Recording of James Crumbley's threatening jail calls against prosecutor released
(CBS DETROIT) - A recording of a phone call in which James Crumbley, the father of the Oxford High School shooter, made threats toward the Oakland County prosecutor has been released.
The phone calls include several threats against Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald that James Crumbley made while he was behind bars awaiting his trial.
The threatening calls were first revealed during James Crumbley's trial and were later made public in the prosecutor's presentencing report.
READ: James Crumbley's threatening jail calls against Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald released
Now, a recording has been released and can be listened to in the video above.
On Wednesday, April 3, the prosecution released its presentencing report and included the threatening jail calls to show that the father hadn't taken responsibility for his role as a parent in the Oxford High School shooting where his son killed four students and injured seven others.
The prosecution highlighted the following threatening statements made by James Crumbley in its report:
- "Well, she's going to be f****** sucking on a f****** hot rock down in hell soon." (Jail call on Dec. 6, 2022)
- "Yeah, Karen McDonald, you're going down. Yeah. You stupid b******* at the jail. Go ahead, record this call, Send it to Karen McDonald. Tell her how James Crumbley is going to f****** take her down." (Jail call on Oct. 9, 2023)
- "Yeah, f******* Karen McDonald. You're f***** when I get out." (Jail call on Dec. 20, 2023)
- "There will be retribution, believe me." (Jail message on Dec. 23, 2023)
- "I am f****** on a rampage, Karen. Yes, Karen McDonald. Your a** is going down and you better be f****** scared." (Jail call on Jan. 3, 2024)
"Defendant's jail calls showed that he blamed everyone but himself for what happened and that he repeatedly referred to himself as being persecuted and considered himself a 'martyr,'" the recent court document said.
In court documents that followed, James Crumbley's attorney, Mariell Lehman, claimed that the father wasn't threatening the prosecutor and said he was venting.
READ: James Crumbley wasn't threatening prosecutor Karen McDonald, he was just venting, attorney says
While handing down the sentence, Oakland County Judge Cheryl Matthews said that while the defense maintained that these were not threats, she believed they were.
James and Jennifer were sentenced on April 9. The shooter was sentenced to life in prison without parole in December 2023.