Convicted Oxford School Shooter’s Mother, Jennifer Crumbley, Asks Judge to Release Her From Prison

Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of the Oxford High School shooter, has petitioned a Michigan judge to release her from prison as her appeals process unfolds. Crumbley, who was convicted on four counts of involuntary manslaughter, argued through her attorney that keeping her incarcerated during the lengthy appeals process would be “grossly unfair and unjust.”

The conviction stems from the deadly shooting carried out by her then-15-year-old son, Ethan Crumbley, on November 30, 2021. The tragedy claimed the lives of four students—Tate Myre, 16; Justin Shilling, 16; Hana St. Juliana, 14; and Madisyn Baldwin, 17—and left seven others injured. The Crumbleys became the first parents in U.S. history to be convicted for a mass shooting committed by their child.

Crumbley’s attorney, Michael Dezsi, filed the motion in Oakland County Circuit Court, asserting that she poses no flight risk and poses no danger to the public. He characterized the manslaughter charges as “overreach” and criticized the prosecution for what he described as “unlawful incarceration.”

“Mrs. Crumbley was convicted for her own actions, not the intentional acts of her son,” Dezsi wrote, adding that forcing her to remain in prison during a potentially years-long appeals process is fundamentally unjust.

Oakland County Chief Assistant Prosecutor David Williams pushed back, stating that Jennifer Crumbley’s actions directly contributed to the Oxford High School shooting. “Jennifer Crumbley was tried by a jury of her peers for her own actions and inactions leading to the shooting,” Williams said. “The jury reviewed extensive evidence and reached a unanimous verdict of guilty.”

Jennifer Crumbley’s sentencing followed a high-profile trial in which prosecutors outlined how she and her husband, James Crumbley, ignored red flags in Ethan’s behavior leading up to the shooting. On the morning of the attack, the couple met with school administrators over violent images Ethan had drawn but returned to work after the meeting. Hours later, Ethan opened fire in the school hallways.

Jennifer Crumbley was sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison, while her husband received a similar sentence. Both parents were criticized for failing to act on their son’s apparent need for help.

Earlier this month, Crumbley requested a new trial or for her conviction to be overturned.