GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Oxford school shooter will appear in court Wednesday for a hearing that could determine the rest of his life.
A judge is expected to decide whether or not Ethan Crumbley will spend life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Crumbley has already pleaded guilty to several charges, including four counts of first degree murder.
His attorneys will try and argue that his upbringing and mental health issues should be considered before sentencing. The prosecution will need to prove life without parole is the appropriate punishment for Crumbley's crimes.
Wednesday's hearing is called a Miller hearing, which comes after a U.S. Supreme Court decision that ruled mandatory life sentences without parole for people 18 and younger violate the Eighth Amendment.
Crumbley was 15 at the time of the shooting that killed four of his classmates and injured seven others.
Survivors and their family members say they believe Crumbley deserves to spend the rest of his life behind bars.
"The way he acted and decided to play it out was calculated. I do certainly believe he has the ability to do that again in the future," said survivor Phoebe Arthur.
"No matter how old he is, he made adult decisions and needs to suffer adult consequences. He murdered four people and tried to murder my daughter. He doesn't deserve a free minute," said Sandra Arthur, Phoebe's mother.
The hearing is expected to last a few days. The judge will hear from both sides before reviewing the case followed by a separate sentencing hearing.
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