Oxford High School shooter plans to appeal life sentence; court hearing scheduled for Thursday

OAKLAND COUNTY, MI (Fox 2) – Nearly three years after he opened fire at his high school, killing four people and wounding others, the Oxford High School shooter wants his sentence overturned.

The gunman, who was 15 at the time and is now 18, was sentenced last December to life in prison without parole for the Nov. 30, 2021, shooting after pleading guilty to 20 charges, including murder and terrorism.

Earlier this year, the State Appellate Defender Office (SADO) announced it was withdrawing his plea and appealing for a new sentence. According to court documents, the office filed motions in June to both withdraw the plea and modify the sentence.

There will be a status conference on the case on Thursday.

SADO said that while investigating the case, it discovered “new and compelling evidence that does not support life without parole” in a news release after the motions were filed.

In that release, the office questioned whether the teen actually understood the plea.

“Due process requires that anyone arguing understands what he or she is doing, and this is even more true when the person arguing is a child,” the statement said.

SADO also pointed the finger at his parents, claiming he may have suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome because his mother drank while she was pregnant with him. According to SADO, this could have hindered his emotional and social maturity as he grew older.

The gunman’s age required him to undergo a series of court hearings, known as a Miller hearing, before Judge Kwame Rowe could rule that he could be sentenced to life without parole. After determining that he understood what he was doing, he was convicted.

“The court cannot ignore the deep trauma that defendant has caused to the state of Michigan, but especially to the community of Oxford. The court simply cannot ignore that,” Rowe said during sentencing. “He chose not to die that day because he wanted the fame.”

However, SADO argues that the punishment is inappropriate.

“This type of punishment for a child goes against what we all know about children – they change,” SADO attorneys wrote. “Life without parole for a child is unconscionable.”

The Oakland County prosecutors and jurors also decided the teen was not entirely to blame. His parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, are currently in prison after separate juries found them both guilty of involuntary manslaughter. They were sentenced to 10 to 15 years behind bars.