Ethan Crumbley, the teenager accused of carrying out the deadly shooting at a Michigan high school last November, will remain in Oakland County Jail instead of being transferred to a juvenile detention facility, a judge ruled Tuesday.
The 15-year-old, who allegedly killed four of his fellow students at Oxford High School north of Detroit, will remain in adult jail due to evidence that came to light regarding his planning of the shooting and disquieting past behavior, Judge Kwame Rowe wrote in his opinion.
“The nature and circumstances of the alleged offense are extremely troubling and disturbing,” Rowe wrote. “The [prosecution] alleged that defendant planned and executed a mass murder at Oxford High School. Allegedly, he killed four students and injured seven others. The alleged facts speak for themselves.”
SUSPECT IN OXFORD HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING TO PLEAD INSANITY
The defendant’s past diary entries, emails, and texts revealed plans to make and use Molotov cocktails during the shooting, as well as “a plan to kidnap, rape, torture and then kill an unidentified female.”
“Lastly, the Court will note that prior to the alleged incident Defendant killed several baby birds. In his journal he noted he killed ‘8 infant baby birds by slowly torturing them until death,'” Rowe wrote. “The above prior delinquent acts are of grave concern to this court.”
Rowe also highlighted the apparently lax security at the proposed juvenile detention, which has seen eight escapes in the past year and thus is “incapable of safely housing the defendant.”
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Under federal law, juvenile defendants cannot stay in adult prison for more than 180 days unless continued holding is proved to be in the interest of justice. Crumbley’s defense argued that he is mentally ill and needs psychiatric care at the juvenile facility, while the prosecution argued that he poses too much risk to be taken from the higher security holding.
Crumbley is facing 24 felony charges and faces life in prison. His parents also face voluntary manslaughter charges for allegedly ignoring his signs of violence and allowing him access to the gun used in the shooting.
