Ethan Crumbley's parents to seek lower bonds as prosecutor cites 'staggering' amount of evidence
The parents of school shooter Ethan Crumbley want their $500,000 cash bonds reduced.
Defense attorneys for James and Jennifer Crumbley, who appeared in court on Tuesday, said during the hearing they will "for sure" be filing a motion to reduce the couple's bonds, perhaps within the next week, Law & Crime reports.
The Crumbleys are each charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter for allegedly acting in a grossly negligent manner that allowed their son, 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, to gun down four people at Oxford High School in Michigan on Nov. 30.
The Crumbleys' bonds were set at $500,000 after prosecutors said they tried to flee before being found inside an industrial building in Detroit.
READ MORE: Lawyer for Ethan Crumbley calls massacre of his classmates an 'isolated incident' of violence
On Tuesday, the Crumbleys sat at the same table in court, with their attorneys between them for most of the hearing. They were each shackled at the wrist and wore jail uniforms with the word “prisoner” on one leg.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald requested a delay in the couple's probable cause hearing, which was originally scheduled for Dec. 22, citing an "unprecedented" amount of evidence in the case.
Prosecutors turned over 500 pages of evidence to the defense on Monday in what McDonald called the "first wave," CNN reports. But her office has another 40 gigabytes of data to process including reports, surveillance video, recorded witness statements and other documents, she said.
“Six children and one teacher were shot. Hundreds were terrorized,” McDonald said. “The volume of discovery in this case is staggering."
She added that the four victims' funerals' "have just concluded."
"We do not think it's in their best interest or in the interest of justice to (conduct witness interviews) during the holiday season," McDonald said.
The defense agreed to a delay in the probable cause hearing, which Judge Julie Nicholson set for Feb. 8.
However, the Crumbleys will appear in court on Jan. 7 to discuss their impending bond reduction motions.
The Crumbleys' attorneys, Shannon Smith and Mariell Lehman, on Tuesday waived any conflict that might result from representing both parents.
While the Crumbleys have retained private attorneys, their son is represented by a public defender.
Ethan Crumbley appeared in court on Monday, and his probable cause hearing was also delayed.
Watch Tuesday's full hearing below.
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