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The jailed parents of the Oxford school shooting suspect are asking for a reduction in their bonds. The prosecutor is filing motions contending they are flight risks. And the Mom is being outed for having an extramarital affair.

Oakland County Michigan Prosecutor Karen McDonald is on a mission to prove Ethan Crumbley’s parents are legally liable for being bad parents. And they need to stay in jail.

The bond hearing is set for Jan. 7.

Prosecutor lays out her case

Jennifer and James Crumbley’s defense attorneys asked a judge to lower their bond from $500,000 to $100,000 cash. They are claiming the couple is not dangerous and they are not going anywhere.

In Thursday’s “Response to Defendant's Motion to Modify Bond” the prosecutor lays out her case.

She claims that the parents knew that their son was depressed. His only friend moved away and his dog died. And they ignored his "troubling" texts. She also says there were plenty of other red flags but the parents ignored them.  She says they were more worried about themselves. And they didn’t get him the help he needed.  

"Their son was torturing animals, even kept a baby bird's head in a jar on his bedroom floor, which he later took and placed in a school bathroom," the prosecutor's filing states. "Meanwhile, the parents were focusing on their own issues, things like extramarital affairs, financial issues, and substance abuse."

McDonald says Ethan’s parents spent too much time at a barn caring for their horses (3 to 4 nights a week) to care for their troubled son. And she claims the fact that the Mom was having an “extramarital affair" is also relevant.

"Instead of paying attention to their son and getting him help, they bought him a gun" she alleges. And the Crumbley couple kept “his” weapon in an unlocked cupboard. And that gave him free access to that gun on Nov. 30. 

That was the day 15-year-old Ethan allegedly opened fire on his classmates at  Oxford High School.  Four students were killed. And seven others were injured. 

Killed in the shootings were Hana St. Juliana, 14; Tate Myre, 16; Madisyn Baldwin, 17, and Justin Shilling, 17.

School shooting suspect parents met with school

On November 30th the parents were meeting with counselors and their son about creepy drawings he made. The parents left him at school. And he was sent back to class with his backpack. Police later said the gun used in the shootings was in his backpack. 

According to Oxford High School officials, Ethan Crumbley claimed that his drawing of a gun and blood was only part of a video game design. And the school counselors did not believe he might harm others based on his "behavior, responses and demeanor," so they let him return to class.

McDonald claims that any parent should have known the child was at risk. 

"They knew that their son was depressed, that he was fascinated with guns ...  that he had been researching ammunition while at a school. And that he was seen watching violent videos of shootings that morning," the prosecutor wrote in her filing. "Before they left school that day, they had also seen the disturbing drawings."

"All they had to do was tell the school that they recently purchased a gun for their son, and asked him where the gun was, open his backpack, or just take him home," McDonald argued in Thursday's filing.

The defense says parents are innocent

Defense attorneys are saying the parents had no way of knowing their son would create mayhem that day.

"The Crumbleys, like every parent and community member, are devastated by the school shooting," their attorneys say in court documents.  "The last thing they expected was that a school shooting would take place, or that their son would be responsible. This situation is entirely devastating."

But the prosecution disagrees. They are arguing that a higher bond amount is more appropriate. Because the couple knowingly and negligently failed to get help for their son in time.

The defense is arguing that McDonald has filed "inappropriate" charges against these parents. And she is charging the parents " out of anger" and in "an effort to send a message to gun owners."

" Reading the words, 'Help me," with a gun, blood everywhere," McDonald said, "A parent could read those words and know that their son had access to a deadly weapon that they gave him is unconscionable, and I think criminal. It is criminal.”