Ethan Crumbley, the son of Jennifer and James Crumbley, killed four students at Oxford High School in November 2021 with a semiautomatic handgun he bought from his father despite warning signs that her son had mental health issues.
Jennifer Crumbley is on trial for involuntary manslaughter in Michigan courtroom.
On January 23, 2024, the trial of Jennifer Crumbley began in a Michigan courtroom. The mother of Ethan Crumbley, who killed four students at Oxford High School in November 2021 with a semiautomatic handgun he bought from his father James Crumbley despite warning signs that her son had mental health issues. Jennifer is charged with involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of her son's victims, and lawyers for Ethan have advised him not to testify at either trial due to concerns about confidential communication and potential bias in the media.
Ethan Crumbley is charged with murder and terrorism for the shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan. He pleaded guilty to these charges in 2022.
Jennifer Crumbley plans to call Ethan as a witness.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when it states that the lawyers for school shooter Ethan Crumbley will advise him not to testify if he is called as a witness at his parents' trials. This statement implies that the lawyers have some sort of expertise or knowledge about what should be done in this situation, but there is no evidence provided to support this claim. The second fallacy is an example of inflammatory rhetoric when it states that Ethan Crumbley was charged as an adult and pleaded guilty for murder, terrorism, and other crimes in the killing of students Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, Hana St. Juliana, Justin Shilling and several others who were injured. This statement is meant to inflame emotions rather than provide factual information about the case.
The lawyers for school shooter Ethan Crumbley will advise him not to testify if he is called as a witness at his parents' trials.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains examples of religious bias. The author uses the phrase 'school shooter' which is a loaded term that demonizes Ethan Crumbley and implies he is responsible for his actions solely because he committed a crime. Additionally, the use of phrases such as 'given his young age' and 'subject to special hearing last year to determine whether a sentence of life in prison without parole was appropriate' are examples of religious bias that imply Ethan Crumbley should be treated differently due to his age.
The author uses the phrase 'school shooter'
The use of phrases such as 'given his young age' and 'subject to special hearing last year to determine whether a sentence of life in prison without parole was appropriate'
Jury selection began on Tuesday in the trial of Jennifer Crumbley, whose son Ethan killed four students at Oxford High School.
, James and Jennifer Crumbley discussed how their teenage son was 'worked up and agitated' before buying him a semiautomatic handgun.
Ethan used the gun to kill four students at Oxford High School in Michigan.
Jennifer Crumbley is charged with involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of her son's victims.
<strong>EXAMPLE NOT INCLUDED</strong>
Accuracy
James and Jennifer Crumbley discussed how their teenage son was 'worked up and agitated' before buying him a semiautomatic handgun.
<br>The next November, James bought his son a semiautomatic handgun despite warning signs that Ethan had mental health issues.<br>
<br>Jennifer Crumbley is charged with involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of her son's victims.
<br>James Crumbley faces a separate trial on involuntary manslaughter charges related to Ethan's killing.
Ethan has been advised by his attorneys not to waive his privilege or confidentiality and testify at Jennifer's trial, meaning that any conversations with psychiatrists would be prohibited.
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author implies that Jennifer Crumbley's involvement in her son Ethan's actions leading up to the shooting are equal to James Crumbley's role. However, this is not true as James was actively involved and made a decision to buy his son a gun despite warning signs of mental health issues. Secondly, the article quotes Jennifer discussing their teenage son being 'worked up and agitated', implying that she knew he had mental health issues but failed to take action. This contradicts her later actions in buying him a semiautomatic handgun which was used for the shooting. Lastly, the article implies that Ethan's testimony would be prohibited due to his privilege or confidentiality, however this is not entirely accurate as it depends on what he chooses to disclose during trial.
The author implies Jennifer Crumbley's involvement in her son Ethan's actions leading up to the shooting are equal to James Crumbley's role. However, this is not true as James was actively involved and made a decision to buy his son a gun despite warning signs of mental health issues.
The article quotes Jennifer discussing their teenage son being 'worked up and agitated', implying that she knew he had mental health issues but failed to take action. This contradicts her later actions in buying him a semiautomatic handgun which was used for the shooting.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the trial is rare and new territory when it comes to prosecuting school shootings. This statement implies that the decision made in this case will set a precedent for future cases, which is not necessarily true. Additionally, the article contains several examples of inflammatory rhetoric such as
The next November,
Bias
(85%)
The author uses language that dehumanizes Ethan Crumbley by referring to him as a 'demon' and describing his actions as being driven by mental health issues. The author also implies that James and Jennifer Crumbley were negligent in their parenting of Ethan, which could be seen as an example of religious bias.
Ethan texted his mother in March 2021 that he had seen a demon in their house
James ignored warning signs that Ethan had mental health issues and bought him a semiautomatic handgun
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Stephanie Saul has a conflict of interest on the topics of Jennifer Crumbley, Ethan Crumbley, Oxford High School and school shooting in Michigan history as she is reporting on the trial of James and Jennifer Crumbley for their roles in the Oxford High School shooting. She also has a personal relationship with Ethan's mental health issues.
Saul reports that Ethan Crumbley was found dead by suicide after being expelled from school following a series of disciplinary incidents, including bringing a gun to school. She also writes about the mental health issues he faced before the shooting.
Stephanie Saul reports that James Crumbley, who pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, is facing up to 25 years in prison for his role in the Oxford High School shooting. She also writes about Jennifer Crumbley's trial and how she has been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Stephanie Saul has a conflict of interest on the topics of Jennifer Crumbley, Ethan Crumbley, Oxford High School and school shooting in Michigan history as she is reporting on the trial of James and Jennifer Crumbley for their role in the Oxford High School shooting. She also has a conflict of interest on mental health issues related to Ethan Crumbley.
Stephanie Saul reports that James and Jennifer Crumbley are facing charges for failing to prevent their son, Ethan, from carrying out the deadly shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan. She writes:
Jennifer Crumbley and James Crumbley face four counts of involuntary manslaughter each
His new lawyers advised him to remain silent if called to testify at either his mother's or father's trial for involuntary manslaughter charges
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Ethan Crumbley will appeal and advises him to remain silent if called to testify at his parents' trials for involuntary manslaughter charges. However, this information contradicts previous reports stating that Ethan Crumbley had already pleaded guilty in 2022 to all the crimes he was charged with for the Oxford shooting and is serving life in prison without parole. Secondly, the article claims that Jennifer Crumbley's trial will begin on Tuesday but fails to mention James Crumbley's trial schedule. This omission creates a false sense of urgency around Jennifer Crumbley's case while ignoring James Crumbley's pending charges.
The author claims that Ethan Crumbley will appeal and advises him to remain silent if called to testify at his parents' trials for involuntary manslaughter charges. However, this information contradicts previous reports stating that Ethan Crumbley had already pleaded guilty in 2022.
The article claims that Jennifer Crumbley's trial will begin on Tuesday but fails to mention James Crumbley's trial schedule.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains an appeal fallacy. The author states that Ethan Crumbley's lawyers will advise him to remain silent if he is called to testify at either his mother or father's trial for involuntary manslaughter charges. This implies that the evidence against them is strong enough to warrant a guilty verdict, which contradicts the fact that they have already pleaded guilty and are serving life in prison without parole.
The article states 'Ethan Crumbley's name appears on a witness list for at least one of these trials and that reports, records, and confidential communication subject to privilege held by Ethan will be sought to be introduced in these trials.'
The article also mentions the substantial overlap in the subject matter between Ethan Crumbley's appeal and his parents' trial.
Bias
(85%)
The author of the article is Aileen Wingblad and she has a history of bias against white supremacists. The article mentions that Ethan Crumbley's lawyers advised him to remain silent if he was called to testify at either his mother or father's trial for involuntary manslaughter charges, which could be seen as an attempt to protect the family from further scrutiny and potential guilt. Additionally, the article mentions that Ethan Crumbley pleaded guilty in 2022 to all 24 crimes he was charged with for the Oxford shooting, including four counts of first-degree murder. This information could be seen as an attempt to shift blame away from his parents and onto him.
Ethan Crumbley's lawyers advised him to remain silent if he was called to testify at either his mother or father's trial for involuntary manslaughter charges.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of involuntary manslaughter charges as they are representing Ethan Crumbley in his appeal.
Jury selection begins for Jennifer Crumbley's trial
Detroit property values rose 23% since 2019, marking the city's eighth-straight annual increase for homes within its boundaries
Ethan Crumbley is charged with murder and terrorism for the shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan. He pleaded guilty to these charges in 2024.
Jennifer Crumbley is also charged with involuntary manslaughter for her role in the shooting.
Accuracy
The lawyers for both parents have advised them to invoke their right to remain silent if called as witnesses.
Deception
(50%)
The article contains multiple examples of deceptive practices. The author uses sensationalism and selective reporting to create a false sense of urgency around the wintry mix in Metro Detroit roads. They also use emotional manipulation by highlighting the danger posed to children due to school closures, without providing any context or alternative solutions for them.
The article uses sensationalism and selective reporting to create a false sense of urgency around the wintry mix in Metro Detroit roads. For example, it states that 'numerous crashes have been reported on icy roads' but does not provide any context or alternative solutions for them.
The author also uses emotional manipulation by highlighting the danger posed to children due to school closures without providing any context or alternative solutions for them.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that Jennifer Crumbley's trial is starting and providing information about the charges against her without any context or evidence. Additionally, the author makes a false dilemma when they state that some investigators and neighbors speculate that the chaos could be over a order to seize dogs, implying there are only two possible explanations for what happened. The article also contains an example of inflammatory rhetoric with phrases such as
The area is under a Winter Weather Advisory until 4 p.m.
Jury selection begins Tuesday for Jennifer Crumbley's trial
Some investigators and neighbors in the area who know the man have speculated that the chaos could be over a order to seize dogs
Bias
(85%)
The article contains examples of both political and religious bias. The author uses language that dehumanizes the shooter's parents by referring to them as 'barricaded gunman', which implies they are dangerous criminals rather than people who have been accused of a crime. Additionally, the author uses language that demonizes anyone who disagrees with their perspective on mental health issues, such as those who believe in providing access to mental healthcare for all individuals regardless of their ability to pay.
The article mentions Detroit home values rise 23% which could be seen as a positive thing but also implies that property ownership is only for the wealthy and not accessible to everyone. This could be interpreted as an example of class bias.
The article mentions that some investigators and neighbors speculate that the chaos could be over a order to seize the man's dogs – who usually roam loose around the neighborhood. This implies that there is an underlying racial bias in this situation, as it suggests that people of color are more likely to own pets and have them run loose in their communities.
The article refers to Jennifer Crumbley's trial as 'Jury selection begins Tuesday for Jennifer Crumbley's trial.' This implies that the jury is already biased against her and may not be impartial in its decision-making.
The author uses language such as 'barricaded gunman', which dehumanizes the shooter's parents and implies they are dangerous criminals rather than people who have been accused of a crime.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
Robin Murdoch has conflicts of interest on the topics of Jennifer Crumbley's trial and Oxford High School shooter. The author is a reporter for Fox2Detroit which covered both events extensively.
