A teenager "ruined so many lives" by allegedly opening fire on a Michigan school, the suspect's mother said hours after that deadly shooting, a witness said Tuesday.
Oakland County prosecutors revealed a series of electronic messages sent by the parents of accused killer Ethan Crumbley, as authorities hope to show that his mother and father should be bound over for trial and possibly held criminally responsible for the Nov. 30 assault at Oxford High School.
"My son ruined so many lives," Jennifer Crumbley wrote in a Facebook message, according to testimony from the mother's friend, Kira Pennock.
Their son, 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, is accused of gunning down four people at his high school. The teenager is being charged as an adult and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
His parents are accused of ignoring warning signs of their son’s potential violence and not doing enough to keep him away from firearms in the house. They’ve pleaded not guilty to four counts of involuntary manslaughter.
Pennock, who owns a farm that boards the Crumbley’s horses, testified that Jennifer Crumbley knew her son was troubled long before the shooting.
“She said that he did not have any friends,” Pennock said. “She thought it was weird that he wasn’t out doing things like a normal kid.”
Oakland County Sheriff's Detective Edward Wagrowski showed a series of text messages Ethan Crumbley sent to his mother in March last year, saying their house was haunted.
The investigator said he found no electronic evidence that either parent addressed Ethan's claims that supernatural forces were responsible for clothes and other items flying off shelves.
"He said the house is haunted and he has videos and a picture of the demon," Wagrowski testified.
A day filled with dramatic testimony reached an emotional crescendo in the afternoon when a handcuffed Jennifer Crumbley, wearing a mask and black-and-white striped jail garb, broke down in tears as prosecutors played a 911 call from her husband to police on the day of the shooting.
After the shooting began, James Crumbley called police to report a gun was missing from their home and he feared his son could be the shooter.
Jennifer Crumbley's attorney, Shannon Smith, wiped tears away from her client's face, reaching around the defendant's glasses and mask.
Before testimony began on Tuesday, a judge prohibited the parents from making any gestures or communicating with each other in court, saying they were being “disruptive” and “disrespectful.”
Prosecutors had complained that Jennifer and James Crumbley allegedly mouthed the words “I love you” during in-person and virtual court hearings on Dec. 14 and Jan. 7.
District Court Judge Julie Nicholson admonished the defendants from any communication with each other while court is in session.
"Mr. and Mrs. Crumbley, this is a court proceeding," Nicholson told the defendants as they were seated at the defense table, separated by two defense attorneys.
"While maybe I'm looking away or someone else is looking away, you're not to have communication with each other. It's disruptive. It's disrespectful."
Testimony on Tuesday also seemed to reveal that Jennifer Crumbley was very concerned about losing her job after the shooting.
She worked as a marketing director for a real estate management company at the time of the shooting. And her boss, Andrew Smith, recalled Tuesday the anguished scream he heard from the defendant when she learned of the shooting.
Crumbley left the office and then called and texted Smith later, saying her son was the shooter, Smith told the court.
"'I need my job please don't judge me for what my son did,'" Smith testified, recounting a text message from Jennifer Crumbley.
"I was surprised by that text. I was surprised she was worried about her job at the time. I thought she'd be more worried about what was going on."
The company's human resources director, Kathy Poliquin, also recalled hearing from Jennifer Crumbley the day of the shooting, pleading with bosses not to be fired and to return to work.
"She thought she could possibly come in a few days later, maybe for a half a day, to get her mind off things," Poliquin testified. "We said, 'No you're on administrative leave. Don't worry about coming into work. We'll talk in a couple of weeks.'"
Poliquin told the court that their company offers paid time off for employees to attend to any family emergencies or medical appointments.
The human resources head said she can't recall Jennifer Crumbley taking time off to take Ethan to receive any kind of medical attention — but had expressed concern about the health of her horses.
The court day ended with Detective Wagrowski still going through volumes of messages being introduced by prosecutors.
The judge called a recess and ordered all parties back to court on Feb. 24.
