Prosecution's cross-examination of Jennifer Crumbley
(CBS DETROIT) - The trial of Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of the Oxford High School shooter, continues Friday, and the mother took the stand for the cross-examination.
The mother has been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter in the Oxford High School shooting in which her son killed four students and injured seven others.
Time and energy Jennifer Crumbley spent on horses and affair
Jennifer Crumbley spent over $20,000 on horses in 2021. She said her son wasn't into horses and had only been to the barn once, but she had asked him to go with her several times.
She agreed that the horses were expensive and a time-consuming hobby.
The prosecution asked Jennifer Crumbley about her testimony about her affair with Brian Meloche and said there were several messages and photos sent between the two.
They discussed "Adult Friend Finder," and the prosecution questioned the mother about her and Meloche setting up meetings with other people at a hotel through the app.
She said she never met up with anyone from the app, but Oakland County Prosecutor Marc Keast said he was referring to the time she had spent setting up those meetings.
Jennifer Crumbley testified that she didn't always have service while at the barn when discussing that she didn't answer text messages from the shooter.
Keast said she sent photos of her horse while at the barn, and she didn't disagree with this. This shows that service wasn't always an issue at the barn.
Discussion over violent drawings on shooter's math assignment
The prosecution questioned Jennifer Crumbley about the meeting with school counselors about the violent drawings the shooter made on his math assignment.
She testified that the drawing was concerning on Thursday but said she was initially angry seeing the modified one but was concerned when seeing the actual version.
Jennifer Crumbley said she didn't know the gun in the drawing looked identical to the one she had bought him.
Keast questions her about saying the drawings were a little concerning because she had sent her husband a text that said "emergency" in capital letters and that her son was "distraught."
After that, Keast said that her son missed school after her son's friend moved away, but she said she didn't remember if he missed school due to being so upset over his friend or for another reason. The family had found out his friend had moved the day before Halloween.
Keast said this didn't stop the parents from attending Halloween parties without their son.
The shooter's hobbies and friends
Jennifer Crumbley said bowling wasn't in season, and her son decided not to do it the year the shooting happened.
They also discussed her son's job, and Jennifer Crumbley agreed that her son didn't work often after the COVID-19 pandemic.
She also said that his friends had come to the house previously, but none, besides the one friend who moved, had come over after 2021.
The gun used in the shooting
When Keast asked Jennifer Crumbley about the shooter wanting to get a weapon, she again said that her husband was in charge of the gun.
Jennifer Crumbley said that when she went to the gun range with her son, she could see that he knew how to use a gun and that she had bought him the ammunition he wanted to buy while they were at the range.
She said they bought 100 rounds and only fired 50 that day, so he hid the rest when they got home.
Jennifer Crumbley said he trusted her husband to store the gun, but Keast noted that there was evidence that shows she didn't trust her husband, such as about getting up on time or cutting the grass.
Phone calls after Jennifer Crumbley was arrested
Phone calls between Jennifer Crumbley and her father were played in court on Friday. She told the prosecution that she thought she couldn't talk about the shooter and that if she did, that her calls would get flagged.
These calls revolved around her setting up a GoFundMe for her horses and asking her father how many calories were in the foods they were feeding her while she was in jail.
She brought up her son for the first time, 14 calls later.
Text messages with defense attorney
At 7:02 p.m. on Dec. 3, Smith texted Jennifer Crumbley about getting her and James Crumbley from the studio in the morning.
"We do not think it will help to make a statement that you're coming back now or that it will be tomorrow a.m. We can say that we told everyone you were coming back, and as of tomorrow a.m., you were back," Smith said.
Smith also texted her and said, "I'm going to drive home from my office right now and call you guys in about 40 to 45 minutes so I can get all the bond factor information written down."
At about 11:14 p.m., Crumbley texted Smith, "I think we might have found. Don't know, just heads up. Please check."
