DETROIT — On Tuesday, prosecutors argued before a judge that Ethan Crumbley’s request to retract his guilty plea in connection with the tragic Oxford High School shooting should be denied. Crumbley, now 18, is currently serving a life sentence for the incident that resulted in the deaths of four students in 2021. His new team of appellate lawyers claims that he was experiencing significant mental health issues when he pleaded guilty and waived his right to a trial at the age of 16.
However, officials from the Oakland County prosecutor’s office contend that Crumbley’s claims do not meet Michigan’s legal criteria to allow for the retraction of his guilty plea. Assistant prosecutor Joseph Shada emphasized in a court filing that Crumbley is not in a position to withdraw his plea simply because he has reconsidered his decision.
Shada pointed out that Crumbley had signed an acknowledgment indicating that he had discussions with his legal team regarding the plea and that his questions had been thoroughly addressed. Additionally, in another court filing, the prosecutors argued that Crumbley’s life sentence should remain intact. His new legal representatives are requesting Judge Kwame Rowe to consider fresh evidence concerning Crumbley’s troubled upbringing and his exposure to alcohol while in the womb.
Shada defended the life sentence as being appropriate and within constitutional bounds, stating that it remains valid, even with claims of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. The timeline for when Judge Rowe will make a decision on this matter has not been established.
Crumbley was only 15 years old at the time of the shooting, where he took a firearm to school and tragically shot and killed four students while injuring several others. On the same day, his parents had been called to the school to address troubling drawings and distressing words found on a math assignment. Instead of taking immediate action, they left him at school, and no one checked his backpack, which contained the firearm.
James and Jennifer Crumbley, his parents, are currently serving prison sentences of ten years each for involuntary manslaughter. They were convicted for allegedly making the gun accessible to their son and disregarding his mental health needs, marking a historic first as parents facing charges in connection with a school shooting perpetrated by their child.
In a related development, families of the students who lost their lives in the Oxford shooting have publicly called for a comprehensive investigation into the events surrounding the tragedy. They believe such an inquiry could lead to important changes that would enhance student safety in Michigan schools.