James and Jennifer Crumbley learn their fate during final emotional day in Oxford shooting case
James and Jennifer Crumbley each sentenced to 10-15 years
Judge Cheryl Matthews spoke before sentencing both James and Jennifer Crumbley to 10-15 years, each, saying the sentence is reasonable and proportional to the suffering hundreds have endured. "Each act, or inaction, created a ripple effect," she said.
PONTIAC, Mich. (FOX 2) - James and Jennifer Crumbley learned their sentence on Tuesday, receiving a minimum of a decade behind bars. They were both convicted of involuntary manslaughter stemming from the Oxford High School shooting two years earlier.
Read our timeline of what happened in court below. You can also learn more about the sentencing decision here.
12:30 p.m. - Judge announces sentence
Judge Cheryl Matthews sentenced James and Jennifer Crumbley to both 10-15 years. They received credit for 858 days of time served, as well as fines to the court. They were also ordered to have no contact to the victims.
12:20 p.m. - Prosecution makes recommendation for sentencing
12:09 p.m. - James Crumbley gives statement
James said he was "truly sorry" for the devastation his son caused the families of the victims.
"My heart is really broken for everyone involved. I understand my words won't bring any comfort. I understand they're not going to relieve any pain. Quite frankly, they probably don't believe me," he said.
He asked the judge to sentence him "in a fair and just way," later adding he asked for probation with a GPS tether.
11:48 a.m. - Jennifer Crumbley gives statement
Jennifer Crumbley spoke for 10 minutes during her statement. She said "we were good parents. We were the average family."
She also blamed the prosecution during the trial when she asked the court for a lenient sentence. Her attorney doubled down on the treatment her team has received, having been ‘hamstrung’ during the trial.
Jennifer Crumbley speaks at sentencing: ‘I’ve lost myself over my son’s wrongdoing’
Jennifer Crumbley speaks at her sentencing hearing, addressing her remarks during testimony that she said she wouldn’t have done anything differently, the meeting with school officials the morning of the shooting, how she feels the prosecution has molded their image and learning forgiveness.
10:58 a.m. - ‘You failed as parents;’ Victim impact statements given
Parents and family members of the four students killed in the Oxford High School shooting gave statements, describing emotional details about the turmoil they struggle with.
Nicole Beausoleil, Madisyn Baldwin's mom, Jill Soave and Craig Shilling, parents of Justin Shilling, Reina and Steve St. Juliana, the sister and father of Hana, and Buck Myre, the father of Tate Myre all took turns.
Of all the moments that have happened since the shooting, it was the details during the trial that family members keyed in on the most; specifically, Jennifer Crumbley testifying she wouldn't do anything differently, and James Crumbley shaking his head when the verdict was read.
"Shaking your head during a verdict is the most disrespectful thing I've ever seen," said Beausoleil.
"…and she still says she wouldn't have changed a thing?" Craig Shilling said to Jennifer. "Her distinct lack of remorse, I feel the maximum time is needed for her to fully comprehend the gravity of the situation."
10:24 a.m. - Short break
10:07 a.m. Defense takes issue with ‘false narrative repeated by media’
Jennifer Crumbley's sentencing guideline includes points for when a defendant ‘interferes with the administration of justice.’
This opened up an old argument from trial about whether the Crumbleys had planned to run instead of turning themselves in. Jennifer Crumbley's attorney argued it wasn't true and the prosecution had peddled a narrative that was false.
The judge reminded the defense that police don't have to wait for defendants to turn themselves in before trying to apprehend themselves. She also said it was unlikely that the Crumbleys didn't hear law enforcement trying to locate them, despite them testifying they were asleep.
James Crumbley also had points in his sentencing guidelines because of claims he had threatened the prosecution during jailhouse phone calls. His defense said there were "no threats of physical harm" against the prosecution.
The prosecution argued he didn't know why James Crumbley made those statements, but he hadn't experienced something like that before. He asked the judge to sentence him appropriately. She said she believed it was correctly scored.
9:51 a.m. - Arguments over sentencing guidelines
Both James and Jennifer Crumbley's sentence will be determined based on the number of points included in the guidelines for sentencing.
The defense took issue with the number of points both defendants received, arguing about the shooter's actions and the number of victims in the case shouldn't determine how long the Crumbley parents are sentenced.
The prosecution said the statute and case law refutes that argument. The judge agreed.
Similar objections were entered into the record for other variables.
Before that, both teams talked about a no-contact order between James and Jennifer and their son. It's possible both James and his son could end up in the same prison after the Oxford shooter's father begins his term.
To keep both of them away from one another, they would be characterized as "enemies", according to the Michigan Department of Corrections. There was also a potential no-contact order between James and Jennifer.
Both legal teams put the issue aside and planned to issue memos within a week.
Former coverage
Separate juries concluded that both parents' actions and lack of actions contributed to the 2021 shooting committed by their teen son, who is now spending life in prison.
James and Jennifer are looking at a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison after being the first parents charged in connection with a mass shooting committed by their child.
Prosecutors want the Crumbleys to spend 10-15 years in prison. A big question is whether both will receive the same sentence. Though they were convicted of the same crimes, other factors could come into play.
In a sentencing memo filed last week, the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office detailed threats James made toward Prosecutor Karen McDonald. These threats could get him a longer sentence than his wife.
That memo also noted that Jennifer was requesting house arrest to live in her attorney Shannon Smith's guesthouse. Criminal attorneys who spoke to FOX 2 said this will not happen.
Before Judge Cheryl Matthews reads the Crumbleys their sentences, victims will have a chance to provide impact statements. After the victims speak, the Crumbley parents will get a chance to speak. This is something that we haven't seen from James since his arrest. Jennifer testified on the stand during her sentencing.
After they are sentenced, the Crumbleys have 42 days to file an appeal.
More coverage:
- James Crumbley threatens Prosecutor Karen McDonald: 'You’re going down'
- Jennifer Crumbley wants house arrest to live in lawyer's guest house
- Families of Oxford shooting victims want accountability from school - but won't get it in court