Two witnesses testify on first day in trial of James Crumbley, father of Oxford High School shooter

(CBS DETROIT) - The trial for James Crumbley, the father of the Oxford High School shooter, began Thursday in an Oakland County court.

Oakland County Judge Cheryl Matthews began Thursday's proceedings by ruling that certain text message conversations between the shooter and Jennifer Crumbley are inadmissible, saying she does not believe that James Crumbley was aware of the text messages. She also ruled that a text conversation between the shooter and his friend would not be included as evidence.

After the jury was seated, Matthews delivered jury instructions.

Oakland County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Marc Keast delivered opening statements for the prosecution.

"During this trial, you're going to hear about events from the spring of 2021 through December of 2021. November of '21 is the critical time period, especially November the 30th. But that earlier evidence is going to give you some context into the family life in the Crumbley household. It's going to give you some context to learn that the shooting didn't just happen out of the blue. The shooter didn't snap. What happened was foreseeable, especially to his father," Keast said during his opening statement."

Attorney says James Crumbley did not know his son could harm others

James Crumbley's defense attorney, Mariell Lehman, said in her opening statements that James Crumbley did not know that his son could potentially harm other people.

"James Crumbley did not know what his son was going to do," Lehman said. "He did not know that his son could potentially harm other people. He did not know what his son was planning. He did not purchase that gun with the knowledge that his son may use it against other people. You will not hear that he did that. The prosecution told you that. The prosecution just told you you not going to hear that. You're not going to hear James Crumbley purchased that gun with the knowledge that his son was going to harm other people. But what the prosecution wants you to believe, the part that's not true, is that James Crumbley knew what his son was going to do and knew that he had a duty to protect other people from his son."

Teacher injured in Oxford High School shooting testifies

The prosecution called Molly Darnell as the first witness to testify Thursday. Darnell has been an educator with Oxford Community Schools since 1998 and previously testified during the shooter's Miller hearing and at Jennifer Crumbley's trial.

Darnell was shot once by the student through a closed classroom door, with the bullet exiting her left arm.

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald asked Darnell to go over a map of the school for the jury and to describe the shooting.

Lehman did not cross-examine Darnell.

Forensic analyst discusses reviewing cell phones, social media data

Edward Wagrowski, a former detective and computer crimes analyst for the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, was the second witness to testify Thursday. He spent 28 years with the sheriff's office, including 10 with the computer crimes unit.

Wagrowski now works for the U.S. Secret Service, but he went to Oxford High School on the day of the shooting and was responsible for viewing footage from more than 100 cameras in the high school.

Wagrowski was responsible for piecing together camera footage for investigators and testified as to what he saw while reviewing footage of the shooting.

Wagrowski also reviewed phone information and social media data from James and Jennifer Crumbley and the shooter.

While Wagrowski was on the stand Thursday, James Crumbley's call to 911 was played. The call was at 1:34 p.m. on Nov. 30, 2021, after James Crumbley learned of the shooting at the high school. The call was placed before the shooter's identification was made public.

Jury selection began Tuesday morning and concluded midafternoon on Wednesday, with a 15-person jury comprised of nine women and six men selected. The all-white jury is made up of a majority of parents who have dealt with mental health issues. Six of the jurors are gun owners. 

The trial comes after Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of the shooter, was found guilty of four counts of involuntary manslaughter in February. She will be sentenced on April 9.

James Crumbley is charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter. He is accused of purchasing the gun that was used in the shooting for his son and not getting his son the treatment he needed for his mental health struggles despite his requests for help.

James and Jennifer Crumbley were charged in the Oxford High School shooting where their son killed four students, Justin Shilling, Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, and Hana St. Juliana, and injured seven other people on Nov. 30, 2021.

The shooter was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

CBS News Detroit will stream live coverage of the trial each day, beginning at 9 a.m., and will be joined by legal analysts throughout the trial.

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