Jennifer Crumbley, the first U.S. parent to be convicted for a school shooting committed by her child, is asking a Michigan judge to overturn her conviction. Her appellate attorney argues that prosecutors failed to disclose agreements with key witnesses, violating fundamental legal rules.
Crumbley, 46, is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter, after prosecutors argued she failed to prevent the 2021 Oxford High School shooting, in which her son killed four students.
Prosecution Withheld Witness Deals, Defense Argues
At a hearing on Friday, Crumbley’s appellate attorney, Michael Dezsi, claimed that prosecutors withheld a four-page agreement made with two school employees, Nick Ejak and Shawn Hopkins.
While the witnesses were not granted full immunity, prosecutors assured them their statements would not be used against them—an arrangement that was not disclosed to Crumbley’s trial lawyer.
Dezsi argued that if the defense had known about these deals, they could have cross-examined the witnesses about potential bias and cast doubt on their credibility.
“They dangled that carrot over those witnesses to get them to cooperate,” Dezsi said in court.
School Officials’ Role in the Shooting Investigation
Ejak and Hopkins were key figures in the events leading up to the November 30, 2021, mass shooting at Oxford High School.
Just two hours before the attack, they met with Ethan Crumbley and his parents after a teacher reported disturbing drawings on Ethan’s math assignment—including images of a gun, a bullet, and a wounded person, along with chilling phrases like “The thoughts won’t stop. Help me.”
While Ejak and Hopkins believed Ethan would go home, they did not object when his parents insisted he stay at school. No one checked his backpack, which contained the firearm used in the shooting.
Prosecutors Defend Their Actions
Assistant prosecutor Marc Keast pushed back against claims of misconduct, stating that his office had no obligation to disclose conversations with uncharged witnesses.
“There was no promise. There was no threats. There was no discussion about testimony,” Keast told Judge Cheryl Matthews.
However, Judge Matthews acknowledged that the prosecution’s failure to disclose the agreement may have violated legal procedures.
Despite this, Matthews also pointed out that Ejak and Hopkins’ testimony was only a “very small part” of the case against Jennifer Crumbley.
What’s Next?
Judge Matthews has not yet ruled on whether Crumbley will be granted a new trial. A decision could come in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, her husband, James Crumbley, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in a separate trial and is also serving a 10-year sentence. Their son, Ethan Crumbley, now 18, is serving life in prison for murder and other crimes.
This case marks the first time parents in the U.S. have been held criminally responsible for a mass shooting committed by their child.
