Judge considers experts in Oxford HS shooter parents case
PONTIAC (CBS DETROIT) – Friday marked the first court appearance for Jennifer and James Crumbley since their son Ethan pleaded guilty to two dozen charges for carrying out the Oxford High School shooting.
They didn't say much during the hearing other than telling Oakland County Judge Cheryl Matthews they understood what it meant to have joint representation.
At the heart of the hearing was whether the jury should consider testimony from mass shooting experts who say the crime is preventable and that the individuals behind it do deliberate planning and don't simply snap.
"So mass shootings are what is called a performance crime. So, the shooting is meant to be watched. It's meant to be witnessed by the world. It's a way to get your anger and grievance into the headlines. It's a way to get your name into the history books. It's a way to be seen," Dr. Jillian Peterson, co-founder of The Violence Project, said.
The project consists of a database of mass shooters examining their life to understand what led them to commit the heinous act.
"In the evidence I reviewed, I saw two different crisis points, one around March, when the perpetrator was talking about potential hallucinations, delusions, needing mental health care," Peterson said, referring to Ethan Crumbley.
Judge Matthews also heard from Dr. Dewey Cornell, a professor at the University of Virginia who specializes in threat assessments, a strategy that addresses problems in a child's life before it escalates to violent behavior.
State: Is there a difference between prediction and prevention?
Dr. Cornell: Yes.
State: And in explaining this to me, you talked about an example about lightning. Can you describe that for the court?
Dr. Cornell: Oh, sure. We can't. We can't predict where lightning will strike. But we know that we don't want to get a swimming pool during the storm.
The defense argued the pair of experts wouldn't be helpful to a jury.
"Having an expert at trial explaining that there are clues put out there and plans are divulged ahead of time is something that does not require expert testimony," Attorney Shannon Smith, who represents Jennifer Crumbley, said.
Judge Matthews didn't make a decision Friday but will issue a written opinion in a week or so.
And unless it gets delayed again or they plead guilty to the charges before then, the trial for James and Jennifer Crumbley is set for Jan. 17, 2023.
