Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Judge won't lower bond for Michigan school shooting suspect's parents

Jennifer Crumbley, left, and James Crumbley, right, the parents of Ethan Crumbley, a teenager accused of killing four students in a shooting at Oxford High School, appear in court for a preliminary examination on involuntary manslaughter charges in Rochester Hills, Mich. on Feb. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) Jennifer Crumbley, left, and James Crumbley, right, the parents of Ethan Crumbley, a teenager accused of killing four students in a shooting at Oxford High School, appear in court for a preliminary examination on involuntary manslaughter charges in Rochester Hills, Mich. on Feb. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Share
Pontiac, Mich. -

A judge denied a motion Tuesday to reduce bonds for the jailed parents of a Michigan teenager who is charged in a shooting at Oxford High School that left four of his fellow students dead.

Oakland County Circuit Judge Cheryl Matthews said that James and Jennifer Crumbley's actions before their Dec. 4 arrests in a commercial building in Detroit were meant to conceal their whereabouts.

"The defendants indicate they were devastated when they heard about the alleged actions of their son, felt unsafe in their home, felt hounded by the press and found it necessary to leave," Matthews said. "The chronology of events that occurred subsequent to the defendants leaving their home is not consistent with cooperation with law enforcement."

The Crumbleys had disappeared the day before -- after they were charged with involuntary manslaughter. The parents are accused of failing to keep a gun secure at home and failing to reasonably care for their son when he showed signs of mental distress. They have pleaded not guilty.

"Upon a warrant being issued, law enforcement is not required to make an appointment with a defendant," Matthews said. "It is the job of the police to ensure a swift, safe and secure arrest. The defendants actions were premeditated to conceal their whereabouts."

The Crumbleys' attorneys had requested that their bonds be lowered from US$500,000 each to $100,000 each. They indicated they would appeal Matthews' ruling on bond and would seek a change of venue as the case heads to trial, which is tentatively scheduled to begin Oct. 24.

"The Crumbleys were absolutely shocked parents who had no reason to foresee what would happen," defense attorneys Shannon Smith and Mariell Lehman wrote earlier.

The Oakland County prosecutor's office opposed a lower bond for the Crumbleys, noting that a similar request was denied by a judge in a lower court.

"The claim that they weren't trying to flee is not credible," Prosecutor Karen McDonald told reporters following Tuesday's hearing. "Turning yourself in is always the best route. You can't try to run from being prosecuted and claim you were always going to return to a court date."

Ethan Crumbley, who turns 16 next week, is charged with murder and other crimes. Four students were killed and more were injured in the Nov. 30 shooting.

McDonald said Tuesday that her office has been spent the past several weeks meeting with parents of the Oxford High students who died and those whose children were wounded. They've also met with students who survived the attack.

"The one thing they really want is certainty and they want to know that the Crumbleys will be held accountable for their actions," McDonald told reporters. "There is a lot that that community is dealing with, and having your child be shot at school is something that I don't think we're really wired to understand."

None of that should impact the couple's right to a fair trial, she added.

------

Williams reported from West Bloomfield, Michigan.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

A team of tornado experts are investigating a path of damage through Wellington County.

Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was among approximately 120 people who gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil near the scene of a vicious attack against a 16-year-old in Cobalt.

A B.C. teen has a suspected case of H5N1 avian flu — the first known human to acquire the virus in Canada.

Local Spotlight

For the second year in a row, the ‘Gift-a-Family’ campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts – not for themselves, but for those in need.

A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.