, however, the prosecution has added three Oxford students to an amended witness list to testify against James Crumbley, including two teenagers who were shot and injured during the 2021 rampage and later gave impact statements at the shooter's sentencing hearing in December, when Ethan Crumbley was ordered to serve life without parole.

While the prosecution has not specifically stated which prior witnesses may not testify in the dad's case, it's likely the teacher or the assistant principal, if Keast's latest filing is any indication. In it, he describes the students as "potential witnesses" who, while "unable to give identical testimony" provided in Jennifer Crumbley's trial, "will be able to provide some necessary details to the jury."

The only testimony that the students could corroborate from the mom's trial is that which focused on the horror that unfolded in the hallways, which the teacher and assistant principal provided. The testimony of the counselor and dean of students was more focused on how they met with the shooter and his parents over his troubling drawing, and why the shooter was allowed to return to class, despite him drawing on a math worksheet a gun, a human body bleeding, and the words, "The thoughts won't stop. Help me."

James Crumbley's lawyer, however, is fighting to keep the students out of the trial, arguing their testimony "would only serve to enflame the emotions of the jury." Moreover, defense attorney Mariell Lehman argues the student testimony is irrelevant to the dad's case, which, she maintains, isn't about what happened inside the school on the day of the shooting, but about what the dad allegedly did or didn't do beforehand.

The prosecution, meanwhile, is urging Oakland County Circuit Judge Cheryl Matthews to let the students stay on the witness list. It argues that the witnesses are no surprise to the defense and that they were on the original witness lists from months ago.

A hearing will be held on Feb. 21 in Matthews' courtroom to address the issue.

At the heart of the prosecution's case against James Crumbley is an allegation that he and his wife ignored their son's obvious mental health issues and bought him a handgun instead of getting him help.

The Crumbleys have argued that the gun at issue was to be used at the shooting range with his father and that it was properly secured. According to trial testimony, the gun was in a case in an armoire. The bullets were in a separate drawer under some jeans. The key to a cable lock for the gun was in a beer stein, though it's unclear whether the cable lock was on the gun.

More: James Crumbley may come off as more sympathetic than his wife. But is it enough?

The Crumbleys also have long maintained that they had no reason to believe or suspect that their son would ever shoot up his school.

Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Oxford school officials may not testify in James Crumbley's trial