PONTIAC, Mich. — A Michigan woman, who became the first U.S. parent to be criminally charged for a school shooting carried out by her child, is seeking to have her conviction overturned. Jennifer Crumbley’s legal representatives argued before a judge that her trial was compromised due to the prosecution’s failure to reveal significant information regarding two key witnesses involved in the case involving the fatal shooting of four students in 2021.
The two witnesses, Nick Ejak and Shawn Hopkins, who worked at Oxford High School, were promised immunity when they agreed to provide testimony to prosecutors, implying that their statements would not be used against them. However, a crucial four-page document outlining this agreement was not disclosed to Crumbley’s defense team prior to her trial set for 2024.
Crumbley’s appellate counsel, Michael Dezsi, stated in court that not having access to this agreement represented a serious breach of the legal protocols that prosecutors are required to follow. He emphasized that had the defense been informed of the deal, they would have been able to question Ejak and Hopkins during cross-examination, potentially challenging their credibility.
“The prosecution used this deal as leverage to secure cooperation from the witnesses,” claimed Dezsi, highlighting the implications of this omission on the integrity of the trial.
Currently, Jennifer Crumbley, 46, is serving a 10-year prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors contended that she failed in her responsibility to protect the students at Oxford High from her son, Ethan Crumbley, who received a firearm as a gift just a few days before committing the mass shooting.
On the day of the tragic incident, Ejak and Hopkins had a meeting with Ethan and his parents just two hours prior to the shooting. During this meeting, a teacher raised concerns over alarming drawings Ethan had made, which depicted a firearm, a bullet, and a wounded individual, all accompanied by troubling phrases. Despite these warnings, both parents and school staff did not take action to check Ethan’s backpack for a weapon, leading to devastating consequences.
Assistant prosecutor Marc Keast argued that his office had no legal obligation to disclose the agreement made with Ejak and Hopkins, asserting that they were never charged with any crimes. Keast asserted that there was no indication of promises or threats made regarding their testimonies and that the discussions circled around the events of November 30, when the shooting occurred.
Judge Cheryl Matthews acknowledged that the failure to release the agreements could represent a breach of protocol by the prosecution. However, she also noted that the testimonies from Ejak and Hopkins constituted only a minor aspect of the overall case against Crumbley.
While the judge did not make an immediate ruling on the request for a new trial, she had previously dismissed several other arguments in a detailed nine-page opinion issued on Thursday. This case follows another conviction within the family, as Jennifer Crumbley’s husband, James Crumbley, was also found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in a separate trial and is serving a concurrent 10-year sentence. Their son, Ethan, now 18, is facing a life sentence for murder along with additional charges.
