Jennifer Crumbley Challenges Conviction in Oxford School Shooting Case

PONTIAC, Mich. — Eight months after being sentenced to 10-15 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter, Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of the Oxford High School shooter, is challenging her conviction. On Thursday, Oakland County Judge Cheryl Matthews denied most of her requests for acquittal or a new trial but left open the possibility of revisiting the case based on undisclosed agreements between prosecutors and key witnesses.

Crumbley, along with her husband James, was convicted last year on four counts of involuntary manslaughter for their role in the November 2021 Oxford High School shooting. Their son, then 15, killed four students and injured six others. The couple was accused of failing to secure the gun used in the shooting and neglecting to inform school officials about their son’s access to the weapon during a meeting hours before the tragedy.

Jennifer Crumbley’s new attorney, Michael Dezsi, filed a motion in December to overturn her conviction, arguing that the prosecution withheld critical evidence. Specifically, the defense claims that proffer agreements made with two school witnesses—counselor Shawn Hopkins and former dean of students Nicholas Ejak—were not disclosed to the original defense team. These agreements ensured that the witnesses’ statements to investigators would not be used against them in any potential charges.

Judge Matthews did not rule on whether the undisclosed agreements warrant a new trial, scheduling a hearing for Friday to address the issue. “It is an agreement between a prosecutor’s office and an individual that whatever they say, as long as they’re truthful, will not be used against them,” explained Arthur Weiss, president of the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan.

The prosecution maintains that the agreements were not required to be disclosed and that Crumbley received a fair trial. They argue that the parents’ failure to act on clear warning signs was central to the case. The defense, however, contends that the school witnesses shared responsibility for the tragedy but were shielded from accountability.

The Crumbleys’ son, who pleaded guilty to his crimes, is serving a life sentence without parole. Both parents are appealing their convictions, with Jennifer’s case hinging on the alleged prosecutorial misconduct. Judge Matthews dismissed several other claims raised by Dezsi, including arguments about jury instructions and evidence presentation, which are likely to be part of the appeal to the Michigan Court of Appeals.

The hearing on Friday will determine whether Jennifer Crumbley’s conviction stands, is overturned, or results in a new trial. The case has drawn national attention as a rare instance of parents being held criminally responsible for their child’s actions in a mass shooting.