James Crumbley's Jail Calls Threatening Prosecutors Released: Report

PONTIAC, MI — Officials late Wednesday released a series of James Crumbley's jailhouse phone calls in which they said he threatened Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald, according to reports citing a sentencing memorandum.

"Defendant’s jail calls showed that he blamed everyone but himself for what happened and that he repeatedly referred to himself as being persecuted and considered himself a 'martyr,'" prosecutors wrote.

News of the threatening statements first came emerged midway through James' trial, when the Oakland County Sheriff's Office confirmed they were limiting his jail communications due to threatening statements. The comments include:

• "Yeah, Karen McDonald, you’re going down. … Go ahead, record this call. Send it to Karen McDonald. Tell her how James Crumbley is going to f------ take her down," he said in an Oct. 9, 2023, jail call, five months before his trial started.
• "There will be retribution, believe me," he said in another call on Dec. 23, 2023.
• "Yeah, f------ Karen McDonald. You’re f----- when I get out," he said in a Dec. 20, 2023, jail call.
• "Well, she’s going to be f------ sucking on a f------ hot rock down in hell soon," he said in a jail call on Dec. 6, 2022.
• "I am f------ on a rampage, Karen. Yes, Karen McDonald. Your a-- is going down and you better be f------ scared," he said in a jail phone call on Jan. 3.

James Crumbley, father of convicted Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley, was found guilty of four counts of involuntary manslaughter back in March. James' wife, Jennifer, was also convicted on the same charges back in February.

Prosecutors are recommending they serve at least 10 years in prison. They will be sentenced April 9. Both parents have been in the Oakland County Jail since December 2021.

Ethan Crumbley, who is now 17, was sentenced to life without parole last December after he admitted to the shooting that left four dead in November 2021.

The four students killed in the Nov. 30, 2021 shooting were 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, 16-year-old Tate Myre, 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin and 17-year-old Justin Shilling.

Prosecutors said the couple ignored disturbing warning signs from their son leading up to the deadly shooting and instead of getting him help for his mental health, they bought him a gun.

Defense lawyers maintain the couple had no idea what their son was planning, arguing they could not be held accountable because he was not "directly involved" in the Oxford school shooting, and are not "responsible for the deaths of others."

During the trials, an Oxford High School counselor recounted the morning leading up to the deadly shooting, after the parents were called to the high school to discuss a disturbing drawing their son did on a math worksheet.

The worksheet had drawings of a gun, a bullet and a bleeding shooting victim, along with handwritten words reading: "My life is useless," "Blood everywhere" and "The thoughts won't stop, help me."

The counselor testified that he gave the parents a list of mental health resources and explained to them that they should get their son counseling services within 48 hours, and that he'd be following up with them. While he was talking to Jennifer Crumbley, he said he heard James Crumbley tell Ethan, "you have people you can talk to, you can talk to your counselor, you have your journal, we can talk."

"My concern at that point was there wasn’t any action happening," counselor Shawn Hopkins testified. He also said the meeting with Ethan's parents came to an "abrupt" end, with Jennifer asking, "Are we done?"

Jennifer and James refused to take their son home after the meeting, and Ethan returned to class. Hours later, he opened fire, killing four students, and wounding six others and a teacher.

Related:

• What James Crumbley Told Son During Meeting With Counselors: Official
• James Crumbley's Sister Testifies In Oxford Shooting Trial
• James Crumbley Made Flurry Of Phone Calls Right After Oxford Shooting
• Jennifer Crumbley Ignored Son's Paranoia, 'Demon' Texts: Witness
• Oxford Shooter Never Asked For Help, Mom Jennifer Crumbley Testifies