The 17-year-old who killed four Michigan schoolmates in a 2021 shooting that has also ensnared his parents is expected to learn Friday whether he’ll spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Ethan Crumbley, who was 15 when he opened fire Nov. 30, 2021, at Oxford High School in Oxford, is scheduled to appear before Oakland County Judge Kwamé Rowe and hear victim impact statements before he learns his fate.
He pleaded guilty to fatally shooting Madisyn Baldwin, 17; Tate Myre, 16; Hana St. Juliana, 14; and Justin Shilling, 17, and wounding seven other people.
Although he was convicted of first-degree murder — a crime that would automatically make an offender eligible for life without parole — Crumbley’s age led to a separate hearing to determine whether that sentence would be warranted.
Rowe determined that Crumbley didn’t show potential for rehabilitation and that his crimes didn’t bear “hallmarks of youth” and that he could therefore be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
Under state law, the judge can also sentence him to a minimum term of 25 to 40 years in prison because he was under 18 when he committed felony murder, prosecutors said in a motion seeking life in prison.
Friday’s hearing in Pontiac is set to begin at 9 a.m. ET. It is expected to include a series of emotional testimonials about the victims whom Crumbley shot with a weapon allegedly purchased for him by his parents.
James and Jennifer Crumbley, who are accused of buying a handgun for their son and ignoring his mental health needs, have been separately charged with involuntary manslaughter.
They had been set to stand trial on Jan. 23, but their requests for separate trials have been granted, most likely pushing those proceedings further down the calendar.
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