06-05-2025
Court of Appeals denies Oxford High School shooter's attempt to appeal life sentence
The Michigan Court of Appeals has denied Ethan Crumbley's request to appeal his sentencing, upholding his life sentence without the possibility of parole.
The decision was made by a three-judge panel on Tuesday, May 6. The court cited a "lack of merit in the grounds presented" and also rejected Crumbley's motion to remand the case, which sought to have it sent back to a lower court for further review.
Crumbley, who was 15 at the time of the November 2021 Oxford school shooting, pleaded guilty to all charges in 2022. In December 2024, an Oakland County judge denied his attempt to withdraw his guilty plea and reconsider his sentence.
More: James Crumbley returns to court: I deserve a new trial, too
After the May 6 decision, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald issued a statement supporting the ruling and highlighting the severity of the crimes committed by Crumbley.
'This ruling, first and foremost, reaffirms basic truths: On November 30, 2021, the shooter murdered Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, Hana St. Juliana, and Justin Shilling, he wounded seven others, and he terrorized an entire community," McDonald said. "The shooter had his day in court. A judge weighed the severity of his crimes and rendered a fair sentence."
She also pointed out that the tragedy could have been prevented, noting that both Crumbley and his parents had multiple opportunities to stop the shooting.
'As Judge Kwame Rowe said at sentencing, the shooter had multiple opportunities to make different decisions. He did not,' McDonald added. 'As a society, we must start treating gun violence as the public health crisis that it is.'
Attorneys for Crumbley could not immediately be reached.
Nour Rahal is a trending and breaking news reporter. Email her: nrahal@ Follow her on Twitter @nrahal1.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Appeals court rejects resentencing request from Oxford High shooter
