James Crumbley threatens Prosecutor Karen McDonald: 'You’re going down'
PONTIAC, MICHIGAN - MARCH 13: James Crumbley, the father of Oxford High School school shooter Ethan Crumbley, stands in court as the jury enters to hear final arguments during his trial on four counts of involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of fou
OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - After the first day of James Crumbley's trial, where he was found guilty, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office announced that his phone and electronic messaging access were restricted due to threatening statements he made from jail.
In a Wednesday memo to the judge recommending a 10-15 year sentence for James, Assistant Oakland County Prosecutor Marc Keast said James had made those threats against county prosecutor Karen McDonald.
"Defendant has repeatedly referred to the (p)rosecutor as ‘that fu--ing stupid wh--e b--ch,’ and he has addressed his comments directly to her," according to the memo.
Threats revealed ahead of James and Jennifer Crumbley's sentencing
As Prosecutor Karen McDonald's office requested a sentence for James and Jennifer Crumbley, threats James made against McDonald were revealed. James said he was coming for the prosecutor and that she should be scared, according to transcripts of his conversations.
*WARNING: The threats made by James were graphic.*
The memo details some of the threats as follows:
- During an Oct. 9, 2023 jail call: "Yeah, Karen McDonald, you’re going down. Yeah. You stupid b--ches at the jail. Go ahead, record this call, send it to Karen McDonald. Tell her how James Crumbley is going to fu----- take her down."
- During a Dec. 6, 2023 jail call: "Well, she’s going to be fu----- sucking on a fu----- hot rock down in hell soon."
- During a Dec. 20, 2023 jail call: "Yeah, fu----- Karen McDonald. You’re fu---d when I get out."
- During a Dec. 23, 2023 jail message: "There will be retribution, believe me."
- During a Jan. 3, 2024 jail call: "I am fu----- on a rampage, Karen. Yes, Karen McDonald. Your ass is going down and you better be fu----- scared."
The prosecution also urged the judge to sentence Jennifer Crumbley to 10-15 years in prison, stating that both parents "failed to exercise even the smallest measure of ordinary care" to prevent their son from harming someone.
James' jail calls also "showed that he blamed everyone but himself for what happened and that he repeatedly referred to himself as being persecuted and considered himself a ‘martyr,'" Keast wrote.
James Crumbley jailhouse recordings threatening prosecutor released
In addition to calling himself a martyr, James Crumbley said it felt like he was joining the military, used derogatory language to refer to the Oakland County Prosecutor, and blamed the school for the shooting.
Separate juries in Oakland County found both James and Jennifer Crumbley guilty of four counts of involuntary manslaughter stemming from the Oxford High School shooting, one count for each student their son killed.
The Oxford school shooter is currently in prison after being handed down a life without parole sentence last year.
James and Jennifer are both scheduled to be sentenced on April 9.