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Michigan school shooter's mom wants house arrest, backtracks on regrets as killer's parents face sentencings

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Michigan school shooter's mom wants house arrest, backtracks on regrets as killer's parents face sentencings

The parents of Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley are set to be sentenced on Tuesday after two juries found both parents guilty of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the November 2021 massacre.

Prosecutors are asking Oakland County Judge Cheryl Matthews to sentence James and Jennifer Crumbley to serve between 10 and 15 years each, but the Crumbleys’ defense attorneys are asking for time served, meaning no other prison time other than what they have already served awaiting their trials. 

Jennifer is also asking for house arrest and proposed living in her attorney’s guesthouse.

“I think that’s very strange. I’ve never heard of a situation like that,” Detroit-based criminal defense attorney Maurice Davis told Fox News Digital of Jennifer’s request.

JAMES CRUMBLEY TRIAL: MICHIGAN JURY REACHES VERDICT FOR SCHOOL SHOOTER’S FATHER

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James and Jennifer Crumbley are asking to be sentenced to time served or no additional prison time. (Mandi Wright/Detroit Free Press via AP/Pool)

Prosecutor Marc Keast described the parents’ proposed sentences of time served as “a slap in the face” to the shooting victims in a memo released last week, adding that both parents have shown “a lack of remorse” for their roles in the tragedy, according to local reports.

At one point during her trial, Jennifer said she “wouldn’t have” done anything differently if given the chance.

JENNIFER CRUMBLEY TRIAL: MICHIGAN JURY FINDS SCHOOL SHOOTER’S MOM GUILTY OF INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER

Jennifer Crumbley reacts after seeing video of her son, which showed him walking through Oxford High School during his Nov. 30, 2021, shooting rampage, in the courtroom of Oakland County Judge Cheryl Matthews on Jan. 25, 2024, in Pontiac, Michigan. (Mandi Wright/Detroit Free Press via AP/Pool)

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“Of course, I look back after all this happened, and I have asked myself if I would have done anything differently. I wouldn’t have,” Jennifer testified, adding that she wishes her son would have killed her and her husband, James Crumbley, “instead.”

In a pre-sentencing statement, Jennifer Crumbley backtracked on her own testimony.

WATCH: Jennifer Crumbley testifies during her trial

“At trial, when I was on the stand I was asked if I would have done anything differently, I testified that I would not have — and that is true without the benefit of of (sic) hindsight that I have now,” Crumbley wrote, according to the Detroit News. “With the information I have now, of course my answer would be hugely different. There are so many things that I would change if I could go back in time. I knew my son to be a quiet, good kid, who loved his pets. I never imagined he would hurt other people in the way that he did.”

“I knew my son to be a quiet, good kid, who loved his pets.”

— Jennifer Crumbley

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Keast said in the memo that consistent with Jennifer’s “efforts to minimize her culpability directly after the shooting, defendant — now even after trial — continues to show a complete lack of remorse by minimizing any role she had in the matter,” the Detroit Free Press reported. 

James and Jennifer Crumbley are set to be sentenced on April 9. (Oakland County Sheriff’s Office via AP/File)

“Demonstrating this fact, defendant thinks a proportionate sentence is to ‘be placed on a tether with house arrest’ at her attorney’s guest house — ostensibly an upgraded residence from … where she resided before her gross negligence that led to the Oxford High School shooting,” Keast wrote.

MICHIGAN SCHOOL SHOOTER’S MOTHER JENNIFER CRUMBLEY CALLED SON AN ‘OOPSIE BABY,’ WITNESS SAYS

Jennifer’s attorney, Shannon Smith, wrote in court documents that “[p]utting Mrs. Crumbley in prison does nothing to further deter others from committing like offenses.”

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“There is no person who would want the events of November 30, 2021, to repeat themselves,” she wrote, according to the Detroit News.

Jennifer Crumbley and her husband were found guilty of contributing to the deaths at Oxford High School by neglecting the needs of their son, Ethan Crumbley, and making a gun accessible at home. (Mandi Wright/Detroit Free Press via AP/Pool)

“Mrs. Crumbley was damned no matter what she did or did not do,” Smith continued. “At trial Mrs. Crumbley’s reactions to the tragic events and learning what her son did were criticized at every turn. The prosecution certainly tried to convey that Mrs. Crumbley did not care enough about what was going on, that she did not cry enough, and that she did not behave the way a mother of a school shooter would behave.”

Meanwhile, James Crumbley is under fire for allegedly making threats toward Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald in jail calls.

MICHIGAN MOM ON TRIAL FOR SON’S DEADLY SHOOTING MASSACRE RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT PARENT CULPABILITY IN SHOOTINGS

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McDonald’s office said in a March press release that the “threats are serious, and they also reflect a lack of remorse and a continued refusal to take accountability for his part in the deaths of” the four students who were murdered on Nov. 30, 2021, including Tate Myre, 16; Justin Shilling, 16; Hana St. Juliana, 14; and Madisyn Baldwin, 17.

Ethan Crumbley, at age 15, walked into Oxford High School on the morning of Nov. 30, 2021, went to morning classes, met with the school counselor with his parents, and was sent back to class before he took a gun out of his backpack and killed 16-year-old Tate Myre, 16-year-old Justin Shilling, 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana and 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin. (FOX 2 Detroit)

“Leading up to and during trial, defendant’s behavior and statements showed a complete lack of remorse and disrespect for the court proceedings,” prosecutors wrote in a memo in James’ case, according to the Free Press. “Defendant’s jail calls 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.’”

OXFORD HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTER’S MOTHER ASKS TO DISMISS 3 WITNESSES, ‘GRUESOME’ EVIDENCE THAT COULD ANGER JURY

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His attorney, Mariell Lehman, wrote in a memo that while “reviewing the phone calls which are alleged to contain threats of physical harm, it is clear that Mr. Crumbley is venting to loved ones about his frustrations related to the lack of investigation done by the prosecution prior to authorizing charges against him and his wife,” the Detroit News reported.

She added that James expressed remorse for those who died in the 2021 shooting in jail calls.

James Crumbley was charged with involuntary manslaughter, accused of failing to secure a gun at home, and ignoring his son’s mental health. Ethan Crumbley killed four students at Oxford High School in 2021. (Mandi Wright/Detroit Free Press via AP/Pool)

“He repeatedly expressed that he wished he had known and that he would have done things differently if he had,” Lehman said.

Oxford police said Ethan used a 9 mm SIG Sauer to shoot up Oxford High School on Nov. 30, 2021. James purchased the firearm, which contained several rounds of ammunition when authorities recovered it, for his then-15-year-old son just days before the massacre. Jennifer posted about the purchase on social media, calling it a Christmas gift for her teenage son.

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Ethan pleaded guilty to murder and terrorism last year. He is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Video showing Jennifer Crumbley with her son, Ethan Crumbley, at a gun range for target practice on Nov. 27, 2021, is shown in the courtroom during Jennifer Crumbley’s trial on Jan. 25, 2024, in Pontiac, Michigan. (Mandi Wright/Detroit Free Press via AP/Pool)

Prosecutors have suggested the Crumbleys could have stopped the shooting before it happened when they arrived at Oxford High on the morning of Nov. 30 to meet with school counselors after Ethan was caught scrawling disturbing notes in class.

His notes included an image of a gun and the phrases “Help me,” “Blood everywhere” and “My life is useless,” along with a drawing of a gun.

MICHIGAN SCHOOL SHOOTER ETHAN CRUMBLEY’S FATHER CALLS HIM ‘PERFECT KID’ IN INTERVIEW WITH POLICE

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An Instagram post made by Jennifer Crumbley is shown in the courtroom during her trial on Jan. 25, 2024, in Pontiac, Michigan. (Mandi Wright/Detroit Free Press via AP/Pool)

Instead of taking their son home, prosecutors said, James and Jennifer left him at school and went about their day. Ethan later pulled his father’s handgun, which had not been locked in their home, out of his backpack, fatally shot four students and wounded seven others.

 

Prosecutors have pointed to Ethan’s journal entries, text messages and videos saying he wanted help and his parents were ignoring him. The day before the school massacre, Ethan made a 19-minute video describing what he was going to do the next day, prosecutors said during Jennifer’s trial.

After the shooting, the Crumbleys allegedly fled Oxford and went to Detroit with $6,000 in cash following some initial questioning from police. U.S. Marshals eventually apprehended them days later on Dec. 4, 2021.

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Detroit, MI

Blake Miller has high floor, big upside, says Lions GM Brad Holmes

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Blake Miller has high floor, big upside, says Lions GM Brad Holmes


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The first time Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes noticed Blake Miller was 2024, when he was watching tape of Clemson in Miller’s sophomore season.

Holmes doesn’t remember who Miller was playing or what exactly he did in the game, but he thought enough of the young lineman – in his second of four seasons as a starter – to write a note to himself: “This kid’s a football player.”

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Two years later, after seeing steady growth in Miller’s development, Holmes made Miller the 17th pick of the first round in the 2026 NFL Draft – and the final piece of the Lions’ rebuilt offensive line.

“His urgency and athleticism, that was the first thing that really kind of caught my eye,” Holmes said. “I thought he had some things that he needed to work on from a strength-development standpoint, but I said – so this is off of ‘23 tape –I was like, ‘Man, if this guy gets stronger, man, this guy’s a football player here.’

“And sure enough, ’24 came, he got better. And ’25, it was like, ‘25, it was to the point where it was like, ‘Yeah, there’s no issues here.’ And it’s a testament to him and his work ethic, so I’m not surprised ’cause this guy’s a high football-character individual.”

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Miller is expected to compete immediately at starting right tackle on a Lions offensive line that could have new starters at four different positions this fall.

All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell is expected to move to left tackle to replace the departed Taylor Decker. Free-agent addition Cade Mays will take over for Graham Glasgow at center. The Lions plan to have a training camp competition for the left guard job, where Christian Mahogany returns at starter. And Miller should vie with Larry Borom for the starting job at right tackle.

Tate Ratledge, a second-round pick out of Georgia last year, also returns as a starter at right guard.

Miller said in a conference call Thursday he’s “more than happy to fill in” wherever needed.

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“My goal is just to come in and work as hard as I humanly can to be the best player I can humanly be and, at the end of the day, however the cards fall from there, I can live with,” he said.

At Clemson, Miller was one of college football’s top ironmen. He started all 54 games in his four-year career, twice earned first-team All-ACC honors and set a school record for most snaps played from scrimmage (3,778).

Miller said he doesn’t recall missing a game in middle school or high school.

“I honestly don’t know that I’ve missed a game,” he said.

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And he takes immense pride in his durability.

“At the end of the day, if I’m able to play, whether it’s through injury or whether I’m blessed enough to be completely healthy, I think I owe it to my teammates to be on the field,” he said. “There’s so many people in any organization that put in so much work, not only just your teammates but also, too, staff, support staff, people behind the scenes. I owe it to them to be available and to pay it forward to them.”

Beyond his college experience, Holmes said, Miller checked “a lot of boxes” the Lions look for in their linemen as a big, tough, smart, high-floor player with plenty of upside.

At 6 feet 7 and 317 pounds, Miller was considered one of the most athletic linemen in the draft; Holmes called him “one of the better run-blocking tackles.”

“He’s been very durable thus far,” Holmes said, knocking on the wooden lectern in front of him. “But look, that’s a big-time program. I mean, they’ve played some big-time football and he’s gone against some really good pass rushers in his career and how he’s held up vs. the pass rushers that he’s faced throughout his career going back to previous year film, it says a lot.

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“I’ll tell you what, when you think about Blake Miller, you sleep easy. You sleep very, very good at night, and so that’s what gets us fired up.”

Miller said he met with the Lions in the pre-draft process and felt an connection to the culture. When he talked Thursday, he referenced many of the buzzwords common to the organization – grit, toughness, finishing – and said his favorite part of playing offensive line is “you get to go out there and you get to take someone’s will every play.”

“I love the grit, love the toughness that’s emphasized just kind of outside looking in and I really want to uphold that standard,” he said.

Holmes said the Lions considered trading up in Round 1 around the time three offensive linemen – Utah’s Spencer Fano, Miami (Florida)’s Frances Mauigoa and Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor – came off the board in a four-pick span to the Cleveland Browns (No. 9), New York Giants (No. 10) and Miami Dolphins (No. 12).

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He also received one trade-down call when the Lions were on the clock, but he didn’t want to risk losing a player he said is “going to be a good starting tackle already.”

“I think there’s a lot of growth left in him and that’s hard to find,” Holmes said. “Some guys they have a really high ceiling but the floor is not as high and so there’s a little bit more development. Look, these are all rookies so they’re going to have their lumps and all that, we expect that, but it’s hard to find guys that have the floor, still have growth, cause this guy, when you start matching up his athleticism numbers and all of that to these other tackles, he’s right up in the mix. So we’ll see how high it goes but I don’t have any hesitation or any reservations that he’s going to continue to get better.”

Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on BlueskyX and Instagram at @davebirkett.





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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee father sentenced to life in prison in death of his 4-year-old son

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Milwaukee father sentenced to life in prison in death of his 4-year-old son


A Milwaukee County judge sentenced Ralph Taylor on Thursday, April 23 to life in prison without the possibility of extended supervision, in the July 2025 fatal shooting of his 4-year-old son, Ralph Taylor III.

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Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis campaigners press Swiss National Bank to dump Palantir investment

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Minneapolis campaigners press Swiss National Bank to dump Palantir investment


The Swiss National Bank should sell its $1.1 billion stake in Palantir ‌Technologies , campaigners from Minneapolis said at a meeting of the central bank on Friday, citing the firm’s involvement in U.S. immigration enforcement operations.



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