Jury selection began on Tuesday for the manslaughter trial of James Crumbley, the dad of Ethan Crumbley, who killed four students during the Oxford High School shooting.
Jury Selection for the Case of James Crumbley
The trial, foreseen to span two weeks, concerns four charges of unintentional manslaughter, equivalent to the four students killed by Ethan in November 2021.
Ethan, who earned a life sentence without the chance of parole in December 2023, committed the shooting at the age of 15 using a firearm given by his parents.
The day's proceedings began at 7 a.m. local time, with the selection of 12 jurors from a pool of 308 candidates, a complex task given the high-profile nature of the case.
Specific jury selection started at 9:50 a.m. following a morning check of jury selection criteria by legal representatives.Almost 200 possible jurors were discharged around 3 p.m. and advised to come back the next day. These individuals were questioned on numerous topics, including whether they showed an "Oxford Strong" sign in their yards.
Before the proceedings, James Crumbley, wearing hearing support, underwent questioning by Judge Cheryl Matthews about his defense attorney, Mariell Lehman.
Notably, James and Jennifer Crumbley had sought separate trials, with James' trial proceeding roughly a month after Jennifer, who faces a sentencing date of April 9, was found liable for four counts of unintentional manslaughter for her role in the shooting.
Trial for James Crumbley To Begin Soon
The Crumbleys are the first known parents to face charges linked to their child's shooting.
Around 11 a.m., information, including clippings from Ethan Crumbley's journal and text messages (contentions questioned by James Crumbley's defense attorney), was given to the court.
The prosecution, supervised by Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald, intended to show that James Crumbley allegedly disregarded his son's calls for help.
This trial follows intently after James's wife, Jennifer Crumbley, was found liable of four counts of unintentional manslaughter in relation to the same shooting, with her sentencing set for April 9. Originally booked for a joint trial, the cases were parted by a judge in November.
Ethan Crumbley, the shooter, gets a life sentence without parole after pleading guilty to 24 charges, including first-degree premeditated murder and terrorism causing dying, in October 2022.
James Crumbley's legal team sought to relocate the trial, arguing that extensive pretrial media coverage would prejudice the potential for an impartial jury, especially following his wife's conviction.However, this request was denied.
Additionally, the judge recently permitted the inclusion of Ethan's journals and text messages in James's trial, a decision that further challenges his defense.
Both parents' trials are rare instances of facing charges related to a shooting carried out by their child.
During Jennifer Crumbley's trial, she claimed that obtaining the gun used in the shooting was James's responsibility, emphasizing her limited knowledge of firearms.
Prosecutors argued that the parents failed to secure the gun or restrict their son's access, highlighting the combination lock on the gun safe, set to the factory preset 0-0-0.
The trial also revealed a video of Ethan holding one of James's firearms, sent with a message stating, "My dad left it out, so I thought, 'Why not' lol."
Testimony in Jennifer's trial focused on a meeting with school officials hours before the shooting, where the parents did not take their son home after a teacher discovered violent drawings by Ethan.
Jennifer Crumbley took the stand in her defense during her trial, but it remains uncertain whether James will do the same.
Related Article: Jennifer Crumbley Trial: Mother of Oxford High School Shooter Appears in Court on Day
