Oxford Shooter's Journal, Texts Can Be Used At Father's Trial: Report

PONTIAC, MI — The Oxford school shooter's journal and text messages can be used as evidence at an upcoming trial against the shooter's father, according to a report.

Oakland County Judge Cheryl Matthews' ruling comes one day after she told prosecutors they can pick one of two students (both injured in the shooting) that were added to the witness list to testify at the trial.

James Crumbley, 47, is set to go on trial March 5 for manslaughter charges in connection with the deadly Oxford school shooting. He faces up to 15 years in prison on each charge. His wife, Jennifer Crumbley, was found guilty on the same charges. Her sentencing date is scheduled for April 9.

The couple's son, Ethan Crumbley, who is now 17, was sentenced to life without parole last December after he admitted to the shooting.

During Jennifer trial, prosecutors used excerpts from Ethan's journal, including a passage that read "I have zero help for my mental health" and that it's causing me to shoot up the (expletive) school." They also used text messages, in which the shooter claimed he asked his parents won't help him with his mental health.

James' lawyer Mariell Lehman argued Ethan's journal and text messages he sent to a friend should be banned from the upcoming trial, because the teen will not take the stand for cross-examination. The shooter did not testify at Jennifer Crumbley's trial.

Prosecutors are trying to prove James committed gross negligence leading up to the shooting. They claim the James ignored disturbing warning signs from their son leading up to the deadly shooting, and instead of getting him help, bought him a gun.

Jurors will only need to believe one of two theories to declare Crumbley guilty: That James failed to perform a legal duty in patenting, or that he knew his son was a danger to others and failed to take the ordinary care steps to avoid injuring others.

Defense lawyers maintain he had no idea what his son was planning. Moreover, defense lawyers argued James cannot be held accountable because he was not "directly involved" in the Oxford school shooting, and are not "responsible for the deaths of others."

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