Horses and an affair led Ethan Crumbley’s parents to ignore him reveal new documents
Back on December 3, Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald noted that the "extreme negligence" of James and Jennifer Crumbley was the key to holding them accountable for their son's Ethan Crumbley's actions at Oxford High School. Since the case against them has begun we've seen this play out with countless examples, with the most damning coming on December 23.
On December 6, we reported that a neighbor reported the Crumbley's to Child Protective Services after noting they would leave Ethan alone to out drinking. The duo who both have extensive rap sheets were even once compared to Brian Laundrie's parents as more pieces of the puzzle have been made public. But while they might not care much for their son, an intimate moment in court on December 14 indicated that they did indeed love each other.
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Over the past several weeks, the evidence against the Crumbley's has begun to mount, and McDonald has plenty to show the couple deserves to be held accountable for the deadly shooting. We've covered some of their negligent behavior before, but now we've got a far more comprehensive look at it thanks to the latest court documents filed on December 23.
Mom had affair while Ethan struggled
In the months leading up to the shooting, a series of events left Ethan "sadder than usual" prosecutors noted. Ethan's only friend moved in October, and around the same time the family dog had died, leading Ethan to send his mom "disturbing texts about his state of mind". The prosecutors went on to say, "Instead of paying attention to their son and getting him help, they bought him a gun."
Well before Ethan's violent outburst on November 30, his parents had clear signs he was facing issues. "Their son was torturing animals, even kept a baby bird's head in a jar on his bedroom floor," prosecutors wrote. But instead of providing Ethan with much-needed attention, James and Jennifer "were focusing on their own issues, things like extramarital affairs, financial issues, and substance abuse."
Jennifer reportedly had an extramarital affair, but the document doesn't detail when or with who. It goes on to say the Crumbleys spent their time at a barn caring for their horses three to four nights a week for up to three hours at a time. That left Ethan free to spiral even further. From animal torture and bloody sketches, he eventually went on to shoot his fellow students. Even on the day of the shooting, the parents' negligence was well documented.
As we earlier reported, the school asked the Crumbleys to remove Ethan and get him professional help, but they refused. They also didn't check his backpack and left the gun in an easy-to-access area, a deadly mix that resulted in the death of four. Despite knowing "their son was depressed, that he was fascinated with guns" and "that he had been researching ammunition", the Crumbleys went on to buy a gun for him anyway.
The document was filed by the prosecution in response to the defense's request to lower the bail amount. The couple is currently being locked up on a $500,000 bond each, which their lawyer has argued is too high because they "pose no danger to the public" and "are not a flight risk." The prosecution, however, disagrees and has filed the document to indicate they knowingly and negligently failed to help Ethan.
