Michigan

Michigan shooter’s mom told police ‘he’s going to have to suffer’ after school slayings

Published

1 year ago

January 31, 2024

Michigan shooter’s mom told police ‘he’s going to have to suffer’ after school slayings

Jennifer Crumbley was “irritated” and “kind of frustrated” when police took her into custody in the aftermath of a shooting at her son’s Michigan high school, a detective testified at her trial Wednesday.

Days before, her son Ethan Crumbley, then 15, killed four people and wounded seven others at Oxford High School, about 45 miles north of Detroit. She and her husband had gone into hiding after being charged in connection with the massacre but authorities found them sleeping at a Detroit art gallery five days after the Nov. 30, 2021 shootings.

“I could tell she was kind of frustrated,” Det. Lt. Sam Marzban of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department told jurors. “I told her there were several dead kids … and that this was a significant incident, that it was on the national news and that the president had addressed it.”

“Was Jennifer Crumbley crying?” Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald asked.

She was not, he answered, but Marzban said he recalled Crumbley saying, “‘Lives were lost today, and he’s going to have to suffer.’

“The choice of words was odd for me,” he said.

In the days before the shooting, prosecutors have said, Ethan Crumbley was depressed, lonely and hallucinating. The teen texted his mom that he was seeing demons throw bowls around the house, and hearing toilets flush when no one was home.

His parents were called to the school when Ethan drew a picture of a gun on a math worksheet with a bleeding body and the words, “The thoughts won’t stop, help me.” A day before, a teacher saw Ethan searching for ammunition on his phone, and when the school contacted Jennifer Crumbley, she texted her son, “Lol. I’m not mad at you. You have to learn not to get caught,” according to the prosecutor’s office.

The Crumbleys, prosecutors said, promised to get help for Ethan, but declined to take him home and then returned to work without telling the school their son had access to a gun. Ethan went back to class; two hours later, at about 1 p.m., he came out of a bathroom and opened fire on the school with the gun, which was in his backpack.

Marzban was the first person to testify Wednesday in the ongoing trial of Jennifer Crumbley, who’s charged with involuntary manslaughter linked to the Nov. 30, 2021 shooting spree at Oxford High School. Ethan Crumbley pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison. His father, Jennifer’s husband James Crumbley, will be tried separately beginning March 5.

A day earlier, a teacher saw Ethan searching for ammunition on his phone. The school contacted his mother, Jennifer Crumbley, who then told her son in a text message: “Lol. I’m not mad at you. You have to learn not to get caught,” the prosecutor’s office said.

The detective told the jury and Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Cheryl Matthews his job included identifying the shooting victims; he provided graphic details about a scene he called “kind of surreal,” including one victim who was still wearing her backpack when he found her in the hallway.

Jennifer Crumbley, the first parent in the U.S. to stand trial on charges stemming from a child’s mass shooting, went on the run with her husband after the shooting. The prosecution is arguing that the Crumbleys were selfish and uncaring, ignoring their son’s spiraling mental illness and buying him the gun that he used in the shootings rather than seeking help for him.

The Crumbleys’ lawyers say they had no way of knowing or predicting that their son might go on a murderous spree, that the gun was secured and the charges are overreaching.

When the Crumbleys were discovered at a Detroit art gallery days after the shooting, Marzban testified, Jennifer Crumbley “did not want to give me her phone. She seemed irritated.” He said her husband told her the police would eventually get the phone, so she turned it over and gave him the password.

On trial: Jennifer Crumbley, charged in son’s school shooting, sobs at ‘horrific’ footage of rampage

The arguments: Jury selection begins for Oxford school shooter’s mother in unprecedented trial

Marzban also helped secure a search warrant of the Crumbleys’ house after identifying Ethan through items found in his backpack, including his cellphone.

The phone had texts from Jennifer Crumbley that said, “Ethan don’t do it,” about an hour after the shooting had been reported. Another text from James Crumbley read, “Ethan, call me now.”

The jury Wednesday also saw video footage of the Crumbleys’ arrest and heard from the person who called 911 to report where the couple was sleeping, a business owner nearby who recognized the description of the Crumbleys’ car from posters circulating after the shooting.

The prosecution has said it expects to rest its case by Friday and it still had nine witnesses to put on the stand.

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Michigan

What Bear McWhorter’s commitment means for Michigan football

Published

2 hours ago

March 6, 2025

Press Room

What Bear McWhorter’s commitment means for Michigan football

The strengths of Michigan’s 2025 recruiting class were the quarterback and offensive line positions, highlighted by top-ranked signal-caller Bryce Underwood and two top-50 prospects up front with five-star Andrew Babalola and Ty Haywood.

The Wolverines landed a potential building block along the line in the 2026 class last week with a commitment from White (Ga.) Cass four-star interior lineman Bear McWhorter.

Here’s what his verbal pledge means for the Wolverines:

– This is an instance where a prospect’s offers list could be more indicative of his potential rather than his ranking. McWhorter is low four-star in the 247Sports Composite and is ranked as the No. 390 overall prospect nationally, but he holds 40 reported offers.

– There is a large disparity between how the four recruiting services view McWhorter heading into his senior season. ESPN and Rivals both rate him as a four-star, while the former ranks him as a top-200 prospect overall and the No. 5 interior lineman in the country. On3 and 247Sports both have him as a three-star, with 247Sports ranking him as the 88th overall interior lineman.

– Michigan went into SEC territory and beat out other finalists Alabama, Florida, South Carlina and Clemson to land McWhorter. Recruiting can be unpredictable, and McWhorter’s decision appeared to surprise many experts. He grew up an Alabama fan and is named after legendary Tide coach Bear Bryant. Many recruiting analysts predicted McWhorter would end up in Tuscaloosa, but he chose the Wolverines in his announcement ceremony at his school, donning a block “M” hat.

He told On3 his decision came down to the wire.

“There were some changes for me since I set my commitment date,” he said. “I kept talking to the coaches, talking with my family and it came down to being a part of that blue-collar mentality at Michigan.

“The players are a lot like me. The vibe is awesome up there and the guys in the program are guys I am ready to war with every day. I love the people, and it is an environment I feel I can thrive in.”

– The Wolverines are off to a slow start in the 2026 cycle, with McWhorter becoming just their third pledge and first offensive lineman. We’ll see if his commitment can give Sherrone Moore’s program some momentum heading into spring and summer, when several blue-chip recruits are slated to visit Ann Arbor.

– McWhorter’s commitment continues a recent string of success for Michigan against Alabama on and off the field. It beat the Tide in the postseason each of the past two seasons and also flipped Haywood from them last cycle. Haywood, a top-50 prospect, decommitted from Alabama in January and signed with Michigan during the late period in February.

– Moore and offensive line coach Grant Newsome signed four offensive linemen in the 2025 class and could take up to five this cycle. The position will always be a priority for Moore, a former offensive lineman at Oklahoma who guided the Wolverines to two Joe Moore Awards coaching the position. Michigan is aiming high at the position too, with Nixa (Mo.) five-star tackle and No. 1 overall prospect Jackson Cantwell, Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day four-star interior lineman Leo Delaney, Honolulu Kamehameha four-star tackle Malakai Lee and Portage Northern four-star tackle Gregory Patrick and Fort Worth (Texas) North Crowley five-star interior lineman John Turntine among the top targets. All are top-200 recruits nationally.

“Coach Newsome talks to me every day,” McWhorter told On3. “He is a very personable guy. I can go to him about anything and we have gotten really close. I trust him, I like who he is and I believe in him.

“Coach Moore was a huge factor too. He is a great head coach who has had a lot of success coaching offensive linemen. I really like how they develop offensive linemen, the culture is great and I really want to be a part of it.”

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Michigan

Michigan corrections officer sentenced to federal prison for child porn

Published

14 hours ago

March 6, 2025

Press Room

Michigan corrections officer sentenced to federal prison for child porn

EATON COUNTY, Mich. – A former corrections officer in Eaton County has been sentenced to federal prison for the distribution of child pornography.

According to authorities, Ethan Eversman convinced a 15-year-old in New York to create and send him multiple sexually explicit videos. Eversman shared two of those videos with another person online.

He was working as a corrections officer at the time. He was fired before he was officially charged.

It’s alleged he convinced the child to send the explicit content to him from 2021 to 2024.

WILX News 10 reported that he solicited the explicit content from the girl starting when she was 13 years old.

Eversman was sentenced to 210 months — more than 17 years — for the distribution of child pornography.

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Michigan

Michigan’s 71-65 loss to Maryland ensures Michigan State a share of Big Ten title

Published

1 day ago

March 5, 2025

Press Room

Michigan’s 71-65 loss to Maryland ensures Michigan State a share of Big Ten title

Michigan will not control its destiny in its quest for a share of the Big Ten regular season title after losing to Maryland 71-65 on Wednesday. The defeat was the Wolverines’ second straight at the Crisler Center.

The result ensures No. 8 Michigan State won at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title. The Wolverines only hope is if the Spartans stumble on the road at Iowa on Thursday, which would make the Spartans-Wolverines rematch on Sunday the deciding game. The Spartans beat the Wolverines 75-62, on Feb. 21.

Three days after losing 93-73 to Illinois, the Wolverines were bested by the Terrapins. Rodney Rice had a team-high 19 points. Selton Miguel and Derik Queen each had 17, with Queen adding 12 rebounds.

No. 13 Maryland Terrapins vs. No.17 Michigan Wolverines Highlights | FOX College Hoops

Check out the greatest moments and plays in this matchup between the No. 13 Maryland Terrapins and the No.17 Michigan Wolverines.

The No. 13 Terrapins (23-7, 13-6) have won six of seven games, losing only to the Spartans on a buzzer-beating heave. They sit tied for third in the Big Ten conference with Purdue (21-9, 13-6).

The No. 17 Wolverines (22-8, 14-5) have lost two straight and three of their last four home games, falling out of first place in the conference.

Maryland took control by holding Michigan to a season-low 22 points in the first half while building an 11-point lead. The Wolverines hurt their comeback chances with nine turnovers in the second half.

Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf each scored 20 points, and Tre Donaldson added 10 points and six assists for the Wolverines.

Takeaways

Maryland: Kevin Willard’s balanced squad is playing well at the right time, winning 10 of its last 11 to improve its seeding for the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments.

Michigan: Dusty May’s team needed a win to guarantee it would be playing for a share of the Big Ten title Sunday against the Spartans.

Key moment

Wolf went 0-of-2 on free throws with 5:48 left, missing a chance to cut Michigan’s deficit to two points.

Key stat

Maryland scored 21 points off Michigan’s 16 turnovers.

Up next

On the final weekend of the regular season, Maryland hosts Northwestern on Saturday, and Michigan plays at Michigan State on Sunday.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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