School 'shooter' Ethan Crumbley's parents Jennifer and James plead NOT GUILTY to manslaughter charges
JAMES and Jennifer Crumbley have both pleaded not guilty to manslaughter.
The parents of Ethan Crumbley, the suspected high school shooting suspect, made their first court appearance in an Oakland County court in Michigan on Saturday morning.
Jennifer Crumbley appeared to start crying as the judge read out the charges.
They are being held on $500,000 bond each, an Oakland County district judge ruled Saturday during their arraignment hearing, citing a concern about a "flight risk."
The Crumbleys attorneys issued a statement ahead of their arraignment.
Shannon Smith and Mariell Lehman said Saturday morning: "We understand that our clients were apprehended last night although we fully intended to turn them in first thing this morning for arraignment, contrary to the misinformation that has been rampant in the media.
"Unfortunately, this case presents the most unimaginable tragedy for every single person involved, including every member of the community.
"While it’s human nature to want to find someone to blame or something to point to or something that gives us answers, the charges in this case are intended to make an example and send a message.
"The prosecution has very much cherry-picked and slanted specific facts to further their narrative to do that.
"We intend to fight this case in the courtroom and not in the court of public opinion. We know that in the end the entire story and truth will prevail."
Lehman later accused Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald of creating a media "spectacle" on Friday.
"Unlike the prosecution, we weren't attempting to make this a media … spectacle. This case is absolutely the saddest, most tragic, worst case imaginable. There is absolutely no doubt. But our clients were absolutely going to turn themselves in. It was just a matter of logistics, and all the prosecution had to do was communicate with me about it."
McDonald though retorted and said the Crumbleys "didn't need law enforcement permission to go to the court and turn themselves in."
"The whole country knew that these charges were coming. And lastly, to suggest that this anyone is somehow using this incident to create press — there's a lot of attention here because four children were murdered and seven others were injured, and that that is on the mind of every single person in this country."
Police located the "fugitives" James and Jennifer Crumbley after their car was reportedly found abandoned in the area of Mount Elliott and Lafayette in Detroit, Michigan.
Fox2 reported the pair were found in a basement in Detroit after hours of searching.
Steve Huber, a spokesperson for the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, had told The Daily Beast earlier Friday that the Crumbleys were "considered fugitives."
911 CALL
It emerged yesterday that James Crumbley made a 911 call 40 minutes after his son allegedly shot four people dead, and the two bought the gun together, according to authorities.
Fifteen minutes before James called 911, Jennifer reportedly texted her son, "Ethan, don't do it."
But the gun rampage had already happened.
Oakland County Lt Tim Willis said in a press conference on Friday that 15-year-old Ethan and his dad James purchased the 9 mm Sig Sauer handgun from a shop four days before the shooting.
According to prosecutors, the gun was stored in an unlocked safe inside Jennifer and James' bedroom.
Ethan reportedly got the weapon as an early Christmas present on the day after Thanksgiving.
The now-accused murderer, who will be tried as an adult, reportedly boasted about the weapon on social media, uploading a photo of it to Instagram and calling it his "new beauty."
Their son, Ethan Crumbley, a sophomore at Oxford High School, will be charged with one count of terrorism causing death and four counts of first-degree murder in the shooting that killed Hana St. Juliana, 14, Madisyn Baldwin, 17, Tate Myre, 16, and Justin Shilling, 17.
He also faces seven counts of assault with intent to murder and 12 counts of possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Detroit Police Chief James White said Saturday a third person may have assisted the couple in getting into the building to hide is also being looked at by investigators.
The Crumbleys didn’t break into the building, they were let inside by that person, the chief told reporters.
More to follow…
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