PONTIAC, Mich. — The accused Oxford High School shooter's plan included inflicting damage, then surrendering in a bid to survive and admire his work, according to a recent filing by the Oakland County prosecutor.
"The importance of surrendering is that he would not be killed and would be alive to witness the suffering he had caused," Prosecutor Karen McDonald said in a January court filing about 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley.
And Crumbley wanted to be remembered, the prosecutor's office said in the Jan. 19 filing made ahead of a hearing this month on whether the teen should remain in Oakland County Jail or be transferred to a juvenile facility while he awaits trial.
The Nov. 30 shooting left Oxford High School students Madisyn Baldwin, Justin Shilling, Hana St. Juliana and Tate Myre dead. Six other students and a teacher were injured.
Crumbley, charged with 24 counts, including terrorism causing death in a shooting that killed four students and wounded seven people, including a teacher, spoke of "doing something that will make people think about (him) until time ends," according to filings reviewed by The Detroit News.
His court-appointed aides see it differently.
Crumbley's surrender was proof of his willingness to take orders, attorneys Paulette Loftin and Amy Hopp said in their own Jan. 19 filing. When police approached, he got down on his knees and put his hands up.
The filings in the case reveal an isolated existence for Crumbley and a tug-of-war about what the public should see before a trial, and what should remain off-limits.
The scenario McDonald attributes to Crumbley can in part be found in sworn testimony by police.
Lt. Timothy Willis of the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, during a December hearing in 52-3 District Court when a judge approved charges against Crumbley, said police found two videos from the night before the shooting, "wherein he (Crumbley) talked about shooting and killing students the next day" at Oxford High.
"A journal was recovered from Ethan's backpack also detailing his desire to shoot up the school, to include murdering students," Willis continued.
Crumbley, who hasn't had schooling since he was arrested, has had contact only with jail staff and court-appointed visitors, his attorneys said.
"Mr. Crumbley does not have one family member that he communicates with," a Jan. 18 filing notes.
"He has no support other than his attorneys and guardian ad litem," Deborah McKelvy, who is court-appointed, Loftin and Hopp said in the filing. Neither responded to requests for comment.
The prosecutor's claims about the scenario Ethan allegedly planned came before his attorneys gave notice that they'd offer an insanity defense for their client. The prosecution responded, saying it would call witnesses with whom he's interacted since his arrest from the Children's Village to the county jail.
His parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, face four charges each of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the Oxford High shooting. All three are housed in the same jail but do not communicate with each other.
McDonald in recent days has asked 52-3 District Judge Julie Nicholson to forbid James and Jennifer Crumbley from saying "I love you" and communicating to each other during court hearings.
David Williams, McDonald’s chief deputy prosecutor, argued in a Wednesday statement to the News that the couple's conduct in court "makes a mockery of the crimes they are accused of committing."
The January filings over Ethan's lodging include arguments from the prosecution that Children's Village wasn't secure enough, citing eight escapes or walk-outs in a nine-month period, and policies that prohibit staff from corralling most who do escape.
The prosecutor's office also has argued Ethan's Feb. 22 placement hearing should be in public.
"In a case involving a mass shooting such as this, there are hundreds of victims looking to our criminal justice system for accountability," prosecutors wrote in a Jan. 20 memo. "Openness and transparency are critical."
On Jan. 26, the court agreed, opening the hearing to the public, but finding that Crumbley's jail records would not be publicly available.
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