Defense rests after Jennifer Crumbley takes the stand in manslaughter trial

Closing arguments began Friday in the involuntary manslaughter trial for Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of convicted Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley.

Defense attorney Shannon Smith rested her case after calling only one witness — the defendant herself —following several days of testimony from more than 20 prosecution witnesses.

During his cross-examination of Jennifer Crumbley, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Marc Keast pointed to inconsistencies in her testimony during direct examination, including statements she made about her and her husband James Crumbley’s intentions to turn themselves in after charges were filed, as well as the frequency which she would meet with Brian Meloche — a witness in the case with whom Jennifer was having an affair at the time of the shooting.

Disputes between prosecutors and defense attorneys over evidence have been an ongoing theme throughout the court proceedings.

On Wednesday, the defense unintentionally opening the door to evidence surrounding the extramarital affair — after the court had suppressed the information at the defense’s request. Additionally, prosecutors moved to enter text conversations between Jennifer Crumbley and her lawyer into evidence after she alleged in her testimony that the texts showed she and her husband intended on turning themselves in to police.

Questions from prosecutors on Friday aimed to show that Jennifer was too occupied with her horses, hobbies and ongoing affair with Meloche to notice her son’s deteriorating mental state. The prosecutors allege that she and James Crumbley were grossly negligent in their actions leading up to the 2021 shooting — ignoring signs their son could become violent and instead buying him the gun he used to kill four classmates.

“It’s a rare case that takes some really egregious facts (to prove) — it takes the unthinkable, and she has done the unthinkable,” said Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald during her closing argument on Friday. “And because of that, four kids have died.”

Prosecutors also pointed to a variety of facts — including items found at the Detroit art studio where the couple was eventually apprehended by law enforcement — as well as actions made by the Crumbleys after charges were issued, to illustrate that the couple did not intend on turning themselves in. Jennifer Crumbley testified that they planned on turning themselves in, but did not do so immediately because they feared for their safety.

In Smith’s closing statement to the jury, she argued that the evidence laid out by prosecutors does not meet the high burden of proof to show — beyond a reasonable doubt — that Jennifer Crumbley was grossly negligent, suggesting that any parent could easily be sitting in her seat.

“I am asking that you find Jennifer Crumbley not guilty, Not just for Jennifer Crumbley, but for every mother who’s out there doing the best they can, who could easily be in her shoes…For every parent that has snippets of text messages that could be read and make them look like horrible monsters,” Smith said.

Prosecutors believe the burden of proof has been met for involuntary manslaughter, and in her rebuttal, McDonald urged the jury to “look at the evidence, apply the law, and decide what the truth is.”

The jury will begin deliberating on Monday.