Jennifer Crumbley, mother of Oxford High School killer, guilty of manslaughter

Get the Point!

One of the most common (and true) cliches in the English lexicon is that "parenting is hard work," a fact that just about any parent can readily attest. 

But the hard work must be done, which is why I kept watch over the events that took place in an Oakland County, Michigan courtroom over the past week as Jennifer Crumbley, 45, stood trial for four counts of involuntary manslaughter stemming from the criminal acts of her then 15-year old son, Ethan Crumbley, who shot and killed four of his schoolmates at Oxford High School in November of 2021. 

Jennifer Crumbley (left) awaiting jury verdict

American jurisprudence is typically hesitant to hold one person criminally liable for the intentional acts of another, but as days turn to months, and months turn to years, the menace that is public shootings at schools, churches, grocery stores, movie theaters, concerts, and everywhere in between has us all collectively seeking ways to stop the violence that claims far too many innocent men, women, and children far too soon. 

In memory of Madisyn Baldwin 17, Tate Myre, 16, Justin Shilling, 17, Hana St. Juliana, 14, the Oxford High School victims 😢

When the shooter has yet to reach the age of 18, well, ever since Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris shot up Columbine High School in Colorado circa 1999, there have been calls to have parents who "should" know that their kid is planning mass murder to be held accountable, too.

This is doubly so when the parent(s) purchase or provide weapons to their little Hellions that are then used to bring murder, mayhem, and misery to cities and towns across America. 

Facing a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, Ms. Crumbley testified for nearly three hours last week and did her best to portray herself as a normal parent whose child committed a series of abnormal acts. Said Crimbley, "as a parent, you spend your life trying to protect your child from other dangers, but you would never would think that you have to protect your child from harmony somebody else."

Crumbley on the witness stand last week

Yeah, but the problem with her self-serving defense is that we, as parents, are totally responsible for what goes on under our roofs—not to mention that Momma Crumbley accompanied her son to a gun range not long before he turned the halls of academia into killing fields. 

Which is why I believe that whether it was basic communication to see how her child was "really" doing, procuring mental health help for her child, or for God's sake, surely making sure that her unstable child didn't have access to weapons, Crumbley could have (and should have) done more to prevent these horrors. 

So much more…

But Crumbley didn't, and with her conviction—and her husband James's trial pending—here's hoping that more prosecutorial offices across the country will charge recklessly indifferent parents whose lack of oversight helps fuel the killer(s) that lurk in their homes and our schools.