Jennifer Crumbly, the mother of the Michigan mass shooter, took the stand today in her trial for involuntary manslaughter. The prosecution cross-examined her about her family dynamics and her actions following her arrest. The tone was informative as the facts of the case were presented.
During the cross-examination, it was revealed that Jennifer's first priority, upon being arrested, was her animals and the cash recovered from the art studio. She expressed concern about a GoFundMe for her horses and inquired about the calorie count of a bologna sandwich with white bread. The prosecution argued that these conversations showed a lack of concern for her son who committed the horrific crimes.
Jennifer acknowledged that it took 10 days and 14 phone calls before she mentioned her son. She explained that she was under the impression that she couldn't mention him due to jail restrictions. However, she did mention him in later conversations. The prosecution further questioned her by presenting a conversation where Jennifer told her father to set up a GoFundMe for her horse boarding expenses.
The prosecution also played a conversation in which Jennifer discussed issues with online banking and her income taxes. Jennifer maintained that she was in planning mode during these discussions. However, the prosecution pointed out that her focus on personal matters suggested a lack of concern for the seriousness of the charges against her.
Moreover, text messages were presented as evidence, showing that Jennifer was aware of the possibility of being charged with involuntary manslaughter as early as December 1, 2021. She sent messages to her cousin and neighbor discussing the potential charges. The prosecution argued that these messages indicated a lack of alarm or concern on Jennifer's part.
Jennifer admitted to having $6,000 in cash in her purse on the night of her arrest. The purse, along with four cell phones, was found in a plastic tote, which was placed inside another tote. Her backpack with clothing items was also found in a separate tote in a different area of the art studio.
Throughout the cross-examination, the prosecution endeavored to portray Jennifer as indifferent to her son's actions and focused on her own personal matters. The defense attempted to argue that Jennifer's behavior was a result of being in planning mode and dealing with her own concerns. The trial will continue as both sides present their arguments to the jury.
