Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN: Michigan's Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley was reportedly caught "exhibiting sporadic, disturbing behavior" on a jail body-worn camera nearly a month before his sentencing hearing that will determine if the teen will spend the rest of his life in prison. His alarming behavior was mentioned in a court document on Thursday, June 22, and at a routine monthly hearing Friday, June 23, at the Oakland County Court.
Reports suggest that Crumbley's sentencing hearing has been scheduled for July 27. The 17-year-old appeared in the Oakland County Circuit Court in October 2022 and pled guilty to killing four of his classmates and injuring seven other people in a shooting on November 30, 2021. In May, Judge Kwame Rowe ruled that Crumbley would remain in the Oakland County Jail instead of the county's juvenile facility, Children's Village, while awaiting his sentencing.
The reason behind Ethan Crumbley's behavior is 'not readily apparent'
While Crumbley's concerning behavior inside jail has been mentioned in the latest court filing, prosecutors have not shared any details about the said behavior in public. They have reportedly notified Judge Rowe and Crumbley's attorneys about the behavioral patterns in private. "Recently, Defendant has started exhibiting sporadic, disturbing behavior," assistant prosecutor Marc Keast said in a court filing, as per the Daily Mail.
"This behavior has been documented via report and body worn cameras from jail personnel responding to various incidents. It is not readily apparent what the impetus for or cause is of this behavior," the document mentioned. Furthermore, it stated that the court will be required to consider Crumbley's behavior and his ability to take part in the forthcoming hearings. "These incidents relate to the defendant's competence," read the filing, adding, "To be clear, the behavior referenced in this motion is recent and was not occurring at the time defendant entered his plea. There is no evidence that raises a bona fide doubt as to Defendant's competence at that time." However, attorneys refused to refer Crumbley for a forensic evaluation and potential treatment on Friday, June 23.
Ethan Crumbley's sentencing hearing
Crumbley's sentencing hearing is reportedly set to take place on July 27. While his recent alarming behavior was highlighted in a new filing at Oakland County Court, prosecutors said that they are expecting the teen to be competent enough to attend his upcoming hearing and sentencing. Despite his behavioral patterns, Crumbley's attorneys also agreed that he is capable enough to attend the scheduled sentencing hearing.
During the session, prosecutors will argue why the teenager should be given the harshest punishment in the state by being sentenced to life in prison without parole. Meanwhile, Crumbley's defense lawyers will provide mitigating factors that can result in a prison term of a few years. Following the Oxford High School shooting, Crumbley, who was 15 at the time, was arrested and charged as an adult.
He previously pled guilty to a total of 24 charges, including one count of terrorism causing death and four counts of first-degree murder. The teen was also charged with seven counts of assault with intent to murder and 12 counts of possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Crumbley opened fire at Oxford High School with a semi-automatic handgun in November 2021. The incident claimed the lives of two boys, aged 17 and 16, and two girls, aged 17 and 14, and left six other students and a teacher wounded. First-degree murder in Michigan carries a mandatory life sentence. However, Judge Rowe will hear testimonies about Crumbley's family life and mental health and consider other factors to determine his sentence due to his age.
Crumbley's parents, James and Jennifer, are facing involuntary manslaughter charges. The pair is accused of ignoring their son's mental health needs and allowing him to access a gun. It was also revealed that the firearm used in the Oxford High School shooting was purchased by James as a Christmas present for Crumbley days before his rampage.
