Are the parents of mass murderers criminally responsible for the behavior of their violent, unstable kids?
Apparently, in Michigan they are, as the parents of the 15-year-old student who shot and killed four and injured six others at Oxford High School in a Detroit suburb in 2021 have been handed lengthy prison sentences.
James and Jennifer Crumbley were each found guilty of four counts of involuntary manslaughter back in March. On Tuesday, both were sentenced by Judge Cheryl Matthews to 10 to 15 years in prison for what the court considered their part in the killings.
“Parents are not expected to be psychic, but these convictions are not about poor parenting,” the judge said at the sentencing. “These convictions confirm repeated acts, or lack of acts, that could have halted an oncoming runaway train—about repeatedly ignoring things that would make a reasonable person feel the hair on the back of their neck.
“Guidelines in this manner do not capture of the catastrophic impact of the acts or in the action. And in these matters, the guidelines do not take into account the complete lack of insight both defendants have for their behavior to this very day.”
Prosecutors argued that the parents ignored a number of warning signs leading up to the shooting at the school. And, according to prosecutors, the parents had bought a gun for their son but did not limit his access to it.
The parents, however, argued during the trial that the school held more responsibility for not alerting them to a number of issues that had arisen. “In the counselor’s office that morning (of the shooting), none of those previous issues were brought to our attention,” Jennifer Crumbley said during the trial. “We were never asked to take him home that day.”
According to an independent report, the school failed to check the young murderer’s backpack for weapons after teachers discovered disturbing, violent drawings the day of the shooting. He then shot the other students and teacher within hours after being sent back to class.
As Stephen J. Morse, a law and psychiatry professor at the University of Pennsylvania, told the BBC after Jennifer Crumbley was convicted last month, the verdict could result in courts looking for “scapegoats” in similar cases. “I understand that the was not necessarily the best mother in the world, but this is not a crime,” he said.
The precedent set by the convictions and lengthy sentences is, indeed, a dangerous one considering the fact that U.S. law is generally designed to hold only individuals responsible for their own actions. The conviction and sentencing begs the question of how many other parents of youngsters perpetrating mass murders in schools could now face 10 to 15 years in prison for manslaughter. Or how many parents of teen gang members gunning each other down on the streets of Chicago or other big cities could now be charged for the crimes. Or how many parents of New York City youth punching elderly pedestrians could face trial for aggravated assault.
The young killer is already serving a life sentence for the murders. Both parents have been in jail for two and a half years while awaiting trial and sentencing.
Don’t worry. This trend of punishing parents will end when it turns out it’s mostly black single mothers that will be sentenced for the crimes of their children.
Those children would actually have to be prosecuted for their crimes first and with the trend in DAs, that isn’t happening so those single black mothers don’t have much to worry about on that front.
Sadly I don’t think so, more likely it will be selectively enforced as a political weapon whenever a scapegoat is wanted. Most laws are selectively enforced anyway.
Yup. Was about to say this is a slippery slope that will be used selectively, ie against the right eventually
They could always do the cold case thing and blame the father who will either be dead or already locked up for an unrelated offense. That way single mom retains her victim status and the buck gets passed from the kid, they get to blame the gun and they can poo-poo the racist penal system for locking the father away in the first place. Win-win-win for maintaining lefty dissonance.
johnny boy…It’s hard to tell who is more pathetic, you or the two lily white bozos pictured.
You win that prize.
darkbozo…Why don’t you defend them with your Qualified Immunity crap?
There ain’t no hog jowls and chitlins here for breakfast. I recommend going to The Root magazine. It may be sympathetic and large enough to handle the huge chip on your shoulder, plus provide you with the vittles you so crave.
FBI stats don’t lie. Black on black murders are the vast majority of the ~20,000/year that we’re supposed to disarm ourselves over.
Why do you think they made it more difficult to view and share the yearly crime stats?
Why punish the blatantly horrible parents and not the administrator who is just as culpable?
You mean how straw man purchasers who are GFs of gang bangers get slaps on the wrist?
Kinda like that, yeah. Or how black perps waltz out of police stations free as bird, for shoving someone onto the subway tracks.
It’s called Black Privilege.
johnny boy…It’s white trash like you trying to whitewash two incompetent whites who got what they deserve…deal with it white boy and cease being a mealy mouth snot nosed gutless wonder stooping to pass the buck.
“These convictions confirm repeated acts, or lack of acts, that could have halted an oncoming runaway train—about repeatedly ignoring things that would make a reasonable person feel the hair on the back of their neck.”
Let me get this straight. Law enforcement, who has a specific job to act, is never actually required to act. Got it. Professionally trained guidance counselors are never required to act. The school system is never required to act. I see the pattern now.
Let’s say my 15 year-old child has a known habit of sneaking out with my car. One night, while on a joyride, he kills someone in a car accident. Shouldn’t I be thrown in jail for ten years because I didn’t lock my car keys away?
P.S. I think the parents failed their child and society. That’s beside the point.
“Let me get this straight. Law enforcement, who has a specific job to act, is never actually required to act. Got it. Professionally trained guidance counselors are never required to act. The school system is never required to act. I see the pattern now.”
Congratulations!! You’ve figured it out! You are, indeed, all on your own. Quit outsourcing everything to the worthless and exploitive state and its agents. They don’t care about you! Despite the fact they rob you of your rights and money, you are still on your own. And they have the gall to call it “democracy.” You can’t opt out; you’ll get a gun shoved in your face, or a bullet in your body.
Tyranny is grand, isn’t it?
johnny boy…Your time, you bigoted white trash pos, would be better spent washing sheets for the kkk.
Go away. Your twat stinks.
How very self reflecting of yourself.
johnny boy…what you smell is the anus below your bigoted nose.
First rule of government is that “nothing is their fault, ever.”
The second rule is when something does go wrong, they will always find a way to blame someone else. Doubly so if their own actions/inactions were a direct observable cause of the problem.
Indeed, there would seem to be zero interest in prosecution of any agents of the state what so ever.
they knew.
airsoft wasn’t going to appease him, but that’s the only thing this 15yr old should have had unfettered access to.
Convictions that will not likely pass muster in the appeals process considering they broke no laws. The Michigan legislature attempted to pass a law to address parental responsibility after the event, but it never reached a floor vote. Due to a lack of support.
darkbozo…you and johnny boy would be good pen pals for the crumbleys.
Seems like it’s time to take Grandma’s keys away. The rate of degeneration is increasing rapidly.
“‘Parents are not expected to be psychic, but these convictions are not about poor parenting,’ the judge said at the sentencing. “These convictions confirm repeated acts, or lack of acts, that could have halted an oncoming runaway train—about repeatedly ignoring things that would make a reasonable person feel the hair on the back of their neck.”
The school administrators were apprised of the problems with the kid. They could have suspended or expelled him and barred him from the building — “acts that could have halted an oncoming runaway train.” When will we see the administrators getting lengthy prison sentences?
When a child comes to a parent and says he wants to see a doctor because he “hears voices” about committing violence and you tell him to “suck it up” and then you give him a firearm you’re going to have some responsibility for his actions.
James and Jennifer Crumbley need to be the example of what not to do.
The most disturbing part about this is that it may just be a prelude to what is coming next such as someone not “properly securing” their firearms in their home, vehicle, whatever getting the same type of prison times.