Jennifer Crumbley Verdict: Oxford shooter's mom found guilty of involuntary manslaughter
PONTIAC, Mich. (FOX 2) - Jennifer Crumbley has been found guilty of four counts of involuntary manslaughter by a jury following her trial in Oakland County court.
The decision is a monumental one and the first of its kind in the U.S. Crumbley is the first parent of a mass shooter to be charged and convicted in connection with their child's crime. Four students who attended Oxford High School were shot and killed by Crumbley's then 15-year-old son on Nov. 30, 2021.
The jury reached their verdict after deliberations began Monday morning. Her trial lasted seven days and included hours of witness testimony, surveillance video evidence, and thousands of text messages between her and her husband, her son, and others.
After hearing her fate, Judge Cheryl Matthews announced Crumbley's sentencing would be scheduled for April 9 at 9 a.m.
James Crumbley, Jennifer's husband, will take the stand in March during his own involuntary manslaughter trial. His wife's conviction may complicate his defense. Here's when the trial is expected to start.
What happens next?
In the short term, the next action to expect is James Crumbley's trial, which is scheduled for early March. While Jennifer Crumbley is awaits her sentencing, she will have the opportunity to appeal the decision.
In the long term, Jennifer Crumbley's conviction may lay the groundwork for prosecutions of future mass shooters and their cases, which could include family members. In the eyes of legal experts, like FOX 2's Charlie Langton, this decision puts guardians on notice:
"Now, parents beware, because if your kids do something really bad - like a crime - the cops are going to come to you. And in this case, they put Jennifer Crumbly in handcuffs while they questioned her at the station," he said.
"They're going to look at your text messages. They're going to look at your phone records. They're going to look at where you are. Is this an invasion of your privacy? No, it's not because a crime was committed. And I think this case is going to extend the long arm of the law to these parents."
Jennifer Crumbley trial recap
Read recaps of each day of testimony below:
Day 1: Oxford teacher, assistant principal testify
Day 2: Messages between shooter, parents shown
Day 3: Parents' first police interview shown
Day 4: Ex-Oxford High School dean questioned, Crumbley's colleagues testify
Day 5: Extramarital affair revealed, arrest video shown
Day 6: Jennifer Crumbley takes the stand
Day 7: Closing arguments
Day 8: Day one of deliberations ends without a verdict
Day 9: Guilty verdict reached by jury on all four counts of manslaughter