Judge Orders Ethan Crumbley To Stay In Jail As He Awaits Trial

PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — A 15-year-old boy accused of killing four students at a Michigan high school will remain in jail while awaiting trial, a judge said Tuesday, rejecting a request for his transfer to a facility for teens.

PONTIAC, MICHIGAN - FEBRUARY 22: Ethan Crumbley is led away from the courtroom after a placement hearing at Oakland County Circuit Court on February 22, 2022 in Pontiac, Michigan. Crumbley, 15, is charged with the fatal shooting of four fellow students and the wounding of seven others, including a teacher at Oxford High School on November 30, 2021. (Photo by David Guralnick-Pool/Getty Images)

A transfer would be a burden for the understaffed Children's Village and too risky for others there, Oakland County Judge Kwame Rowe said.

Ethan Crumbley's "basic needs are being met at the jail," Rowe said. "He has food, water, television, books, showers, and communicates with the public and family members through electronic communication."

The judge noted that Crumbley stays at a clinic inside the county jail and is kept away from adult inmates. Rowe said the teen's emails are generally positive.

Crumbley is charged with murder and other crimes in a mass shooting at Oxford High School on Nov. 30. His lawyers said they will pursue an insanity defense.

Separately, James and Jennifer Crumbley are charged with involuntary manslaughter under a theory that they failed to secure a family gun and ignored signs of their son's mental distress. They're also being held at the jail.

About 40 teens accused of crimes are housed at Children's Village. The manager said Crumbley's presence could be disruptive for other residents.

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