Current:Home > ScamsBoth sides rest in manslaughter trial of Michigan school shooter’s dad-InfoLens
Both sides rest in manslaughter trial of Michigan school shooter’s dad
View Date:2025-01-09 18:49:59
PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — Lawyers prepared for closing arguments Wednesday in the trial of the father of a Michigan school shooter after an out-of-state relative said she didn’t see anything troubling about the teen during two visits in 2021, long before the attack.
Karen Crumbley, the sister of James Crumbley, said she saw her nephew Ethan in Florida and Michigan that spring and summer.
“Do you recall seeing anything concerning about your nephew? Do you recall him saying anything concerning to you?” defense attorney Mariell Lehman asked.
“No,” Karen Crumbley replied.
Lehman appeared to be trying to show jurors that family members saw no signs that would ultimately lead him to commit a mass shooting at Oxford High School. Prosecutors have argued that James Crumbley, who is charged with involuntary manslaughter, could have done more to prevent the killings of four students.
After his sister’s brief appearance, he stood and said he would not testify in his own defense. There were no other defense witnesses.
“We talked about the benefits of you testifying. We talked about the risks of you testifying,” Lehman said.
“That is correct,” James Crumbley said.
Closing arguments on the fifth day of trial were set for early afternoon. Judge Cheryl Matthews implored the jury to avoid overhearing any courthouse chatter about the high-profile trial.
“Starting over would be devastating to everyone,” she said.
James Crumbley, 47, is accused of gross negligence by failing to safely secure the gun used by 15-year-old Ethan.
The boy took the gun from their home to school, killing four students and wounding seven more people on Nov. 30, 2021.
His mental state was declining: Ethan made a macabre drawing of a gun and a wounded man on a math assignment and added disturbing phrases, “The thoughts won’t stop. Help me.”
Yet James and Jennifer Crumbley declined to take Ethan home following a brief meeting at the school. He later pulled the Sig Sauer 9 mm handgun from his backpack and began shooting that same day. No one had checked the bag.
The gun was purchased by James Crumbley four days earlier.
The Crumbleys are the first U.S. parents to be charged with having criminal responsibility for a mass school shooting committed by a child. Jennifer Crumbley, 45, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter last month.
Testifying at her own trial, she told the jury that she wouldn’t have done anything differently.
Ethan Crumbley, now 17, is serving a life prison sentence for murder and terrorism.
___
Follow Ed White on X, formerly Twitter: https://twitter.com/edwritez
veryGood! (13)
Related
- When does Spirit Christmas open? What to know about Spirit Halloween’s new holiday venture
- Homeowners face soaring insurance costs as violent storms wreak havoc
- Órla Baxendale's Family Sues Over Her Death From Alleged Mislabeled Cookie
- Kansas special legislative session on tax cuts set to begin in June
- Video shows Starlink satellite that resembled fireball breaking up over the Southwest: Watch
- Millions of older Americans still grapple with student loan debt, hindering retirement
- Alligator still missing nearly a week after disappearing at Missouri middle school
- VP Harris to address US Air Force Academy graduates
- Wind-whipped wildfire near Reno prompts evacuations but rain begins falling as crews arrive
- Republican blocks confirmation of first Native American federal judge for Montana
Ranking
- The Daily Money: Markets react to Election 2024
- The Best Transfer-Proof Body Shimmers for Glowy, Radiant Skin
- Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury heavyweight title rematch scheduled for Dec. 21
- This Under-the-Radar, Affordable Fashion Brand Will Make You Look like an Influencer
- Jennifer Garner and Boyfriend John Miller Are All Smiles In Rare Public Outing
- SEC moving toward adopting injury reports for football games. Coaches weigh in on change
- The Best Transfer-Proof Body Shimmers for Glowy, Radiant Skin
- 'Dance Moms' star Kelly Hyland reveals breast cancer diagnosis
Recommendation
-
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Good Try (Freestyle)
-
Travis Kelce Shares Honest Reaction to Getting Booed While at NBA Playoffs Game
-
These US companies are best at cutting their emissions to fight climate change
-
Less than 2% of philanthropic giving goes to women and girls. Can Melinda French Gates change that?
-
Duke basketball vs Kentucky live updates: Highlights, scores, updates from Champions Classic
-
Why Shania Twain Doesn’t “Hate” Ex-Husband Robert “Mutt” Lange for Alleged Affair
-
Molly Ringwald Says She Was Taken Advantage of as a Young Actress in Hollywood
-
2 new giant pandas are returning to Washington's National Zoo from China