KALAMAZOO, Mich. — James and Jennifer Crumbley are the first parents in the United States to be charged with and convicted of involuntary manslaughter in connection with a mass shooting carried out by their child.
A jury found James Crumbley, the father of the Oxford High School shooter, guilty of four counts of involuntary manslaughter Thursday.
James’s wife Jennifer, the mother of the shooter, previously was convicted of four counts of involuntary manslaughter in February.
READ MORE: James Crumbley found guilty on all counts of involuntary manslaughter in Oxford High School shooting
FOX 17 talked with Sarissa Montague, a criminal defense attorney at Levine & Levine in Kalamazoo, Friday to learn more about the legal precedent these convictions set for the state of Michigan.
“The precedent that I believe that this sets is that, what we know now is that in certain circumstances, the courts in Michigan will allow cases like this to go forward against parents – so, that’s one precedent,” Montague explained. “And the second precedent that it sets is that not only will the court allow cases like this to go forward in certain circumstances, but juries will find parents guilty in certain circumstances.”
James and Jennifer’s son Ethan previously pleaded guilty to 24 felonies, including first-degree murder and terrorism, for the November 30, 2021 shooting at Oxford High School that killed four students.
“One of the great, amazing things about the criminal law is that each and every case is different…Even though the law is the same for everybody who lives in the state, the facts and circumstances as they apply to those laws are different,” Montague added. “I think it is certainly reasonable – now that we know that our courts will allow cases like this to actually get to trial – it’s certainly expected that, in situations where there are horrific crimes that occur, that investigators will look at surrounding circumstances – maybe other family members, parents obviously. But again, it’s the facts and circumstances of each specific incident that is going to determine what happens.”
In December, a judge sentenced Ethan to life in prison without parole.
READ MORE: Michigan school shooter gets life in prison for killing 4 students
A sentencing date has not yet been set for James.
Jennifer’s sentencing is scheduled for April 9.
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