(CBS DETROIT) – A jury has found James Crumbley, the father of the Oxford High School shooter, guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
The jury returned a verdict on Thursday after a nearly week-long trial to determine if the father holds any responsibility for the Oxford High School shooting, where his son killed four students, Justin Shilling, Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, and Hana St. Juliana, and injured seven other people on Nov. 30, 2021.
Jurors deliberations began on Wednesday.
Crumbley is charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter and is accused of not keeping the gun used in the shooting safely stored away and not getting his son the necessary help for his mental health needs.
Defense attorney Mariell Lehman argued that James Crumbley was not aware that his son had access to the gun.
This comes after a jury found his wife, Jennifer Crumbley, guilty of four counts of involuntary manslaughter in February. She is scheduled to be sentenced on April 9.
Closing arguments in James Crumbley trial
Closing arguments began on March 13, after the defense called Karen Crumbley, the sister of James Crumbley, to testify. She was the only witness the defense called to the stand.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald gave her closing argument and said that James Crumbley needs to be held responsible for the Oxford High School shooting due to his gross negligence. James Crumbley is accused of not safely storing the gun away from his son or getting his son the help he needed for his mental health struggles.
“James Crumbley is not on trial for what his son did,” McDonald said. “James Crumbley is on trial for what he did and what he didn’t do.”
Defense attorney Mariell Lehman argued that he was not aware that his son had access to the gun or was going to carry out the shooting. She also said the father wouldn’t have known what the shooter was writing in his journal or in text messages to his friend.
Testimony in James Crumbley trial
During the trial, the prosecution called several witnesses to testify. Most individuals called to the stand also testified during Jennifer Crumbley’s trial.
The first person called to testify was Molly Darnell, a teacher at Oxford High School who was injured in the shooting. She testified about how she made eye contact with the shooter before he shot her.
The shooter’s school counselor and the former Oxford High School dean of students both testified about meeting with James and Jennifer Crumbley and their son the day of the shooting, and detectives who responded to the scene of the shooting testified about searching the Crumbley parents’ house and searching for the parents after charges had been issued.
Luke Kirtley, the owner of a coffee roasting business, testified about how he called 911 after he saw James Crumbley’s car.
The parents were found in an art studio in the same building as Kirtley’s business.
A Detroit police officer was the only person the prosecution called to testify that they didn’t call to testify in the trial of Jennifer Crumbley.
David Metzke is a member of the department’s SWAT team and discussed responding to the industrial building and locating the parents in the art studio. He was recalled to testify on Wednesday and said that he reviewed surveillance footage after finding the parents and said that James and Jennifer Crumbley did not leave the premises of the building after arriving; they had only stepped outside to smoke.
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