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James and Jennifer Crumbley, parents of Oxford High School shooter, sentenced to 10-15 years
(CBS DETROIT) – James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of the Oxford High School shooter, were sentenced to 10-15 years in prison after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
The parents will receive credit for 858 days served.
In the historic case, the parents were the first in the U.S. to be held responsible for their roles in the shooting where their son killed four students and injured seven other people in the Oxford High School shooting on Nov. 30, 2021.
This comes after the separate trials of James and Jennifer Crumbley, where they were both convicted of involuntary manslaughter.
They were each charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of the four students, Justin Shilling, Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, and Hana St. Juliana.
The prosecution argued that the shooting was preventable and that James and Jennifer Crumbley ignored their son’s mental health needs and bought him the gun that was used in the shooting.
Their son was sentenced to life in prison without parole in December 2023.
Victim impact statements, James and Jennifer Crumbley speak
Nicole Beausoleil, the mother of Madisyn Baldwin, was the first person to give her victim impact statement during the sentencing.
Beausoleil addressed how Jennifer Crumbley said she wouldn’t do anything different regarding the events leading up to the shooting during her trial.
“You said you wouldn’t do anything different, well that really says what type of parent you are, because there’s a lot of things I would do differently,” said Beausoleil. “But the one thing I would have wanted to be different was to take that bullet that day so she could continue to live the life she deserved.”
She requested Matthews enforce the maximum sentence for the parents.
“Your Honor, I request that the maximum sentence be enforced as it will never come close to the life sentence I was given. The life sentence I didn’t ask for, but a choice that was made for me, a life that I will suffer because of their neglect.”
Next Jill Soave, the mother of Justin Shilling, gave her statement. She talked about how kind and hardworking Justin was, and how he spent his final moments protecting another student.
“If only your Honor, they would have taken their son to get counseling instead of buying him a gun,” said Soave. “… I wouldn’t be standing here today.” She also asked Matthews for the maximum sentence allowed.
Craig Shilling, Justin’s dad, went next. He discussed how every aspect of his life has been affected by the tragedy and how he tried to capture every fact during their trials.
“The cold truth that shows that they did nothing to address the obvious signs of a deteriorating mental state of mind clearly present within their son and of course, the very hard truth that shows that they provided their son with exactly what he wanted to use to do what he did, and failed miserably to secure it,” said Craig Shilling. Shilling also told the judge he believes they need to get the maximum amount of time available.
Reina St. Juliana, the older sister of Hana St. Juliana, gave her impact statement after Craig Shilling. She said she saw her sister earlier that day, but they parted ways with a smile, and she never got to say goodbye.
“The fact is no matter what you try to make yourself believe Jennifer, you did fail as a parent, both of you,” said Reina St. Juliana.”
She said that they are still a danger to society because even after two years, they are unable to admit their wrongdoings. Reina St. Juliana also talked about how much she looked up to Hana and said going forward without her is something she may not be able to fully navigate.
Their father, Steve St. Juliana, said he’s mostly a private person, and having to “pour his heart out again, is irritating.”
“They chose to stay quiet, they chose to ignore the warning signs, and now, as we’ve heard through all the objections, they continue to choose to blame everyone but themselves,” said Steve. St. Juliana”
“I will never think back fondly on her high school and college graduations, I will never walk down the aisle as she begins the journey of starting her own family, I am forever denied the chance to hold her or her future children in my arms,” said Steve St. Juliana.
Buck Myre, the father of Tate Myre, said, it’s time to put the focus on the Oxford School District. He said the response to the shooting was horrible, and it is time to drive real change.
After Buck Myre, Jennifer Crumbley spoke. She discussed how on the stand during her trial, that she was horrified to learn that her answer about not doing anything differently, was misunderstood.
She said her son seemed so normal, and she didn’t have a reason to do anything differently. In hindsight, she says her answer would be different, and if she knew her son was capable of crimes like this, then her answer would’ve been different.
The trials of James and Jennifer Crumbley
Jennifer Crumbley was found guilty of four counts of involuntary manslaughter on Feb. 6. The jury deliberated for 11 hours after a week-long trial to determine the mother’s role in the shooting.
James Crumbley was also found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in a separate trial on March 14.
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Something that hasn’t happened since March 2020 is likely to occur this week – the Federal Reserve will issue a rate cut. With its federal funds rate frozen at a range between 5.25% and 5.50%, the highest in decades, the Fed is poised to issue its first reduction in years, likely by 25 basis points. But additional cuts could come later this year with the Fed set to meet two more times before the end of 2024.
The last time the Fed issued a cut was during the height of the pandemic and rates on borrowing products plummeted as a result. So does that mean that mortgage interest rates, already down by more than a point since 2023, will drop this week, too? Not necessarily. Below, we’ll break down what homebuyers should know now.
Start by seeing how low of a mortgage interest rate you could secure here.
Will mortgage interest rates drop this week?
The short answer to this question is “maybe.” The longer answer depends on a series of considerations that will vary based on the lender in question. That’s because this week’s presumed fed rate cut may have already been “priced in” by the bank or lender you’re planning on using. So the rate that’s listed on the lender website today, for example, may not be materially different than what’s offered after a formal cut is issued on September 18. How much each bank has priced in this week’s cut, however, will vary.
But mortgage interest rates don’t just follow the Fed’s monetary policy, even though they’re greatly influenced by it. They also track alongside the rate on the 10-year Treasury yield. Mortgage interest rates tend to follow that direction, going up or down as the yield does. This relationship exists because mortgages and 10-year Treasuries are competing long-term investments in the bond market.
When the 10-year Treasury yield rises, it typically indicates higher investor confidence in the economy and potentially higher inflation expectations. This leads investors to demand higher returns on mortgage-backed securities, causing lenders to increase mortgage rates. When the 10-year Treasury yield falls, mortgage rates tend to decrease as well. This correlation means that even if the Fed keeps its policy rate steady, changes in the 10-year Treasury yield can cause mortgage rates to fluctuate.
And remember that the best mortgage interest rates and terms will always be reserved for borrowers with clean credit histories and high credit scores. So even if rates do fall again later this week, you won’t be able to take advantage if your credit profile isn’t as attractive as lenders want it to be. The rates listed on lender websites, for example, are for those with excellent credit scores. And some will also list their offers with mortgage points already tacked on, making them appear lower than they would be if you didn’t pay that fee to score the lower rate. It’s critical, then, to monitor mortgage rates daily right now and to pay close attention to the fine print to make sure that what’s being advertised is available to a lender with your unique profile.
Start checking mortgage rates online today.
Don’t forget the cumulative effect
Even if mortgage interest rates fall directly in proportion to the federal funds rate — which is unlikely to happen — that reduction will only be by 25 basis points, if the predictions for this week’s rate cut hold true. That will just offer marginal relief to buyers. But don’t forget the cumulative effect of rate cuts. If the federal funds rate is reduced by that same amount when the Fed meets in November and again by the same amount when they meet in December, buyers could be positioned to see significant relief in their rate offers this year. And other possible cuts in 2025 could make it even more affordable to borrow money.
But mortgage rate cuts will inevitably complicate the homebuying process too, likely leading to higher home prices and steeper competition amid buyers that had previously been sitting on the sidelines. So prospective buyers will need to carefully weigh upcoming changes to the rate climate versus acting now to determine which is the most cost-effective approach for their situation.
The bottom line
Yes, mortgage interest rates may drop again this week but, more likely, most of today’s offers have preemptively reflected that cut. But with multiple rate cuts being discussed for the months ahead, the cumulative effect on mortgage interest rates is likely to be substantive. So it’s critical to consider what the homebuying market could look like then versus the benefits of acting now to better determine your best approach.
Learn more about today’s mortgage interest rates here.
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