Artist who helped Michigan shooting suspect's parents hide is cooperating with police

Jennifer and James Crumbley and their son, accused Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley, are being held in separate cells in the Oakland County, Michigan, jail. "No talking, no communication," Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said Saturday. "They are all three in isolation."
Ethan Crumbley, 15, was arrested Tuesday for allegedly murdering four fellow students, and his parents were arrested at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning in an art studio in Detroit after failing to show up for their arraignment. All three have pleaded not guilty. Bail for James and Jennifer Crumbley was set at $500,000 each due to the severity of their involuntary manslaughter charges and perceived flight risk.
Bouchard said Saturday that his office is looking at "potential charges for either aiding and abetting or obstruction of justice" for whoever helped James and Jennifer Crumbley flee to Detroit, sparking a state and federal manhunt. The U.S. Marshals Service released "WANTED" posters Friday night, and a tipster called in after finding their vehicle outside the commercial building.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Oakland County Undersheriff Michael McCabe confirmed Sunday that the artist whose studio the Crumbleys used, Andrzej Sikora, had contacted police Saturday morning, after their arrest, and is cooperating with law enforcement. Sikora's lawyer said his client had a "friendly relationship" with the Crumbleys but did not know they faced charges when he let them into his studio to seek safety from threats on Friday. Sikora, 65, "left in the early evening," lawyer Clarence Dass said. "He didn't even know they were still there."
Lawyers for James and Jennifer Crumbley insisted their clients were not fleeing and failed to turn themselves in Friday due to a miscommunication with prosecutors. Bouchard disputed that characterization. "I'm not going to get into the specifics, but I think where they were and how they were seems to support the position they were hiding and they weren't looking for surrendering at that point," he said.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Interest rate cut: the winners and losers
The Explainer The Bank of England's rate cut is not good news for everyone
-
Quiz of The Week: 3 – 9 May
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
The Week Unwrapped: Will robots benefit from a sense of touch?
Podcast Plus, has Donald Trump given centrism a new lease of life? And was it wrong to release the deadly film Rust?
-
Suspect charged after 11 die in Vancouver car attack
Speed Read Kai-Ji Adam Lo drove an SUV into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day festival
-
Kenya arrests alleged ant smugglers
speed read Two young Belgians have been charged for attempting to smuggle ants out of the country to exotic pet buyers
-
Judge ends Eric Adams case, Trump leverage
Speed Read Federal corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams were dismissed, as requested by Trump's Justice Department
-
Texas arrests midwife on felony abortion charges
Speed Read Maria Margarita Rojas and an employee at one of her clinics are the first to be criminally charged under Texas' near-total abortion ban
-
South Carolina to execute prisoner by firing squad
speed read Death row inmate Brad Sigmon prefers the squad over the electric chair or lethal injection, his lawyer said
-
Mexico extradites 29 cartel figures amid US tariff threat
Speed Read The extradited suspects include Rafael Caro Quintero, long sought after killing a US narcotics agent
-
Leonard Peltier released from prison
Speed Read The Native American activist convicted of killing two FBI agents had his life sentence commuted by former President Joe Biden
-
Ex-Sen. Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 years
Speed Read The former New Jersey senator was convicted on federal bribery and corruption charges last year