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CNN International: Netanyahu: "No Force In The World" Will Stop Israeli Ground Offensive in Rafah; Gaza Civil Defense: Nearly 400 Bodies Recovered From Al Shifa; CIA Director Presented New U.S. Ceasefire Plan. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired April 09, 2024 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: Thanks so much for joining us in the CNN Newsroom this hour. I'm Erica Hill in New York.
Israel's Prime Minister promising the IDF will eliminate Hamas battalions from Rafah, as concerns mount about a pending offensive. We are live in Jerusalem. This is the scene, live pictures here of the Michigan courtroom where the parents of a teen who killed four students in a school shooting are set to be sentenced. And yet another unwanted first for the planet, new figures show last month was the hottest March on record, the impact just ahead.
Defying international pressure, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says no force in the world will stop his troops from storming Rafah to finish the job against Hamas, saying there is now a date for that invasion in southern Gaza. But, Netanyahu did not share that information. The U.S. and other nations continue to urge Israel against a ground offensive, fearing a bloodbath. Israeli troops have now withdrawn from some areas, including Khan Younis, leaving behind apocalyptic scenes of utter destruction, scenes similar to what we've seen around the Al-Shifa Hospital Complex in Gaza City. Gaza's Civil Defense says nearly 400 bodies have now been recovered from that complex following the two-week siege.
Meantime, the leaders of Jordan, France and Egypt are calling for a permanent and unconditional ceasefire and the release of all remaining hostages.
Let's get more now from Jeremy Diamond in Jerusalem. Alex Marquardt is in Washington. Jeremy, beginning with you, these comments from Netanyahu about Rafah, I know he spoke about it some more earlier today, he is clearly also or I should say the calls that we saw in this OpEd from the leaders of Jordan, France and Egypt really falling on deaf ears as Netanyahu makes it clear he is moving ahead with plans for Rafah.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. That's right. He is certainly defiant in the face of international pressure, and he is also at the same time bowing to domestic pressure that he is facing from some of those who are keeping him in power as Prime Minister, namely, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's National Security Minister, who yesterday, in the wake of Israel's major military withdrawal from southern Gaza, warned that if the war in Gaza ends without an invasion of Rafah, effectively that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would lose his governing mandate and that his government -- his governing coalition would effectively collapse.
And in the wake of that, we've seen the Israeli Prime Minister not once, not twice -- but twice reiterate his plans to go into Rafah, saying yesterday that a date has been set for such an invasion, although he didn't provide the details. It certainly seems to be more in the context of the political pressures that he is facing rather than any kind of specific operational plans. But, nonetheless, we do know that the Israeli military withdrawal from southern Gaza, in the words of the Defense Minister, is to prepare for battles to come. That could be battles in the north with Hezbollah in Lebanon or potentially to prepare for a coming military offensive in Rafah. All of that, of course, could potentially be forestalled by these negotiations to try and reach a hostage deal, but it remains very much uncertain as of now.
HILL: In terms of that hostage deal, Alex, the CIA Director Bill Burns not losing hope amid these talks. What more do we know about what he is pushing for?
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: And Erica, I do think that there has been -- there is a sense of progress after this latest round of talks in Cairo. We do know that the Director of the CIA, Bill Burns, traveled to Cairo over the weekend to meet with senior counterparts. And I think the fact that he is going, this U.S. point person on these hostages and ceasefire negotiations, really symbolizes the fact or communicates the fact that the U.S. is really trying to break this logjam here in terms of trying to find a solution for a ceasefire.
We don't know too many details, but we do know that the CIA director did put forth a new proposal, trying to move this forward, which included pushing the Israelis to release more Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli hostages. Now, the understanding that we have of this deal, that would include a six-week pause in the fighting at least, would be that 40 Israeli hostages would be released in exchange, if the parties follow through on this new U.S. proposal, 900 Palestinian prisoners. That is a higher number than has previously been reported, and many of whom are serving life sentences in Israeli prisons.
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But, Erica, there are two majors sticking points that the party seems still very far apart on. That is the question of Gazans who have fled south to the southern part of the Gaza Strip. To what extent they will be allowed to return home to the northern part of the strip in an unrestricted way? That is something that Hamas has been demanding. That is something that Israel has been resisting.
The other major question is the presence of the IDF within the Gaza Strip. Hamas wants to see the IDF pull back from positions in the central part of the Gaza Strip, in part so they can continue to -- they would be able to inspect Gazans who are going back north. That too is something that the IDF is resisting. And according to a diplomat who I spoke with, he said that the parties are still quite far off on those two major points and that those don't expect to be resolved in the coming days. So, while there does appear to be some progress, it does not appear that this deal is imminent. Erica.
HILL: All right. We'll continue to follow that. We know you'll keep us updated as well. Alex, Jeremy, thank you both.
It is an emotional precedent-setting day at this hour in a Michigan courtroom. Any moment now, well, actually later this morning, we should say, James and Jennifer Crumbley set to be sentenced for their roles in the deadly school shooting carried out by their son. This morning, they are face to face with the families of those victims. The Crumbleys, you may recall, were both found guilty on involuntary manslaughter earlier this year in the deaths of four Oxford high school students. Those are the four students who are gunned down by their son. They are the first parents ever to be charged and convicted for a role in a mass shooting carried out by their child.
Some of these victim impact statements happening now. At this moment, we are hearing from Nicole Beausoleil. She is the mother of Madisyn Baldwin. Let's listen in.
NICOLE BEAUSOLEIL, MOTHER OF MADISYN BALDWIN: While you were hiding, I was planning her funeral. And why you were running away from your son and your responsibilities? I was forced to do the worst possible thing a parent could do. I was forced to say goodbye to my Madisyn. We all see things different, some prioritize and some don't. Accountability can only be given if you are actually tried in the first place.
As a parent, we all make mistakes. This is a normal way of life. Usually, when mistakes happen, we learn from them. We try to fix it or talk it over. But, continuing to make the same mistake over and over again is no longer a mistake. It's a choice. That becomes a decision. Those decisions that you made ultimately took my daughter's life because you decided that you didn't want to parent and listen to your son. You took the right away for me to be a mother. You do not get to decide that. You do not get those privileges. You are not above anyone.
I love being a mom. It's the one thing that I'm truly great at. You cared more about your well-being than the one life that you should put above anyone, your child. And because of that, you took -- that you both took four beautiful children away from this world. Being a parent is the best -- is the part of life that you should hold to the highest level. It's an honor to be a mother or a father. Even when you think you've done your best, you continue to do more.
Unfortunately, you never made it to level one. You say you wouldn't do anything different. Well, that really says on what type of parents you are, because there is a lot of things I would do different. But, the one thing I would have wanted to be different was to take that bullet that day so she could continue to live the life she deserved. You show no remorse, no respect or compassion for our family, the same traits that you've bestowed upon your son, the traits that you have torn my family into pieces. The lack of compassion that you've shown is outright disgusting. Not only did your son kill my daughter, but you both did as well.
The words involuntary should not be a part of your inference. Everything you did that day, months prior and days after, were voluntary acts of your son to commit a murder, not just one but multiple. Shaking your head during a verdict is the utmost disrespectful thing I've ever witnessed. At that moment, you felt your life is more valuable than my daughter's. I will say that will never be true. You created a life that you took for granted. You decided that parenting wasn't a priority.
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Putting your child first should be the only priority you didn't and because of that I've lost my daughter. I had to get answers after her death. Watching the video, hearing testimony on how your son executed my daughter, watching him put the gun to her head as she covered her head and pulled the trigger, seeing pictures of her laying in her own pool of blood, knowing her body sat there for hours, that rigor mortis had already started to set in, so that when I identified her, her body was in a state I couldn't imagine. Hearing her sister scream over and over again, night after night, watching her family and her friends fall apart, you created all of this. You created your son's life, which then allowed this to be his path, which should be yours as well.
You don't get to look away. You don't get to cry. I didn't get that choice. You failed as parents. The punishment that you face will never be enough. It will never bring her back. It will never be a loss that you have suffered and you will never be able to feel the pain, because one day you're going to be able to see your son visit, hear his voice, possibly laugh, maybe see him grow, I will never see that again. The cause -- the so-called loss that you say you have suffered doesn't even compare to the loss of a child.
Your Honor, I request that the maximum sentence be enforced as it will never come close to the life sentence I was given, the life sentence that I didn't ask for but a choice that was made for me, a life that I will suffer because of their negligence. Thank you.
JUDGE CHERYL MATTHEWS, OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN: Good morning. Can you tell me your name?
JILL SOAVE, MOTHER OF JUSTIN SHILLING: Yes. Jill Soave. Yes. Thank you, Honorable Judge Cheryl Matthews, for your time on this case. I know it hasn't been easy on both. Thank you also to Karen McDonald and the entire prosecution team. We appreciate your efforts.
Your Honor, my trauma and devastation is hard to put towards what I have done so in my letter to you. I would also like to mention Justin's brothers Nathan and Clay, they are now forced to live a life without their beloved middle brother Justin. My son Justin was the least deserving of his fate. He was the best son that any mother could pray for. Justin was brave, spending his final moments protecting a fellow student. He was hard working, a lettered athlete, a top honors student. He was kind and inclusive to all. He was full of love and joy. His future was so very bright and full of possibilities. His passing has touched so many family members, friends, students and the community in general. The ripple effects of both James and Jennifer's failures to act have devastated us all.
This tragedy was completely preventable if only they had done something, Your Honor, anything, to shift the course of events on November 30th that our four angels would be here today, and Justin would be getting ready to celebrate his 20th birthday on the 18th of this month. If only, your honor, they had taken their son to get counseling instead of buying him a gun, if only they had secured that gun, if only they had spoken up that day in the counseling office, if only they had checked his backpack, and if only they had taken him home or taking them to counseling instead of abandoning him at that school, I wouldn't be standing here today. Your honor, I don't know what's in their hearts. I'm not a mind reader.
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But, I only know the facts of this case and the facts of this case, both cases, have been deeply disturbing.
What I would like to share with the shooter's parents is an example of what love looks like between a mother and her son. This is what Justin wrote to me on one of the last birthdays that we celebrated together. Dear mom, words cannot describe how thankful I am for you. You have been nothing but an amazing mother for as long as I can remember. Thank you for being a role model. Thank you for showing me what it's like to never give up. You inspire me to do better each and every day. I love you so much. Love, Justin.
It is devastating and heartbreaking that it doesn't appear that either of you cherished or even wanted your son. But, I wholeheartedly wanted and cherished mine. You have failed your son and you have failed us all. This failure had deadly consequences that can never be undone, that can never be made right. I am asking, your honor, for the maximum sentence allowed. Thank you.
HILL: And you were listening there to the mother of Justin Schilling, who was also 17 when he was gunned down at his high school. We are waiting this hour for the sentencing of the parents of that shooter --
CRAIG SHILLING, FATHER OF JUSTIN SHILLING: Good morning. Craig Schilling.
HILL: -- who were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
SHILLING: So, Honorable Judge Matthews, for the second time in six months, I find myself standing in front of a packed courtroom, a victim. This time, I'm here to address a different judge and the parents of the deeply disturbed teenager that murdered my son. This is my opportunity to try to describe just how much the horrific event that took place back on November 30, 2021, has impacted my life. It's my belief that an impact statement should not just describe how this particular event impacted me. I feel that it should also be impactful towards all who here. And in your case, Judge, I hope these words impact you in a way that influence your decisions here today.
As I look around, and all the lawyers, police officers, media folks and other victims, I can't help but ask myself, what could I possibly say that this whole scenario doesn't already say? This is my stop. Most people will never have to make a victim impact statement throughout the course of their lives. And the fact that the victims speaking here today are doing so for the second time in six months should speak volumes in and of itself. This is not normal. Living a life like this is not normal.
So, how does it affect a normal guy? To be completely honest with you, it remains a rather difficult and uncomfortable question to answer. In my previous impact statement, I've expressed many of my day-to-day struggles from uncontrolled emotional outbreaks to sleepless nights to not being able to focus on the normal daily tasks. Yeah. It's fair to say that I live every day with pain, anger, heart ache, regret, anxiety, stress, you name it. They are all there wreaking havoc in my once normal life. I say that time heals all wounds. Well, we're coming up on two and a half years now, and I can assure you that the wounds are still as fresh as they were on that tragic day.
With but this hole that has been left in my life (TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY) raised children and tried to set myself up for some peace and quiet in the golden years of life. But, the unthinkable has happened. And that peace and quiet I've worked so hard for may never come to be, at least not the degree that I've always imagined it. Literally, every single aspect of my life has been affected by this tragedy. And I could spend a long time describing in detail just how it has impacted me. But, it seems like it would be way easier for me to just tell you how this tragedy has an impact because there is something enlightening on that list.
Now that the verdict is out on this monumental case, I feel strongly that it has caught the attention of most parents across the country.
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The overwhelming facts in this case were all that was necessary to prove that James and Jennifer Crumbley not only neglected their son by failing to get the necessary medical care that was clearly needed, also provided him the very tools necessary to carry out those heinous acts of violence. It was these very facts that allowed not just one but two full juries to find both of them guilty of involuntary manslaughter. I will always maintain the opinion that the facts that were presented in these cases were strong enough to convince any jury of their guilt, and that the verdict (inaudible) the same regardless of where the trial has come.
I had maintained throughout the course of the past couple years, being the parent of a murdered child, tends to cause you to seek out the maximum penalties, allow for each guilty verdict derived from any other criminal charges. I think the stance is completely justified, and would be so for any parent, and this was in the same position as mine. However, this is a court of law where a person is innocent until proven guilty, and the defendant has the right to dispute the facts of the charges against them. And that being said, during the course of both of these trials, I did
my best to capture every word and process all the facts. This is important, because there is value in these facts, not just in the thousands and thousands of man hours invested in gathering, processing and organizing the evidence, but also for being able to use that evidence to establish the cold, hard truth of a tragic situation that James and Jennifer Crumbley failed in their parental responsibilities as they pertain to the shooter towards their son.
The cold truth that shows that they did nothing to address the obvious signs of a deteriorating mental state of mind clearly present with their son, and, of course, a very hard truth that shows that they provided their son with exactly what he wanted to do and to what he did, and failed miserably secure.
One would probably think that in order for something like this or something of this magnitude to even happen at all, there would have to be a ton of things that went wrong. Although there were some things that definitely went wrong that day, or several of those things, I believe that if they had been handled correctly, we wouldn't be here right now. And James and Jennifer Crumbley carry the bulk of the responsibility to be able to handle those things.
During their trials, the overall similarities between the two were evident. And I believe this is why they were able to convey numerous facts that were the same for both trials, showed clearly that the parents failed their son, and ultimately the entire community. With Jennifer, the thing that resonated most, unless she stays in that even knowing what she knew now, she'd still wouldn't have changed the things. I almost died when she said that. Four precious lives were lost at the hands of her son by the means -- by means that she helped provide.
She saw the drawing of murder drawn with the hands of her son. She sat and heard the requests of the counselor and did nothing. And she still stays or says that she wouldn't have changed a thing. I just don't understand how someone can be that heartless to make a statement like that. The blood of our children is on your hands to do. This is one reason why I feel that Jennifer should receive the maximum amount for her sentence. The facts presented should be all (inaudible). With her distinct lack of remorse and overall unethical understanding of the tragedy, I feel that the maximum amount of time available is needed for her to be able to fully comprehend the gravity for action and the lack thereof.
With James, there were a couple of things that jumped out at me in particular, but one thing that is the hardest to digest is the fact that when the verdict was being read, he sat there and shook his head in total disagreement, as if to suggest that the jury was wrong and that there were no grounds for a guilty verdict. I was dumbfounded to see him shake his head with such disbelief, an action that only suggests that he truly believed he did nothing wrong. How could you possibly think that? Four precious lives were lost at the hands of your son by means that he helped provide.
[11:20:00] He saw the drawing of the murder drawn with the hands of his son. He sat and heard the requests of the counselor and did nothing. I just don't understand how someone console arrogantly (inaudible) full of self-pity without being able to say one thing to justify. The blood of our children is on your hands too. This is one reason why I feel James should receive the maximum amount for his sentence. The facts presented should be all the others that you need. With this distinct lack of remorse and overall unethical understanding of the tragedy, I feel that the maximum amount of time available is needed for him to be able to fully comprehend the gravity of their actions and the lack thereof.
Throughout the course of all of this, and I'm talking way back in the beginning, I just can't get over the fact that this tragedy was completely avoidable. There were some pretty obvious signs that were completely overlooked. And the bulk of the responsibilities to address those signs lie on the parents, and they failed, across the board, failed. They willfully ignored the cries of their child and selfishly put themselves before helping him. This type of blatant disregard is undeniably unacceptable, is the large reason why the events on that day were able or were allowed to happen, and another reason why I feel they both need the maximum amount of time available to be able to fully comprehend the clarity of their actions and the lack thereof.
We all know that having children is as a big responsibility. Although extremely rewarding, it starts out pretty scary. I mean, let's face it. They don't exactly come with instructions. There is no mean fun. And unfortunately, no pause or rewind buttons either. Oh, yeah. And there are times in the beginning that we raise now. We still want that responsibility, even though it's not very clear what it all intends. But, how can we accept that responsibility and not act responsibly towards that child? It doesn't (inaudible) up.
A child, even if she is an easy child, deserves the same amount of love, compassion and compare that every other child gets. A child deserves someone who is confident enough to lead by example, because let's face it. It wasn't that child's choice to come into the portal. You made them. And it's your responsibility to teach them how to live. It's your responsibility to set a good example. It's painting simple, just like that. And the sooner we can figure out -- figure that out, the better we ought to be. Being a parent is hard work. But, if it's done correctly, it can be the most rewarding work you've ever done. There is no one that can tell you how to do it, because each child is so precious and unique. I mean, there is no other one like them in the entire world, and that says a lot.
So, cherish to your one and only, and never give them up. Never give up on them. The results of doing so can be catastrophic and can affect the lives of so many other people. Well, I ask you all to go home today and hug your kids and make sure they know you are there for them, and make sure that they are all right. It's so crucial for the whole of our society. Thank you.
MATTHEWS: Thank you, Mr. Shilling.
Reina, right? REINA ST. JULIANA, SISTER OF HANA ST. JULIANA: Yeah. Our 10-year-old little brother had to learn how to write a eulogy for his sister before he learned how to write essays. November 30, 2021, all our parents did was send us off to school. Yet, the next time they see Hana is to recognize her lifeless body in the medical examiner's office. I met up with Hana and her friend during school that day. When we split ways to go back to class, I just looked back and smiled. I didn't say goodbye. I never got to say goodbye. And I forgot to remind her that I loved her, that she is my everything, the person I want to walk through life with side by side.
I thought her feature was given. Of course, she played her first high school basketball game that night, get ready for all the other school dances, have her JV and varsity season for all the sports she played, get her driver's license, play lacrosse season, have a first date, prom graduation, she never got a chance for any of that.
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She didn't even get her 15th, 16th, 17th, or 18th birthday. These are only some of the high school experiences she never got to have, but it is absolutely nothing compared to the rest of everything she had going for a future. That list is eternal. Hana's life had only started to begin. 12:51 p.m., November 30, 2021, that was a moment I became aware of the fragility of her mortality. Hana was healthy. Hana, who was only, shot four times. 12.5 percent of the bullets shot that day were at her. She took her last breath in her own full of blood in a school she hadn't even been in for three months. Alone for seven minutes while police passed by her, leading out as a security guard failed to put a tourniquet on her, dying as EMS took more than 10 minutes after the shooter had been detained to even give aid to her.
Our Japanese grandma would often worry about anything bad happening to us because she knew how dangerous it is here compared to Japan. She told me on FaceTime that Hana would respond to laugh, saying, don't worry, I'm a fast runner. I will outrun them. It wasn't possible for Hana to outrun the bullet spot by you, Jennifer Crumbley, which were fired by the nine millimeter Sig Sauer that you, James, gifted to your son, both used to murder Hana, Justin, Tate, and Madisyn.
The fact is, no matter what you try to make yourself believe, Jennifer, you did feel as a parent, both of you, to love and to be loved. That is the human experience. It was up to you guys to show your son that. Instead of getting quality time and compassion, you gift your son a gun, a gun you knew caused extraordinary damage. There is a reason your kid didn't use the other two firearms or the .22 ammunition you own. I believe your actions cannot even be confined into the word failure. Your mistakes created an everlasting nightmare. So, yes, you are still a danger to society, because even after serving two years, you have yet to admit to your wrongdoings. And we know that when we've not learned from our mistakes, we repeat history.
You call yourself a victim. The difference between you and Hana, Justin, Tate and Madisyn, you and my family, you and all the students there that day, is that we didn't have a hand in causing this. You caused the most cruel thing I could ever imagine. You guys made loving Hana so painful. That is not a narrative. That is reality. For that, unless you have a time machine or the ability to stop time, there is no existing punishment or rehabilitation that will ever be enough, because there is no way that the one life I have, I now have to live without Hana, my little sister, my best friend, my other half. To me, that makes the maximum sentence being 15 years too short. Hana didn't even have 15 years to live.
Jennifer, you still -- even after knowing everything you know now, you wouldn't do anything different. I cannot fathom that. I would do anything to hear her footsteps coming up the stairs. You don't have to roll your eyes. It's on video that she said that. It's not having an empty seat at the dining table to have her come into my room and ask which clothes to order, to see her napping on the couch, to laugh and share a look when we accidentally say the same thing at the same time.
There is not a day that goes by that I wish I hadn't run out of that building. If I knew what I know now, I would do everything differently in a heartbeat. I hope time makes you think differently. One day, I hope you would have chosen to care for your son, teach him how to love and to be loved, that you would not choose to buy the bullets that enter children's bodies, that you would not choose to omit irrelevant important information to the counselor Shawn Hopkins and Dean of Students Nicholas Ejak that could help her incompetent brains and once you bring self to decide to act and search the backpack, that you wouldn't still choose to hide from accountability when you're the reason we had to hide for our lives, that you would choose to save Hana, Justin, Tate and Madisyn.
Like my mother said, both of you should implore that even on your worst days it's the tomorrow Hana doesn't get, that tomorrow she wanted to live so badly that tomorrow that she should have. I can never do Hana justice when talking about her. She is all I want to talk about, and yet I would need a lifetime and still wouldn't have the right words to capture incandescence, humor and thoughtfulness, kindness or loyalty. She is always there for you, helping without a second thought. She is always sharing, whether it's her smile, her food, her clothes, her crafts, her joy. She is funny. It's a given she brings people together. Whether it's your contagious laughter or sarcastic wit, you will be laughing right along with her.
She is noticing the small things, new shoes, new haircut, cute jewelry, but even more importantly, she makes you feel seen.
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She is extremely spirited. Her energy is unmatched on or off the court. She dresses up every holiday, every spirit day, the first one to put up Christmas lights, or anything else for that matter, not even realizing she was a light for so many others. She is the one who would not only playfully roll her eyes and smile when I would say I'm taller than her as I look up to her. Not only did I look up to her physically, because, yes, she was taller, but as a whole, as a human being. She isn't perfect, but she is Hana. And to me, that's as close as you can get.
I can't convey what losing Hana done to me, I'm not sure with every breath I take. I think going forward, without her, something I'll never be able to fully navigate. I believe the word sad is inappropriate to use because it does nothing to capture the hurt or the way my soul has shattered. I didn't know -- I've never felt every atom of my body igniting from anger until Hana was murdered. I didn't know what it was like to want to stop waking up in the morning until she wasn't here. I have never known pain that is forever until seeing Hana in a casket. I didn't know it was possible to feel so isolated even when you're surrounded by people.
I didn't know how it feels not knowing yourself at all. I have no idea who I am without Hana. She is my happy. She is my home. I look for Hana in everyone I meet, every place I go, and it's exhausting when I'm met with disappointment every time. But, it's the world. It's all the people she would have met. I agree for them to. To have that chance of Hana being in your life taken away from you is a tragedy in and of itself. She is more of a person than you two combined times a trillion, could ever even hope to be. But, when the day comes that you reenter society in 13 years, I hope you live more like Hana.
I hope you live every moment to the fullest like Hana. I hope you laugh every day like Hana, and I hope you love unconditionally like Hana. That's it.
MATTHEWS: Thank you, Reina.
STEVE ST. JULIANA, FATHER OF HANA ST. JULIANA: Thank you.
I find myself in a rather odd state of mind today, rather emotionally blank right now. Part of that is having to do this again. Part of that is I'm mostly a private person. And the idea of having to pour my heart out again is irritating. And I can't match the eloquent words that have come before me in the previous impact statements. So, I'll limit my words today.
The defendants, through their choices, through their indifference in gross negligence, enabled the son -- their son to murder my daughter, Hana, and three other children. They chose to stay quiet. They chose to ignore the warning signs. And now, as we've heard through all of the objections, they continue to choose to blame everyone but themselves. Every single objection I think that the council said this morning put the blame somewhere else, their son, not them.
I stood before the court several months ago and spoke about the impact that Hana's murder had on myself and my family. Nothing has changed since then. It's impossible for me to truly convey the complete impact of my daughter's loss. Hana's murder has destroyed a large portion of my very soul. I've said these words before. It's still the truth. I remain a shell of the person that I used to be. I think of her and miss her constantly. Every day is a battle to attempt to move forward, struggled to get out of bed to go through the motions of everyday life, simple everyday sights and actions bring pain, is I think what it should have been with Hana there with us.
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I think of all the good times that we've shared together as a family and more on all the memories that will never be. I will never think back fondly on her high school and college graduations. I will never walk her down the aisle. As she begins the journey of starting her own family, I am forever denied the chance to hold her or her future children in my arms.
A few words describing Hana can in no way fully capture her truly beautiful, caring soul, or in part her unlimited potential. Hana was absolutely beautiful and thoughtful person. She was always the first person to notice when someone had a problem, and the first to go out of her way to offer help. She was incredibly curious and talented. She continually tried new things. She crafted homemade jewelry, tried cooking her own recipes, and played several sports. She was a record holder in track, and a leader of her school volleyball and basketball teams. She also hoped to join her older sister on the lacrosse team in the spring. She had aspirations of her career dedicated to helping people. All of this is lost because of the defendants' actions and choices.
My position regarding the defendants' sentencing and their future has evolved through their trials. At first, I was focused on the importance of getting a guilty verdict, to have the message conveyed to the public that this type of behavior and choices are not acceptable. I didn't have strong feelings about their sentencing. It was just something that would be determined by the system. My view, however, has changed as the defendants' level of defiance has grown. Instead of acknowledging any mistakes, they continue to show no remorse. They take no accountability. They and their lawyers continue to try to change the narrative and portray the defendants as victims of the prosecution team. They blame everyone but themselves, and make threats of retribution.
The facts have already been presented. The jury has found them guilty. Multiple juries have found them guilty. Hana, Madisyn, Kate and Justin are the ones who have lost everything, not the defendants. As such, I ask this court to sentence the defendants to the maximum allowable penalty of 10 to 15 years in prison. Thank you.
MATTHEWS: Thank you, Steve St. Juliana.
Mr. Myre.
BUCK MYRE, FATHER OF SHOOTING VICTIM TATE MYRE: Tate Myre's dad. First of all, Mark, Karen, the whole team, strong work. Everybody said you couldn't do it and you did it.
For our family, it's not time to celebrate. This tragedy has taken an incredible toll on our family. So, our family is not going to give the Crumbley family a second of our time up here. It's time to turn our focus now. This is the low-hanging fruit. Now, it's time to turn our focus to Oxford schools, who played a role in this tragedy.
I hear this morning when we listened to all the objections, you can hear Sharon talking about protecting the criminal's civil rights, constitutional rights.
[11:45:00] Where is my rights being protected? I fight for everybody in this room. My rights aren't being protected. Criminal's rights are more important than our rights, my rights. We are ready for our government to perform an investigation on this tragedy. Many don't know that our government has not investigated this murder, a pre-shooting investigation, a day of the shooting investigation, and a deep dive investigation into the horrible response to this tragedy, the disrespect shown to us, families, the simple things like trauma training for somebody like a Sheriff Bouchard, who we got to talk to on the day that we got to go identify tape, and he referred to take it as a girl because he was too busy that night, working to cover-up, cover it up instead of learning what every -- about every kid, Tate, Hana, Justin and Madisyn.
It's time for the whole truth to come out. It's time to learn from this, from the purchase of the gun to the response. That's when real change happens, is when we can look at something and we can evaluate it. Apply lessons learned. That's when real change happens. Is Hana St. Juliana's family ready for the truth? Justin Shilling's family ready to hear the truth? Nicole Baldwin's family ready to hear the truth? Tate Myre's family is ready to hear the truth. Quit denying us that. It's time to drive real change from this tragedy.
MATTHEWS: Thank you, Mr. Myre.
(CROSSTALK)
HILL: So, you've been watching and listening to the victim impact statements from the families of the four teenagers, the four high school students who were gunned down. The parents of that shooter, who was 15 at the time, are set to be sentenced today. Both were found guilty of four counts of involuntary manslaughter.
I want to bring in Areva Martin, a Civil Rights Attorney, CNN Legal Analyst, joining me now from Los Angeles.
Areva, as you listen to these heartbreaking statements from each one of the families talking about their children's lives, they were teenagers, Madisyn Baldwin, Justin Schilling, 17-years-old, Tate Myre 16, Hana St. Juliana, 14, when they were killed. It is emotional, understandably. They are pointing out this is the second time in a matter of months that they have been making these statements. How much impact will their statements have on this judge as the sentencing is decided?
AREVA MARTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, Erica, you are absolutely correct. These statements have been so powerful. They've been so emotional, and they've been so raw. Listening to Hana's sister, I think that was one of the statements that moved me the most. Here is a young woman, a young girl, really, talking about the loss of her sister and what it means for her life, and really admonishing the defendants taking them to task with statements they've made and for the conduct of their attorneys.
HILL: Areva, I'm just going to pause you for one moment. We're going to listen in right now to Jennifer Crumbley, and then stay with us on the other side.
JENNIFER CRUMBLEY, MOTHER OF SCHOOL SHOOTER: For those of you who understand, no explanation is needed. And for those of us who do not know, no description is possible. I've taken countless nights to lament over the anguish and shame I carry. (Inaudible) the hard he caused to innocent lives, to the families and to the entire community. I pray also victims are reminded of God's mercy and peace and that he heals your broken spirits.
When I was on the stand, I was asked if I would have done any things different. I was horrified to learn my answer I would not have unless completely misunderstood. That answer is true because my son did seem so normal. I didn't have a reason to do anything different.
[11:50:00]
This was not something I foresaw. That was the intention of my answer and how I interpreted the question. With the benefit of hindsight and information I have now, my answer would be drastically different. And if I even thought my son was capable of crimes like these, things would have been different, even worse, when I learned during the police investigation that he had been planning a school shooting before November 3. He was not the son I woke up that he was not the son I knew when I woke up on November 30. The Ethan I knew I was a good (inaudible) kid. He loved his pets, family vacations. My husband and I used to say we have the perfect kid. I truly believe that, and that's where I saw him falling.
As the details are emerging during discovery, I was horrified to learn concerning behaviors my son was recorded doing at school, refused to take a makeup test. He told us he took sleeping in class, drawing pictures of guns on his assignments, writing quote "My family is a mistake." Watching a video in class of a mass shooting that fatal day along with internal communications that took place between his teachers and counselor Mr. Hopkins, that he is quote "On my radar." He seems to be having a rough time. It was never disclosed to us, his parents.
The school claimed this was not abnormal behavior because of the pandemic, and acts are being in a quote "gun community". To say I was curious to learn this information is an understatement. This is not normal behavior to us, and very different than what Ethan was to believe was happening at school. Not only were you left in the dark about previous concerning behavior, but in the counselor's office that morning, none of those previous issues were brought to our attention. I can't stop thinking how they have been. The conversation that morning would have been much different, that we would have taken a deep dive into what's really been going on with my son.
I wonder it happens in Ejak. I have those same regrets too. Instead, we were led to believe not only from happenings in Ejak, but from Ethan as well, as this was an isolated event. We felt confident in trusting the professionals' advice to let him stay in school that day. Quote "He did not -- he does not pose a threat to himself or others." It was suggested that him being around here would probably be good. We agree. We were never asked to take him home that day. If that was discussed as the best course of action, we would have obliged. The prosecution keeps saying we didn't give them the big picture that morning in the counselor's office. But, what they fail to acknowledge is a bigger picture the school did not give us.
I'm not the same person I was prior to November 30, 2021. This tragedy has changed who I am, and has taught me some very valuable lessons. It's said, in suffering, we gain wisdom. I've also gained God. In the quiet hours of myself, I pray to him about the deep impact this tragedy has had on the families and the endless pain no one should ever have to feel, for his god who holds a true understanding of their pain. I've also learned to depend on him for peace and strength. Alone, I'm not strong enough.
I've learned that we cannot tell or predict what will happen to us in this life. One day, you wake up and everything can change. And we can, however, decide what happens in us, how we take it, what we do with it, and that's what really matters in the end. That's the test of living is how we take the unimaginable, the tragedies through our hardships, and make them a thing of work and beauty. I've also learned a thing to never think this could not happen to you, a stereotype that bad kids come from bad parents.
The prosecution has tried to mold us into the type of parents society wants to believe, are so horrible, only a school or mass shooter could be grabbed from. This is a very horrible assumption to have. We were good parents. We were the average family. We weren't perfect, but we loved our son and each other tremendously. Everything we strive for was to make sure our son had the best life we could give him to grow up with traditions and experiences we had to be the best person he could be. I know we did our best. The love I have for our son mixed with regret for not seeing what was ahead weighs heavily on me.
[11:55:00]
My point is, this could be any parent here in my shop, here in my shoes, even could be your child, to be your grandchild, your niece, your nephew, your brother, your sister, your child to make a fatal decision, not just with the gun, but a knife, a vehicle, intentionally or unintentionally. If there is anything the general public can take away from this, is that this could happen to you too. The tragedy has taught me the true meaning of unconditional love, as they watch my parents still love and care for me wholeheartedly, no matter what has happened. If there is nothing else I can do right in life, I used to love myself unconditionally and perhaps that was my purpose.
Your Honor, I don't envy the decision you have to make today. I understand this is a novel case and punishment expectations are high, not just from the prosecution, but from all those affected as well. The heartbreaking journey these families have endured -- I had to back up. I missed my most important. And most valuable piece of wisdom I gained is the power of forgiveness, to forgive the prosecution for the slander and hate that gets on me and my husband.
Ms. McDonald and Mr. Keith (ph), I have hated you with deep anger. But, hate is too heavy of a cross to carry. I need to be set free of that burden and recognize that you are people just like me, imperfect. The child of God. I know he wants good things to happen to you, and in any conflict, whatever the circumstances, he is there looking both sides, to the victims and the families.
I stand today not to ask for your forgiveness as I know it may be beyond reach, but to express my sincerest apologies for the pain that has been caused. Your Honor, I don't envy you and the decision you have to make today. I understand the punishment expectations are high from all sides. This heartbreaking journey the families have endured is more than anyone should have to bear acknowledgments hold up. My time in confinement has been filled with deep remorse, regret and grief over this tragedy. I have taken this one day at a time trying to survive, navigate and cope, with the endless heartache pain and grief I feel for the families of Hana, Justin, Madisyn and Tate.
I've also lost myself over my son's wrongdoing. I've been distracted by the public opinion on me, shamed as a horrible parent, pained to be a terrible person. But, the worst (inaudible) is my own self-judgment, remorse and deep regret. I've been criticized I don't show emotion, and I'm sympathetic. I don't cry enough. But alone, I grieve. And if you were to look into me internally, you'd find like that on the inside. I will be in my own internal person for the rest of my life.
Your honor, I asked you to take consideration that I have been locked in his cell 23 hours a day, essentially in solitary confinement for over 28 months, and that the court finds a fair jail sentence for me.
(Inaudible)
SHANNON SMITH, JENNIFER CRUMBLEY'S ATTORNEY: Yes. Sure. Thank you. Your Honor, as I pointed out in my sentencing memo, this was a no in case, walking -- when we walked in the door, there is -- there are no winners here. Every single person just wants to be straight. And there is also no limit on the amount of sadness, grief and horrific emotions that are felt across the board in this case. And when Ms. -- Mrs. Crumbley does express remorse -- I'm sorry, when she expresses sadness, there is a tendency and there has been a tendency for people to say she is shifting from sadness to the victims and putting it on herself. She is there. Even a person in abundance of sadness, there is enough sadness to go around for all of the victims, for Mrs. Crumbley, for everyone involved in this case.
It's not surprising that the victims have come in and obviously want the maximum sentence. There has been a narrative throughout this case that they believe is true. And this court knows that there is other information that was not a part of this case. And I believe this court knows the defense was hugely hamstrung and I think the court was pained at times to know what to do. I'm talking about not being able to call the medical professionals, not being able to call the shooter to the stands, not being able to cross-examine on various pieces of evidence.
(CROSSTALK)
SMITH: Well, all of those are obviously issues, but there were things that can struggle in defense.
