Michigan Judge Denies New Trials for School Shooter's Parents

A Michigan judge denied requests for new trials from James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of convicted school shooter Ethan Crumbley, upholding their convictions for four counts each of involuntary manslaughter. Although the judge acknowledged that prosecutors failed to disclose secret agreements with two key witnesses, she ruled that this discovery violation did not affect the jury verdicts or justify a retrial. The Crumbleys were sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison for their negligence in securing the gun and ignoring their son's mental health issues, which contributed to the November 2021 Oxford High School shooting that killed four students and injured seven others. Prosecutors and the judge emphasized that the verdicts were based on significant evidence and that justice for the victims remains the priority. Appeals are expected from the Crumbleys' attorneys, who argue the prosecution's failure to disclose evidence compromised the fairness of the trials. Meanwhile, their son Ethan Crumbley is serving a life sentence and is challenging his guilty plea.