Oxford High School shooting

Jennifer and James Crumbley and their son, accused Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley, are being held in separate cells in the Oakland County, Michigan, jail. “No talking, no communication,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said Saturday. “They are all three in isolation.” 

Ethan Crumbley, 15, was arrested Tuesday for allegedly murdering four fellow students, and his parents were arrested at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning in an art studio in Detroit after failing to show up for their arraignment. All three have pleaded not guilty. Bail for James and Jennifer Crumbley was set at $500,000 each due to the severity of their involuntary manslaughter charges and perceived flight risk. 

Bouchard said Saturday that his office is looking at “potential charges for either aiding and abetting or obstruction of justice” for whoever helped James and Jennifer Crumbley flee to Detroit, sparking a state and federal manhunt. The U.S. Marshals Service released “WANTED” posters Friday night, and a tipster called in after finding their vehicle outside the commercial building. 

Oakland County Undersheriff Michael McCabe confirmed Sunday that the artist whose studio the Crumbleys used, Andrzej Sikora, had contacted police Saturday morning, after their arrest, and is cooperating with law enforcement. Sikora’s lawyer said his client had a “friendly relationship” with the Crumbleys but did not know they faced charges when he let them into his studio to seek safety from threats on Friday. Sikora, 65, “left in the early evening,” lawyer Clarence Dass said. “He didn’t even know they were still there.” 

Lawyers for James and Jennifer Crumbley insisted their clients were not fleeing and failed to turn themselves in Friday due to a miscommunication with prosecutors. Bouchard disputed that characterization. “I’m not going to get into the specifics, but I think where they were and how they were seems to support the position they were hiding and they weren’t looking for surrendering at that point,” he said.