Crumbley Parents' Friend 'Untrustworthy' To House Them: Prosecutors

ROCHESTER HILLS, MI — Oakland County Prosecutors blasted the credibility of a friend who would house James and Jennifer Crumbley if they were to be released on bond, arguing the friend is not trustworthy, according to court documents.

Prosecutors referred to the friend as B.J. and discovered he has a troubled history that includes lying about being transgender so that he could enter a women's locker room and "make threatening statements," according to court documents.

Furthermore, B.J. has also expressed "extremist views" on Facebook, including posts about a vaccine killing people and President Joe Biden's administration trafficking children for sex and cheap labor.

The prosecutor's office also said in the court filing that B.J. is a CPL (concealed pistol license) holder, and that if he keeps a gun at the Port Huron residence, that would be a violation of the defendants' bond. Moreover, prosecutors said they reached out to Sanilac County officials, who told them "they don't want these defendants housed in their jurisdiction."

"The people ask the Court to find that B.J. is not an appropriate placement, and to take the absence of any appropriate community placement into consideration when deciding defendants' bond motion," Oakland County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Marc Keast said.

The court filing comes after Jennifer and James Crumbley asked an Oakland County Judge again to lower their bail, claiming they weren't trying to evade arrest. The request was the sixth time the couple asked a judge to reduce their bond after their first five requests were rejected.

Oakland County Prosecutors fired back at the parents' request, saying the couple is a greater flight risk now more than ever, as their case against the couple is stronger than ever.

The couple has been in the Oakland County Jail for more than a year after they were each charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the deadly Oxford school shooting. They are being held each on a $500,000 bond.

The Crumbley parents are the first set of parents to be charged in connection to a school shooting in U.S. history, presenting an unusual case, which defense lawyers have capitalized on by saying the couple cannot be held criminally responsible for the deaths of four students killed by their son in the deadly Oxford school shooting.

Prosecutors, on the other hand, accused the parents of ignoring disturbing warning signs from their son leading up to the rampage, and instead of getting him, they bought him a gun. Ethan Crumbley, the couple's son, pleaded guilty to fatally shooting four students and wounding seven other people at Oxford High School on Nov. 30, 2023.

The couple maintains they did not know their son was planning the deadly shooting and didn't think their son was suffering from any mental health issues leading up to the attack that left four students dead and seven other people hurt.

The couple's trial was supposed to start in January 2023, but the Michigan Supreme Court temporarily paused the trial to allow an appeals court to ensure there is probate cause to try the couple on the involuntary manslaughter charges.