Oxford school shooter Ethan Crumbley's mother was having an affair with a married firefighter before her son carried out a shooting at his Michigan high school, killing four classmates. This dramatic revelation came to light in court on Wednesday as Jennifer Crumbley and her husband James face trial for involuntary manslaughter related to the 2021 school shooting.
In the aftermath of her son's arrest for the murders, Jennifer confided in her lover that she felt that she had "failed miserably" as a parent. "You didn't do this," Brian Meloche told her in response. Meloche is the firefighter with whom Crumbley was allegedly involved in a romantic relationship at that time.
Killer Son, Infidel Mom
"Be careful of anything you type on messenger or text," Meloche wrote later, "The FBI is involved, they can access anything and everything." Details of the affair were not presented as evidence during Ethan Crumbley's trial in October 2022, where the 17-year-old was sentenced to life in prison.
However, defense attorney Shannon Smith successfully argued before Judge Cheryl Matthews to admit these details, claiming that Meloche had been coerced by the police to incriminate the mother.
"At this point, her life is more important than her dignity," Smith said.
"She had an affair. Lots of people have affairs. I mean, that's the bottom line. At the end of the day, it doesn't mean, you know, your kid's a school shooter."
Jennifer Crumbley told Meloche "I have nothing to live for," after her son Ethan was arrested.
"I need people who know us as parents to be behind us more than ever," she said in another.
Meloche shared details about the affair and consistently denied feeling threatened by law enforcement during interviews with all three police investigators. However, he admitted that he had been cautioned that the affair could jeopardize his job.
"They started to talk to you about things like your job and your benefits," Smith said.
"And they have said things to you like if you're helping Jennifer Crumbly, you could lose your job as a firefighter, correct?"
Meloche agreed to what Smit said.
Broken Relationships
It came after Smith's claim that Ethan's parents did not try to flee after the charges against them were made public. "The Crumbleys left town on the night of the tragic shooting for their own safety. They are returning to the area to be arraigned. They are not fleeing from law enforcement despite recent comments in media reports," the attorneys said.
Contrary to earlier claims, it was revealed on the second day of the trial that Jennifer had sent a text to her boss a day before the involuntary manslaughter charges were officially announced. The text stated, "We're on the run again. Helicopters. Not sure where to. I'll message you."
The couple was finally discovered by the police on April 12, 2021, and images from the arrest were presented at Jennifer's trial this week. In one image, the mother is seen lying face down on the floor surrounded by armed police.
This trial marks a unique occurrence in the United States, where parents of a school shooter face charges of involuntary manslaughter.
Earlier this week, Nick Ejak, responsible for discipline at Oxford High School, testified that he found it "odd" and "strange" that the couple opted not to immediately take their son home after being called to the school to discuss a disturbing drawing he had created.
The drawing showed a gun, a bullet, and included phrases such as "blood everywhere," "the thoughts won't stop help me," and "my life is useless."
Jennifer told the police during an interview that she had exchanged texts with her son just minutes before the shooting, checking if he was okay at 12:21 pm, to which he replied that he had just returned from lunch.
Jennifer said that she told her son he could talk to his parents without fear of judgment, to which he replied, "I know, I love you."
Ten minutes after expressing his love in that text, he fired his first shot, killing four students—Hana St. Juliana, 14, Madisyn Baldwin, 17, Tate Myre, 16, and Justin Shilling, 17—and injuring seven others over the next nine minutes before he was detained by police.
In a recently released police station interview conducted just hours after the shooting, the parents expressed regret, stating, "I really wish we would have taken him home."
Jennifer and her husband are accused of contributing to the deaths at Oxford High School by neglecting their son's needs and providing access to a gun at home.
One aspect of the case revolves around the allegation that the couple purchased a new gun for Ethan just days before the shooting.
