Home › Case Library › People v. Ethan Crumbley (LWOP remand)
Awaiting decisionPeople v. Ethan Crumbley (LWOP remand)
Will Ethan Crumbley's life-without-parole sentence survive the Court of Appeals remand?
Where the case stands
On Sept. 18, 2026 the Michigan Supreme Court, which had previously turned away his appeal, remanded specified sentencing claims to the Court of Appeals for review; briefing before the Court of Appeals comes next
Background
Crumbley, then 15, murdered four students and wounded seven other people at Oxford High School on Nov. 30, 2021. He pleaded guilty to 24 counts including four first-degree murders and terrorism causing death, and after a multi-day Miller hearing was sentenced in December 2023 to life without parole by Oakland County Judge Kwamé Rowe. His parents were separately convicted of involuntary manslaughter.
Charges
- Pleaded guilty to 24 counts: four counts of first-degree murder, terrorism causing death, and related assault and weapons counts
The arguments
Prosecution/State: The LWOP sentence was properly imposed after a full Miller hearing in which the court weighed his youth and found the crime reflected irreparable corruption rather than transient immaturity
Defense: Trial counsel was ineffective in failing to adequately direct, prepare and supervise defense expert Dr. Colin King at the Miller hearing, and his sentencing-related waiver and prosecution conduct also warrant review
The record
- Miller-hearing record. Multi-day 2023 hearing on whether a juvenile could receive LWOP, including testimony from forensic psychologist Dr. Colin King on rehabilitation potential — the testimony now at the center of the ineffective-assistance claim.
- Full courtroom video. The Miller hearing and sentencing were livestreamed and remain publicly archived on YouTube.
- Guilty plea. Crumbley admitted all 24 counts in October 2022, so only the sentence — not guilt — is in play on remand.
The line-setting read at the time this market opened
The Michigan Supreme Court ordering review after previously denying his appeal signals at least one live issue, but a remand for review is far from a grant of resentencing; Michigan appellate courts have upheld post-Miller juvenile LWOP sentences where a full hearing was held.
Awaiting decision — The Court of Appeals' decision on the remanded claims — reject them and leave LWOP in place, or grant relief such as resentencing or an evidentiary hearing. The ruling is posted here, and on the board, the moment it's confirmed by two or more independent news organizations.
Sources
- Michigan Public — remand order coverage
- The Detroit News — remand order coverage
- WNEM — remand order coverage
- ClickOnDetroit — remand order coverage
Public record
- Miller hearing (day 1) — full courtroom video, Law&Crime Network (YouTube)
- Sentencing hearing — full courtroom video (YouTube)
- MI v. Ethan Crumbley — full hearing playlist (YouTube)
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