Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard says the parents of Ethan Crumbley, the 15-year-old student accused of killing four people and injuring eight others, have gone âmissing.â
The revelation comes after Oakland County Prosecuting Attorney Karen McDonald announced charges against Jennifer Crumbley and James Crumbley, the parents of the suspect.
McDonald charged each parent with four counts of involuntary manslaughter after Tuesdayâs shooting at Oxford High School.
But on Friday, Bouchard confirmed to CNN that the couple is âmissing.â
CNNâs Victor Blackwell asked the sheriff, âWhere are the Crumbleyâs?â
âAs a matter of fact, thatâs a question our detectives are working on right now,â Bouchard responded. He added that an attorney representing the parents told Law Enforcement officials that they would âmake arrangements to have them arrestedâ if charges were brought.
He continued, âWhen we were informed the prosecutor had issued charges, we sent detectives out and got a call from the lawyer from the couple saying theyâre not returning her calls or texts. So, if they think theyâre going to get away, theyâre not.â
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Blackwell asked, âSo the Crumbleys are missing now?â
âCorrect,â Bouchard said.
When asked if he is concerned that the couple is armed, he said, âYou know, anythingâs possible.â
âI would not encourage anybody to approach them. I think it would be unlikely, but weâre not going to take that chance. Weâre going to go get them,â Bouchard added.
He told Fox News on Friday, âOur detectives and fugitive apprehension team and the U.S. Marshal Service and the FBI â all of us are in concert looking for them⌠Iâm confident weâll find these two.â
The sheriff added, âWe would have liked to have been given a bit of advance notice that a warrant was coming and had set up on them or done something electronically.â
Attorneys for the parents said that they are not fleeing. Additionally, a statement said the parents left the town the night of the shooting âfor their own safetyâ and were planning to return to the area to be arraigned.
However, CNN noted they were supposed to be in court for their arraignment at 4 p.m and they had not yet returned by that time.
