In a Michigan courtroom on Friday, prosecutors presented allegations that Jennifer Crumbley, mother of school shooter Ethan Crumbley, engaged in sexual escapades with her extramarital partner, Brian Meloche, while neglecting her son's desperate appeals for mental health assistance.
Jennifer Crumbley, 45, and her paramour, Meloche, a fire chief, allegedly utilized a swingers app, Adult Friend Finder, to organize sexual encounters with strangers at local hotels post-work, according to the prosecution's opening statements in her trial.
Jennifer Crumbley, facing charges of involuntary manslaughter in connection with her son's shooting spree, conceded to using the app to "arrange for other people to meet us there," but insisted her hotel visits were for "business" purposes. "I only met with Brian during work hours," Crumbley testified, as reported by ABC News.
Jennifer and her husband, James Crumbley, 47, are both charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter following their son's lethal high school shooting. Both have entered pleas of not guilty.
Their son, Ethan, now 17, was sentenced in December to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. He was found guilty of murdering four students and injuring six others, along with a teacher, at Oxford High School on November 30, 2021.
The cross-examination of Jennifer Crumbley occurred as prosecutors aimed to dismantle her assertion of being a "hyper vigilant helicopter parent" who maintained a close relationship with her son prior to the school shooting.
The prosecution argued that Jennifer Crumbley was "grossly negligent," citing her decision to purchase a gun for her son and her failure to secure mental health treatment for the troubled teenager.
In addition to her alleged sexual trysts with her fire chief boyfriend, Jennifer Crumbley reportedly spent hours each week skiing or horseback riding. She defended her actions by stating that her son was "not into horses," and hence she did not include him in her thrice-weekly equestrian activities, as reported by ABC News.
Prosecutors contended that Jennifer Crumbley's preoccupation with her hobbies led her to neglect her son. They presented text messages between Jennifer and Ethan, in which the word "love" was used a mere three times over several years.
Excerpts from Ethan's journal were also presented, revealing his pleas for help and his frustration at his parents' lack of response. "My parents won't listen to me about help or [a] therapist," he wrote, adding, "I have zero help for my mental problems, and it's causing me to shoot up the fking school."
Jennifer Crumbley appeared shocked by these entries, stating that she believed she had an "open door" policy with her son and that he could approach her about anything, according to the TODAY Show. She admitted to never having read her son's journals or monitored his online activity.
Jennifer Crumbley also claimed that it was her husband who decided to purchase the 9mm gun used in the school shooting. She stated that James and Ethan bought the firearm together on Black Friday while she was shopping independently. When questioned about her reaction to the purchase, she responded, "No."
"I was more angry that they cut into our Christmas tree time," she said. "I usually cut my Christmas tree down right after I get back from shopping, but I had to wait for them, so I was irritated," she added.
Login