LANSING, Mich. (WXYZ) — The Michigan Supreme Court has denied an appeal submitted on behalf of James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of the Oxford school shooter, who claimed there was not enough evidence for them to stand trial.
“On order of the Court, the application for leave to appeal the March 23, 2023 judgment of the Court of Appeals is considered, and it is DENIED, because we are not persuaded that the question presented should be reviewed by this Court,” the Michigan Supreme Court said.
Oxford appeal denied by WXYZ-TV Detroit on Scribd
The trial date for the couple is set for Tuesday, January 23, 2024 at 8:30 a.m.
Sandra Arthur, whose daughter survived the shooting, reacted to the decision: “It shows the parents are also going to be held accountable for their actions.”
“Hopefully, we will find answers from the parents and [the] school will provide answers as well. That’s the third part of the equation we’ve been waiting for,” she added.
The attorneys for James and Jennifer Crumbley had filed an appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court after the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled in late March that the couple can stand trial in connection to the deadly Oxford High School shooting.
The Crumbleys have been at the Oakland County jail for more than a year since their arrests.
Both were each charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter. They are the first parents charged in connection with a mass shooting in the U.S. Their son opened fire, killing four students: Tate Myre, Hana St. Juliana, Madisyn Baldwin and Justin Shilling, and wounding others in November, 2021.
In October 2022, the Oxford shooter pleaded guilty to 24 charges, including one count of terrorism and four counts of first-degree murder.
A judge ruled in September that the Oxford shooter could be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole following a Miller hearing. The shooter’s sentencing is scheduled for December.
