Mother of Oxford High School Shooter Testifies in Historic Trial, Denies Seeing Warning Signs
In a historic criminal trial that has captivated the nation, Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of Oxford High School mass shooter Ethan Crumbley, took the stand for the first time on Thursday. Facing involuntary manslaughter charges, Jennifer denied ever believing that her son posed a threat to others or seeing any signs that he needed mental health treatment.
Throughout the trial, prosecutors have portrayed Jennifer as a neglectful parent who ignored warning signs before her son’s deadly rampage on November 30, 2021. However, during her testimony, Jennifer sought to present a different narrative of their family life and her parenting decisions. She showed photos to the jury depicting their ordinary family activities, such as vacations, camping trips, and apple picking. She emphasized that they engaged in normal activities like playing board games and swimming together.
Jennifer acknowledged that her son struggled with his grades and expressed anxiety about his future. She recalled texting another mom about his depression, which she believed was related to his grades. However, she maintained that she never felt he needed professional mental health treatment.
The defense also focused on an argument over grades that Jennifer and her husband had with Ethan the night before the shooting. They had told him that if his grades did not improve, he would not be allowed to go to the shooting range, a hobby he enjoyed. The next day, Ethan made a drawing in class depicting a gun and the message: “The thoughts won’t stop. Help me.” When Jennifer and her husband arrived at the school and saw the altered version of the drawing, they initially thought Ethan was acting out due to their argument. But upon seeing the original drawing, they became concerned.
Jennifer testified that a school counselor had expressed concerns about Ethan being sad and suggested that being around peers might be beneficial for him. School officials did not consider him a risk and gave him the option of staying in school. Ethan chose to stay.
The prosecution presented text messages that Ethan had sent to his mother about seeing demons and strange occurrences in their house. Jennifer explained that she did not find these messages concerning because they were part of a joking culture in their household. She also mentioned that her son had played with a Ouija board and often made videos of doors slamming, but she believed he was just messing around.
Jennifer’s testimony included discussions about her worries for her son’s safety and her efforts to track his whereabouts using a tracking app. She became emotional when shown a photo of Ethan before the shooting, expressing how difficult it was to get him to take photos as he got older.
She also recounted the day of the shooting, driving to the school after receiving a call from her husband about an active shooter. She texted Ethan, urging him not to do anything, believing that he intended to harm himself rather than others. It was only later that she learned about the fatalities while sitting in the back of a patrol car.
After the shooting, Jennifer and her husband faced threats, with her Facebook messages and work email being inundated with threats. The prosecution presented banking records showing withdrawals of cash from their accounts after the shooting, which Jennifer explained as a precautionary measure advised by her father in case their accounts were frozen.
Jennifer testified about fleeing their house and staying at an art studio in Detroit after learning that charges were impending. She explained that they had obtained new phones because law enforcement had seized their original ones, leaving them without access to their bank accounts due to two-factor authentication requirements.
Addressing her feelings as a parent, Jennifer admitted feeling like a failure during the aftermath of the shooting. She expressed deep remorse for the harm caused by her son’s actions and emphasized that she never believed he was a danger to others. She stated, “As a parent, you spend your whole life trying to protect your child from other dangers. You never would think you would have to protect your child from harming somebody else. That’s what blew my mind. That was the hardest thing I had to stomach — that my child harmed and killed people.”
Jennifer Crumbley’s testimony will continue on Friday morning, with cross-examination by the prosecution. The trial has shed light on the complexities of parenting and the challenges of recognizing warning signs in troubled youth, igniting a national conversation about mental health and school safety.
