In Michigan, jury selection is currently underway for the father of the teenage gunman responsible for the tragic events at Oxford High School. James Crumbly is facing four counts of involuntary manslaughter, one for each of the students his son fatally shot in 2021. His wife was recently convicted on all four counts related to the same incident.
The trial of James Crumbly is expected to differ from that of his wife due to the focus on his role in purchasing the gun used by his son. The gun, a nine-millimeter SIG Sauer, was bought by James Crumbly as an early Christmas present, and he is the registered owner as indicated on the receipt. This fact is likely to be a key point for the prosecution.
Additionally, a text message sent by the teenage gunman to a friend, where he expressed a need for mental health treatment that was allegedly dismissed by his father, is set to be presented as evidence. The defense attempted to exclude this text from the trial, citing the inability to confront a text message as a witness, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
The prosecution has been granted permission to introduce two new witnesses in the trial. One of them is a student who was injured but survived the shooting, providing emotional testimony about the harrowing experience. The other witness is the previous owner of the gun purchased by James Crumbly, who will testify about the cable lock that came with the firearm.
Despite the defense's request for a change of venue due to the recent conviction of James Crumbly's wife in the same courthouse, the judge has decided to proceed with the trial in the current location. This decision means that jury selection is taking place within the same community that has been impacted by the previous trial.
