PONTIAC (WWJ) -- Jennifer Crumbley's fate is now in the hands of a jury after arguments were delivered Friday in the manslaughter trial for the mother of the Oxford High School mass shooter.
The 45-year-old Oakland County mom faces four counts of involuntary manslaughter, as persecutors allege her negligence led to her teenage son's deadly rampage on Nov. 30, 2021.
Here's a look at how both sides wrapped up the case:
THE PROSECUTION
After summarizing the evidence up until the morning of the shooting, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald told jurors that even if you ignore all of that, what Crumbley failed to do on Nov. 30 amounts to gross negligence.
"She is not somebody that used ordinary care to prevent what was foreseeable, reasonably foreseeable, that could have happened: injury or death. And it did, it did," McDonald told the jury.
"Those words on that paper, 'Help me.' She walked out of that school within 11 minutes (meeting with her son and the school counselor) and didn't so much even even address her son.
[Drawings that raised alarm prior to Oxford High School shooting released by Prosecutor's Office]
"She did not give him the help that he wanted. And you can argue about the months before and the weeks before, but if you just even look at what happened that day, she walked out of that school and she knew, she knew, something bad might happen.
"What does she do when she gets back to work? She all of a sudden texts her son: 'Are you ok? You know, you can talk to us.' These are the actions of somebody who was worried.
"And then it's a different story. Why? Because she knew she had done something wrong.
"She walked out of that school when just the smallest, smallest of things could have saved, could have helped Hana and Tate and Madison and Justin — just the smallest of things. And not only did she not do it, she doesn't even regret it.
"We have proven beyond a reasonable doubt that she is guilty of four counts of involuntary manslaughter. It's a rare case to take some very egregious facts. It takes the unthinkable, and she has done the unthinkable and because of that four kids have died," McDonald said.
McDonald talked about the about the 9mm gun that the shooter used to kill for students, wounding six more students and a teacher.
"It was gifted to him and not only was it gifted to him, she (the defendant) bragged about it on social media," McDonald said.
"We actually saw the last day he was practicing to kill four of his classmates and there was only one person with him: Ladies and gentlemen and her name is Jennifer.
"And I want you to remember that video and I want you to remember the look on his face when that target comes back in, and he looks at it and he smiled," McDonald said.
THE DEFENSE
In her closing remarks, defense attorney Shannon Smith spoke at length about text messages that Smith alleges were taken out of context, and snippets of evidence about insignificant horseback rides, asserting that if prosecution had anything better to back up their case they would have presented it.
Contradicting the prosecutor's portrayal of a woman who spent more time with extramarital affairs and her horses than caring for her child, Smith painted a picture of an involved and loving mother to a son who deceived her.
"She (McDonald) said this is shocking, unthinkable, obviously unbelievable, unthinkable, unfathomable," Smith told the jury. "And the reason that's the case is because it was unforeseeable. No one expected this.
"No one could have expected this, including Mrs. Crumbley."
Smith noted that this is one of the first cases of its kind in which a parent is facing such charges in connection with a mass shooting carried out by their child.
"I am asking that you find Jennifer Crumbley not guilty, not just for Jennifer Crumbley, but for every mother who's out there doing the best they can, who could easily be in here shoes. For every parent doing the best they can, who could easily be in her shoes," Smith said.
She continued: "For every parent that has snippets of text messages that could be read and make them look like horrible monsters. For every parent who has fights with their kid on text message that could also make them look like terrible parents.
"For every parent that's ever had a hobby and has not spent 24/7 with their child. That should not be held against parents. For any parent that's ever had an affair and spent time communicating on an affair. That says nothing about how much you care about your child, or your expectation about whether or not they would commit a school shooting."
PROSCUTOR RUBUTTLE
In the final word in closing arguments, McDonald insisted that there was certainly a way that Jennifer Crumbley could have known that her child might hurt someone, telling the jury: "He literally drew a picture of what he was going to do!"
"It says 'Help me.' It has the drawing of the gun that she bought him, posted and bragged about. 'Blood everywhere,' 'The thoughts won't stop,' 'The world is dead.' He drew her a picture," McDonald said.
The prosecutor reminded jurors of their important role in this trial.
"You are called upon, you are called upon to do your part as jurors to keep the oath that you took to be fair, to be honest, to be impartial," McDonald said. "You are the ultimate fact finder of what happened that day. You are the ultimate fact finder of the truth."
On under cross examination earlier Friday, the defendant reiterated that she did not think her son Ethan was a threat.
As Judge Cheryl Matthews dismissed jurors for the weekend, she reminded them that they are not permitted to talk to anyone about the case, or to read or watch any media reports.
Jury deliberations are set to begin Monday morning.
The father, James Crumbley, will be tried separately from his wife on four counts of involuntary manslaughter.
