Hours after the arrest of Ethan Crumbley’s parents in a warehouse in Detroit, mile from the Canadian border, Oakland County sheriff Michael Bouchard expressed doubts that they were planning an imminent surrender as their lawyers had insisted.
'Obviously finding them in a building in Detroit doesn't lend itself to cooperation,' the sheriff told DailyMail.com Saturday morning, a day after law enforcement issued a 'be on the lookout' alert for police to hunt down the 'fugitive parents' charged in connection with the Oxford High School deaths.
Their lawyers, Shannon Smith and Mariell Lehman, still insist they weren't hiding.
'We understand that our clients were apprehended last night although we fully intended to turn them in first thing this morning for arraignment, contrary to the misinformation that has been rampant in the media,' they said in a statement to DailyMail.com.
James and Jennifer Crumbley were taken into custody early Saturday morning after leading authorities on a large-scale manhunt.
The Crumbleys were captured in the basement of a building on the 1100 block of Bellevue Street in Detroit. Law enforcement sources say the couple withdrew $4,000 from an ATM before driving to their hideout.
James (left) and Jennifer Crumbley (right) were booked into the Oakland County Jail early Saturday morning after they were arrested in Detroit less than a mile from the Canadian border. The couple led authorities on a large-scale manhunt after fleeing involuntary manslaughter charges in connection with the deadly school shooting said to be perpetrated by their son
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard doubts that James and Jennifer planned to turn themselves into the police on Saturday morning as their legal team claims
James and Jennifer Crumbley were the target of a federal manhunt; US Marshals placed a $10,000 bounty on information leading to their arrest after they were charged with involuntary manslaughter on Friday
James and Jennifer were found nearly 12 hours after the 4 p.m. deadline to surrender to police.
The sheriff said he's happy the Crumbleys will finally face justice for their role in Tuesday's school shooting - the deadliest in the U.S. since 2018.
The violent attack claimed the lives of Tate Myre, 16; Hana St. Juliana, 14; Madisyn Baldwin, 17, and Justin Shilling, 17. Seven more people were injured. Three were in hospitals in stable condition.
'It was obvious they were aware he had unfettered access to this weapon,' Bouchard told DailyMail.com. 'And even more concerning that when news of this began to break about the active shooter, that they immediately thought of their son potentially as the perpetrator.'
When asked whether he thinks the parents knew in advance that the shooting was going to happen, he replied, 'I don't think it specifically means they knew it was going to happen. But they certainly knew it was something that was a possibility and something that they were aware of, certainly in light of the discussion they had the day of the shooting and when they had left him at the school.'
He noted the parents spent the night in separate cells at the county jail, pending this morning’s arraignment being conducted through a live video feed.
The sheriff noted the investigation into the attack remains open and that authorities haven't ruled out the possibility of additional charges, including against school officials for failing to report the threat, even after holding an emergency meeting with the teen and his parents the day of the shooting.
'Obviously, in hindsight, I think it's clear to everyone they should have (notified us),' he said.
'That will still be part of a lot of future investigations and proceedings, I'm sure,' he added. 'That ultimately will be a charging decision for the prosecutor based on everything we gather.'
Ethan, 15, is seen in his booking photo released by Oakland County sheriff's office and wearing a heavy suicide-prevention vest at his arraignment hearing in Pontiac on Wednesday
James, 45, (top left) and Jennifer, 43, (top center) Crumbley were each granted a $500,000 bond, which must be paid in full
Police were led to the commercial building, where the Crumbleys appeared to be hiding, by a tip from a Detroit business owner and were captured on video going inside, Detroit Police Chief James White said early Saturday morning.
Oakland County Undersheriff Michael McCabe said a woman was spotted near the vehicle and ran away when the business owner called police. White also
