James and Jennifer Crumbley, parents of Ethan Crumbley, the teenager responsible for the tragic school shooting in Oxford, Michigan, in 2021, have each been sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison after being convicted of manslaughter. This sentencing follows weeks of legal proceedings. The judge emphasized that this decision aims to serve as a deterrent against future school shootings.
Both parents will receive credit for the time already served, which amounts to 858 days.
During the sentencing, Judge Cheryl Matthews highlighted the repeated opportunities the Crumbleys had to prevent the tragedy and condemned their inaction. She said the decision should be a deterrent to try to stop school shootings in the future.
“Opportunity knocked over and over again, louder and louder, and was ignored,” Judge Matthews said. “No one answered and these two people should have and sure didn’t.”
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“These convictions confirm repeated acts or lack of acts that could have halted an oncoming runaway train,” she continued.
She said she is “aware of my job in this situation” and promised not to be “swayed by public opinion” when handing down the sentencing decision.
Addressing the courtroom, James Crumbley expressed his heartfelt apologies to the victims’ families, acknowledging the unimaginable pain they endure. He emphasized his lack of awareness regarding his son’s intentions and pleaded for a fair sentencing.
“I want to say I can’t imagine the pain and agony … for the families that have lost their children and what they are experiencing and what they are going through. As a parent, our biggest fear is losing our child or our children, and to lose a child is unimaginable. My heart is really broken for everybody involved,” he said.
“I really want the families of Madisyn Baldwin, Hana St Juliana, Tate Myre and Justin Shilling to know how truly sorry I am, and how devastated I was when I heard what happened to them,” Crumbley said before asking the judge to “sentence me in a fair way.”
Jennifer Crumbley also conveyed her condolences to the victims’ families, expressing deep remorse for the events of November 30, 2021. She clarified a previous statement, explaining that with hindsight, her response would have been different had she known the extent of her son’s actions.
“With the benefit of hindsight and information I have now, my answer would be drastically different,” she said.
Crumbley added that if she knew her son was capable of the crimes committed, her answer would have “absolutely been different.”
She concluded by acknowledging the lifelong burden of guilt she carries for her son’s actions.
“I will be in my own internal prison for the rest of my life,” she added.
