'Ludicrous': Prosecutor Slams Jennifer Crumbley 'Smear Campaign' Allegation

PONTIAC, MI — Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald on Thursday blasted a motion calling for her to be removed from any further proceedings in Jennifer Crumbley's case because she "cannot be trusted."

Crumbley's lawyer, Michael Dezsi, accused McDonald of running a $150,000 "smear campaign" against Crumbley through two different public relations firms/social media influencers.

"There is no place for the use of social media influencers in the criminal justice system, and the Prosecutor’s decision to do so in this case is a stark violation of ethical rules imposed on the prosecutor to ensure a fair trial," said Dezsi.

McDonald blasted the filing, saying it is "not legally proper" and the notion she ran a smear campaign is "ludicrous."

"Jennifer Crumbley was convicted by a jury, not the media," McDonald said. "She was convicted for what she did and didn’t do – she boasted about buying her son a nine-millimeter handgun and taking him to the shooting range, while ignoring her son’s pleas for help and all the signs that he was struggling, and then leaving the gun where he could access it."

McDonald also defended her decision to use a crisis communications team as a way to handle an overwhelming number of media inquiries. She said the team was hired with the approval of the county executive and the board of commissioners, and the team talked with the media on a daily basis, "not drumming up coverage."

Steve St. Juliana, father of Oxford Shooting victim Hana St. Juliana, also criticized Dezsi's actions, saying he doesn't have a case and is trying to make Crumbley a victim.

"Trying to make this a big media circus to hide the fact that he's got no legal arguments is ridiculous," St. Juliana said. "Stop trying to make [Jennifer Crumbley] the victim. My daughter is the one that was murdered because of her negligence."

The motion comes as a judge is weighing whether to grant Crumbley a new trial after Dezsi said prosecutors did not share proffer agreements they signed with school officials for their testimony at her trial, interfering with her right to a fair trial.

Prosecutors have maintained the agreements did not violate court rules because they weren't required to share them. They also said the agreements were not made in exchange for testimony and they did not grant immunity to the school officials.

On Feb. 6, 2024, Crumbley was convicted of four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the deadly Oxford school shooting that happened on Nov. 30, 2021. She became the first parent ever charged and convicted in connection with a school shooting. She was sentenced to 10-15 years in prison, the maximum for involuntary manslaughter in Michigan.

Her husband, James Crumbley, was also convicted of four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the shooting and was also sentenced to 10-15 years in prison. He is also seeking a new trial.

Ethan Crumbley, James and Jennifer's son, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the deadly shooting that left four students dead and several others wounded. He recently asked for a new trial, but an Oakland County judge rejected that request, stating his "plea was knowingly, voluntarily, and accurately given."

The four children killed in the shooting were: Hana St. Juliana, 14; Justin Shilling, 17; Tate Myre, 16; and Madisyn Baldwin, 16.

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