The jury that convicted Jennifer Crumbley of manslaughter for shooting up her son’s school felt “undeniable weight” on their historic verdict – and was not “immediately unanimous” in agreeing guilt, their foreman revealed in an interview published Wednesday.
“There’s definitely weight to it,” the class leader, who only goes by the first name Alex, told the “Today” show.
“We all take the responsibility given to us seriously. And I was only one of 12 people, but made a very difficult decision,” he said of the first conviction of the parents responsible for the mass shooting of children.
Alex said he was influenced by Crumbley as the last person to handle the gun that was later used by his then 15-year-old son, Ethan Crumbley, to kill four at Oxford High School in Michigan on November 30, 2021.
“For me, I just think Jennifer didn’t separate her son from the gun enough to save their lives that day,” Alex said.
Even so, “It wasn’t unanimous right away,” he said of the six-man, six-woman jury’s decision.
Jennifer Crumbley was found guilty of four counts of murder for her role in her son’s school shooting. AP
In the end, the mother’s own evidence influenced the decision, the chief said.
“As soon as we talked, it became clear that she was not a very credible witness in this case,” Alex said of the 45-year-old marketing director who cheated on her husband while also ignoring her son’s obvious need for help.
One example, he said, was Crumbley’s testimony that he would not have done anything different before the shooting, despite clear warning signs.
Ethan Crumbley was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. AP
“It goes over and over again in the discussion room,” Alex said. “I think it’s very heartbreaking to hear that. I think there are a lot of little things that can be done to prevent this.”
The spokesman also noted text messages between Crumbley and his son — in which the word “love” appeared only three times in as many years — as well as the boy’s journal entries detailing his mental health issues.
James and Jennifer Crumbley are the first parents to be prosecuted in the US for their child’s mass shooting. AP
“For me personally, it’s not as effective as evidence that he had a gun, but I know for my fellow jurors, the notebook played a big role,” Alex said.
The jury spent nearly two days deliberating in Oxford, Michigan before reaching its verdict, which came after a two-week trial in which prosecutors argued Crumbley had made the gun accessible to his son, and ignored his mental health issues.
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His parents also refused to take him home when confronted by his violent drawings at school on the day of the shooting, which claimed the lives of four students and injured six others and a teacher.
During cross-examination, prosecutors took issue with Crumbley’s claim that he was a “very careful helicopter parent” who was “close” to his son, arguing that he was too busy to notice his deeply disturbed mentality amid his affair with a member a married firefighter.
The jury foreman said Jennifer Crumbley’s testimony proved she was “not a credible witness” in the case. Getty Images A violent drawing made by Ethan Crumbley before the shooting. AP
Meanwhile, his mother argued that it was the husband who decided to buy their son, who was 15 at the time, the gun he would use in the massacre — although he admitted he did not object to the purchase at the time.
Ethan Crumbley, now 17, pleaded guilty to murder and violence and was sentenced in December to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
He killed Tate Myre, a beloved 16-year-old soccer star, Madisyn Baldwin, 17, a talented artist who had received college acceptance, Hana St. Juliana, 14, an enthusiastic member of the school’s basketball team, and Justin Shilling, 17, a loyal friend and co-captain of the bowling team.
Video showing Jennifer Crumbley, left, with her son Ethan Crumbley at a shooting range on Nov. 27. 2021 for target practice. AP
Her mother faces up to 15 years in prison for each charge. He is set to be sentenced on April 9.
Ethan’s father, James Crumbley, will be tried on the same charges separately at a later date. He has pleaded not guilty.
Loved ones of some of the shooting victims told NBC News they hope the ruling will help prevent future tragedies.
“The bleeding has to stop,” said Shilling’s father, Craig Shilling.
“We cannot continue to live with the uncertainty of whether our children will come home from school or not.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
