Jennifer Crumbley trial: Here's what happened on Day 2

'We are on the run again': Jennifer Crumbley texts friend after Oxford shooting

On day 2 of the trial, defense attorney Shannon Smith got a chance to cross-examine Wagrowski where she walked through more evidence about messages sent after the shooting – all of which was collected during the investigation into the shooting.

PONTIAC, Mich. - Jennifer Crumbley’s criminal trial continued Friday as prosecutors tried to show the Oxford High shooter’s mother largely ignored her son’s mental crisis and pleas for help for months before his deadly rampage.

Crumbley, 45, and her husband James Crumbley are both charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the Nov. 30, 2021 shooting. They’re the first parents of a mass shooter to be charged for their child's crimes.

Here’s what happened on Day 2.

School shooter won’t testify

Jennifer Crumbley trial, day 2: Defense battles judge over shooter testimony

Shannon Smith, Jennifer Crumbley's defense attorney, and Judge Cheryl Matthews argued at length over why the Oxford shooter won't testify and how that affects the rest of the case.

The Oxford shooter won’t testify at his mother’s trial despite being on the witness list.

Judge Cheryl Matthews said she won’t allow it because his attorneys have said he will plead the Fifth Amendment. The shooter’s attorneys are appealing his sentence of life in prison without the chance of parole.

Shannon Smith, Crumbley’s attorney, challenged the judge’s decision because she wants to call him as a witness. Smith also wants to question doctors about the shooter's mental health but is not able to because of the shooter's choice to remain silent.

Contention over Crumbleys’ substance use

Jennifer Crumbley in court on Jan. 26

As prosecutors prepared to go over text messages from the Crumbleys, an argument erupted in the courtroom over which messages would be admitted to avoid discussing the Crumbleys’ substance use.

Smith wanted to exclude references to Jennifer's drinking while her son was texting her about hallucinations. Judge Matthews ultimately ruled that certain portions would be left out of evidence, but most of the messages would be allowed for the jury to see.

"There's substantial evidence that has been excluded that shows the substance use of James and Jennifer - substantial," Assistant Prosecutor Marc Keast said. "We're not introducing any of that because of the court's ruling."

Shooter begged mom to text back, messages show

Jennifer Crumbley trial: Shooter begs mom to text him back

Prosecutors introduced a trove of text messages between Jennifer Crumbley, James Crumbley and their son, including pleas from the shooter for his mom to text him back when he was struggling with being home alone.

Edward Wagrowski, a former Oakland County Sheriff’s Office detective and expert in cell phone forensics, took the stand for hours to go over texts and Facebook messages between Jennifer and Jason Crumbley and their son.

The messages include conversations between the Crumbley parents on March 17, when they were with their horses. The shooter claimed in a text that the house was haunted and that some weird things were happening. At the exact same moment he sent the text, the Crumbley parents were taking pictures of themselves on their horses and Jennifer did not respond to her son's text.

Roughly 25 minutes later, the shooter messaged again, asking for her to at least text back. Evidence showed she didn't text back, but did call about 90 minutes later.

Wagrowski said a few days later on March 21, there were more concerning messages – these coming from the shooter, when he claimed there were "clothes flying off the shelf." Jennifer didn't respond in the text conversation for two days but the phone log shows she called roughly four hours later.

Jennifer Crumbley trial: Texts prove neglect, prosecution argues

Text messages from the Oxford shooter to his mother show he was hallucinating and paranoid when home alone. Prosecutors are trying to prove that Jennifer Crumbley ignored her son's pleas for help months before the shooting happened.

Wagrowski also discussed text messages between the shooter and a person described as his only friend. The shooter and his friend exchanged thousands of messages, Wagrowski said, including ones in which the shooter revealed he was paranoid, hearing voices and wanted to call 911 – but he was scared doing so would upset his parents.

"Like I am mentally and physically dying," the shooter texted his friend.

On Monday, Nov. 29, a day before the shooting, Jennifer searched the web for information on clinical depression – and then exchanged messages with James about her horse.

This is all at the same time the school found the shooter researching bullets on his phone. The school left a voicemail on Jennifer's phone where they discussed the conversation and what was said to the shooter. Jennifer listened to the voicemail while she was still messaging her husband about the horse.

Jennifer then sent a text to her son: "Seriously, looking up bullets in school??"

He admitted to it, said he was curious, and that it was on his phone. He claimed it was harmless and believed he was going to not get into trouble about it. Jennifer asked if he’d "showed them a pic of your new gun," then said: "Lol. I'm not mad. You have to learn not to get caught."

What the Crumbleys did on day of shooting

Jennifer Crumbley trial: What the shooter's parents did on day of shooting

Text messages and surveillance video lay out exactly how Jennifer and Jason Crumbley responded before and after their son killed four students at Oxford High School.

Video screenshots showed Jennifer arriving at work at 9:04 a.m. the day of the shooting, but leaving an hour later. She left because she got a voicemail from Oxford High School about a disturbing drawing from her son depicting violence. After she received a photo of the drawing, she sent it to James and other friends.

At 10:41 a.m., both James and Jennifer arrived at the school. Eleven minutes later, the shooter left the school's office and the Crumbleys walked out.

Six minutes later, Jennifer texted a horse trainer about going to a horse-riding lesson later that day. She also sent the picture her son drew, but said she still planned to go to the lesson. The two then discussed "horse therapy" for the shooter and thought it would be good treatment for the 15-year-old’s mental health problems.

By 11:24 a.m., Jennifer Crumbley was back to work. At 12:21, just 30 minutes before the shooter opened fire, she messaged her son to ask if he was OK. She told him he can talk to them about anything and they wouldn't judge.

At 12:42 p.m., he said, "I know. I'm sorry for that. I love you."

Jennifer Crumbley's text to her son when she believed he was the Oxford High School shooter.

Jennifer didn't respond until after the shooting was made public – over 30 minutes later.

The active-shooter alert went out to parents at 1:13 p.m. James Crumbley was making DoorDash deliveries after leaving the school and was in the Meijer parking lot near Oxford High School when the shooting alert came out. Two minutes later, he immediately called Jennifer, who left work, and the two talked for a few minutes on the phone.

At the same time, she responded back to her son, "I love you too. Are you okay?"

Four minutes later, she sent a four-word text: "Ethan don't do it."

By 1:22 p.m., James was at their home in Oxford, about a mile away, and discovered the gun and ammo were gone and told Jennifer that.

In turn, she messaged her boss.

"OMG, Andy, he’s going to kill himself," she said. "He must be the shooter."

By 1:34, James Crumbley called 911 to report the missing gun and told police he believed his son had taken the gun to the school.

Jennifer Crumbley tells ‘we’re f***ed,’ then deletes message

Jennifer Crumbley's text after Oxford shooting: 'We're on the run'

Evidence revealed during Jennifer Crumbley's trial shows that she sent a Facebook message to someone telling them that she was on the run. Jennifer and her husband James are accused of fleeing Oxford after their son killed four people at Oxford High School. The couple was found hiding in a Detroit building.

Also reviewed were Facebook messages between Jennifer Crumbley and a friend, Brian Meloche, in the days after the shooting.

At 7:31 a.m. on Dec. 2, Jennifer said: "We're on the run again. Helicopters … not sure where to I'll message you."

A few hours later, she said, "We're f**ked."

Wagrowski said Jennifer Crumbley later deleted those messages.

Defense highlights Jennifer ‘voicing concern’

Jennifer Crumbley: 'I just wish we had warnings'

Less than 12 hours after Ethan Crumbley killed four students inside Oxford High School, her mom was texting with someone else about her son, the shooting, and the family's horses.

In her cross-examination, Smith went through much of the communication that was testified to earlier in the day.

She focused on one exchange between James and Jennifer Crumbley that was sent the day after the shooter had contacted his mom about hearing voices in the house.

In a three-string thread of texts, Jennifer was "voicing concern" over the shooter, Smith said. Jennifer Crumbley said she was freaking out and asking if he was home yet. "I don't want him to do anything stupid," she wrote to James.

Text messages between Jennifer Crumbley and Kira Pennock, her friend, included a screenshot from the defendant's social media about threats that were directed toward her.

In another text to Pennock, she said: "I wish we had warnings.. Something."

Pennock later texted Jennifer to not come out to the barn over concerns about people that worked at the barn. She said if she did come, she should be escorted by police. Smith said that was an indication of safety concerns.

Jennifer Crumbley trial: Lawyers told to 'go home' after fiery exchange

Another heated argument erupted in court Friday after Jennifer Crumbley's defense attorney said "I'm going to kill myself" during the trial, sparkling backlash from prosecutors who said it's disrespectful to the victims and their families.