The foreperson of the jury that found Jennifer Crumbley, mother of Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley, guilty of involuntary manslaughter Tuesday told NBC’s “Today” show the verdict wasn’t “immediately unanimous,” but she chose to convict because “Jennifer didn’t separate her son from the gun”—explaining her decision in the first-of-its-kind criminal case.
Jennifer Crumbley talks to her attorney Shannon Smith, Monday, Feb. 5, 2024 in Pontiac, Mich. (AP ... [+]
The juror, who only identified herself as Alex to protect her privacy, told “Today” on Wednesday as foreperson, she had to hear the concerns of those “on either side” of the issue.
She noted each juror had their own opinion, but that for her, Jennifer Crumbley’s handling of the gun was key, as Alex believed “Jennifer didn’t separate her son from the gun enough to save those lives that day” and “the responsibility of securing the weapon … falls on her.”
While Jennifer Crumbley’s handling of the gun was the biggest part of her opinion, Alex told “Today” a journal containing signs of her son’s alleged unanswered calls for help “played a huge part” in shaping the opinions of her fellow jurors.
Jennifer Crumbley’s comments on the witness stand that she wouldn’t have done anything differently were “repeated a lot in the deliberation room” and were “very upsetting to hear,” Alex added Wednesday, noting she believed “there are many small things that could have been done to prevent this.”
Alex also told multiple media outlets in interviews after the verdict Tuesday that “both sides were well-represented” during deliberations, but “the thing that really hammered it home is that she was the last adult with the gun.”
“There was definitely a weight,” Alex told “Today.” “I think anytime we entered the courtroom there was an undeniable weight on us.”
Ethan Crumbley shot and killed four students at Michigan’s Oxford High School on Nov. 30, 2021 and has since been sentenced to life in prison. His parents, Jennifer and James Crumbley, were both charged with involuntary manslaughter, marking the first time in U.S. history that parents were held directly responsible for a school shooting carried out by their child. The prosecution’s case focused largely on her and her husband’s storage of the gun used in the shooting, which they purchased for their son as a gift. Prosecutors also pointed to text messages and Ethan Crumbley’s journal entries that suggested he may have been struggling with mental health, but his pleas for help were ignored. The case also focused on a meeting school officials held the day of the shooting with Jennifer and James where they recommended Ethan get mental health care after finding disturbing drawings and messages. School officials reportedly testified that the Crumbleys declined to take Ethan out of school that day. Jennifer Crumbley’s attorneys, meanwhile, argued the shooting was not foreseeable.
James Crumbley, who’s facing the same charges as Jennifer Crumbley, is set to begin his trial March 5.