"I failed as a parent, I failed miserably": Jennifer Crumbley's text exchange with married firefighter revealed amid Ethan Crumbley's manslaughter trial

Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of Oxford school shooter Ethan Crumbley, is currently in the middle of a manslaughter trial. Jennifer was charged with manslaughter in connection with the mass shooting involving 15-year-old Ethan. She has been accused of buying the firearm for her son and being neglectful towards him.

Trigger warning: The article contains references to school shooting. Readers' discretion is advised.

According to the Detroit Free Press, on Wednesday, January 31, the court heard messages that Jennifer allegedly sent to a firefighter identified as Brian Meloche, whom she had an affair with. One of the messages, dated December 1, 2021, read,

"I failed as a parent, I failed miserably."

Jennifer Crumbley told the jurors that she didn't think that her son could actually carry out a fatal school shooting.

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Oxford school shooter Ethan Crumbley's mother, Jennifer Crumbley texted Brian Meloche while on the run

45-year-old Jennifer took a stand in the trial and stated her defense in the manslaughter trial. She claimed that she wasn't responsible for purchasing or storing the firearm used in the 2021 shooting. It was further revealed in the courtroom that she was in constant touch with a married firefighter, and they had exchanged several texts before and after the school shooting. In several messages, Jennifer spoke about how she 'failed as a parent.'

As per the Detroit Free Press, the fire department captain sent her a message that read,

"You literally need to disappear once you are free to do so."

Brian later claimed that he was just worried about Jennifer's safety after the shooting took place, since social media platforms were filled with threatening messages. In another message Jennifer wrote,

"I’ll never be okay. I lost my son. He’s a murderer. And I’ll forever have to live with that. I’m not sure life is worth living anymore. I have nothing left to live for. He was it."

As per the New York Post, prosecutors said that Crumbley continued to send texts to Brian Meloche while she was on the run with her husband, James. They were arrested on were arrested on December 4, 2021, in Detroit.

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Jennifer Crumbley stated that it was her husband's responsibility to store the gun

In November 2021, Ethan Crumbley carried out a school shooting that killed four people and injured seven others. In September 2023, he was convicted and then sentenced to life imprisonment. Meanwhile, his parents, Jennifer Crumbley and James Crumbley, are charged with involuntary mamslaughter. While Jennifer's trial is on, James' trial is expected to begin in March 2024.

Authorities claimed that Ethan's parents bought him the gun that he used to shoot the victims. They allegedly did not reveal this piece of information to the school authorities when they had a chance. The Detroit Free Press reported that, according to prosecutors, the parents neglected their 'troubled' son, and instead of getting him the necessary help, they bought a gun for him. She reportedly told the jurors,

"I don't think I'm a failure as a parent. But at the time, I guess I didn't see, I felt bad that [Ethan] was sad at those things, and I guess, I just failed somewhere."

During the trial, Jennifer Crumbley further blamed James for the negligence. She stated that it was allegedly James' responsibility to look after the firearm and make sure it was stored safely. According to her, it was James who bought the gun for her son.

Her husband, James Crumbley, is scheduled to go to trial in early March.