PONTIAC (WW) -- Witness testimony began Thursday in Oakland County Circuit Court, with the criminal trial for the father of the Oxford High School mass shooter now underway.
James Crumbley, 47, is charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter; one for each of the four students killed on November 30, 2021, inside Oxford High School in Oxford Township.
First up in opening statements was Assistant Oakland County Prosecutor Mark Keast, who said Facebook messages between Crumbley and his wife show the couple was concerned about an image of blood and a gun with the words "Help me" that their son had drawn.
Keast said Crumbley failed to share crucial information when he and his wife met with a dean and school counselor to discuss the disturbing drawing the morning of the shooting.
Prosecutors contend James Crumbley had ample opportunity for action that would have prevented this tragedy.
"Despite what they knew, despite what they thought, James Crumbley and his wife — neither one of them — mentioned anything about the gun being purchased for him four days before the shooting," Keast said. "James Crumbley didn't say a word about how that picture that his son drew looked identical, that you will see, to the Sig Sauer 9mm. He didn't say anything about the prior requests for help."
Later, when Crumbley learned there'd been a shooting at the high school, Keast said the father raced home to look for the gun. "And that's because he knew," Keast alleged. "You will hear that there was one and only one person who called the police that day to identify their kid as the suspected shooter. It was James Crumbley."
In her opening remarks, defense attorney Mariell Lehman told the jury that if they follow the law they will find James Crumbley not guilty.
"James Crumbley did not know what his son was going to do," Lehman she stressed. "You're not going to hear that James Crumbley purchased that gun with the knowledge that his won was going to go harm other people. But what the prosecution wants your to believe — the part that's not true — is that James Crumbley knew what his son was going to do, and knew that he had a duty to protect other people from his son."
Prosecutors said they will call between 15 to 20 witnesses over the course of the trial.
It is unclear whether James Crumbley will eventually choose to take the witness stand in his own defense. He will be wearing headphones throughout the trial due to hearing loss, the judge explained.
These proceedings come a month after James Crumbley's wife, Jennifer Crumbley, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in a case also heard by Judge Matthews. The mother's trial lasted nine days ending in a conviction on all four counts of involuntary manslaughter.
First to take the witness stand, as she did in the trial of Jennifer Crumbley, was Oxford teacher Molly Darnell, who testified to locking eyes with Ethan Crumbley before he shot her. "He was aiming to kill me," she said.
Cleary emotional as she answers questions Thursday, Darnell said was truly in disbelief.
"I could start to feel blood rolling down my arm....I don't think It was admitting that I was shot, right?" she testified. "It was so far out of what I knew to be what happens. And so I just knew that if I was bleeding I had to put a tourniquet on."
Next to take the stand was former Oakland County Sheriff's investigator Edward Wagrowski, who was asked to describe video footage showing Ethan Crumbley's shooting spree.
"The shooter came out of the bathroom — I'll never forget it. To his right immediately, right there, was Hana St. Juliana, and Kailee and Riley. And he starts shooting at them," Wagrowski said. "And they fell on top of each other. In the distance on the camera you can see Madison Baldwin, and she crouched down. I don't know why she did it, but it was in the fetal position. And the shooter ran right up to her and he put the gun right on her head, and she just fell over."
St. Juliana and Baldwin were killed, as well as fellow Oxford students Tate Myre and Justin Shilling. Six more students were wounded.
There's no dispute that James Crumbley bought what would be the murder weapon on Black Friday, four days before the shooting, taking his son with him to the gun store.
Wagrowski testified about a photo posted by Ethan Crumbley on social media, showing him holding the gun he'd just been given by his father. The caption reads: "Just got my new beauty today. Sig Sauer 9mm. Ask any questions, I will answer."
The Crumbleys are the first parents in U.S. history to be criminally charged in connection with a school shooting carried out by their child.
Ethan Crumbley, who was 15 years old when he carried out the mass shooting, in 2022 pleaded guilty to murder, terrorism and other charges. He's serving a life sentence, without a chance for parole.
This is a developing story. Stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 for continuing coverage.
