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The multiagency manhunt lasted nearly 12 hours. (Photo: U.S. Marshals Service)
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office offered to meet the parents of Oxford school shooter Ethan Crumbley anywhere in the state to avoid a media frenzy during a Dec. 2 manhunt ahead of their arraignment, and still James and Jennifer Crumbley avoided turning themselves in, requesting another two-plus days of freedom.
That's according to a Detroit News story on a court filing that includes texts between a sheriff's office investigator and James and Jennifer Crumbley's lawyer, Shannon Smith.
Smith and her co-counsel, Mariell Lehman, this week requested the couple's bond be lowered from $500,000 — in line with the Oakland County prosecutor's recommendation — to $100,000.
Authorities have said the pair fled manslaughter charges for their alleged role in their son's killing of four of his classmates, pointing to their Dec. 3 discovery in an artist's studio on Detroit's lower east side. Defense attorneys meanwhile contend the pair left home in fear of backlash and always planned to turn themsleves in.
The texts give a glimpse into what was going on behind the scenes:
"I told Mariel (sic) that we would be happy to meet them anywhere in the State so that we can safely and without media take them into custody," the investigator tells Smith at about 5:33 p.m. Dec. 3.
"If they get pulled over the officers could conduct a felony stop and have (them) laying face down in the street. I would like to avoid all of that if possible."
Five hours later at 10:34 p.m., Smith told the detectives her clients were “terrified” while awaiting more details she had been expected to get from the county prosecutor.
“I do not know where they are but they assured me they are heading back and will call me so we can get them arraigned,” she texted, adding: “I wish the media would chill out on this because it’s terrifying on top of a huge sad awful case … The dads (sic) cell phone died and they no way to charge it so some of the calling issues were due to that. But we have Jennifer’s number and THEY ARE COMING.”
In another text just before 11 p.m. Dec. 3, Smith said the couple asked to turn themselves in the following Monday “and Mariell and I said no. … We will get them in. They wouldn’t have paid us what they paid if they plan to run.”
"Were they apprehended?" she wrote at about 12:28 a.m.
The approximately 12-hour manhunt ended a couple of hours later. Later that morning, at the Crumbleys' arraignment, the Oakland County Prosecutor described them as a flight risk.