Watch live: Closing arguments begin in James Crumbley involuntary manslaughter trial

Both sides completed their cases Wednesday morning in the involuntary manslaughter trial of James Crumbley.

Crumbley and his wife, Jennifer, whose teenage son murdered four students and injured seven other people at Oxford High School on Nov. 30, 2021, are the first parents in America to face criminal accountability for a child's school shooting.

Jennifer Crumbley, was convicted of four counts of involuntary manslaughter last month and faces up to 15 years in prison when she's sentenced April 9. Ethan Crumbley, their son, is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Watch live and read updates through the day here.

James Crumbley affirms his choice not to testify

After the defense rested its case and the jury left the courtroom, Crumbley took an oath before the judge, acknowledging that he understood the risks and potential benefits of testifying in his case, that he discussed it extensively with his lawyer beforehand and that he understood from the beginning that he had a constitutional right no testify in his case.

Knowing all that, he told the judge: “It is my decision to remain silent.”

Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Cheryl Matthews then asked him if he had any questions of her.

“No. I don’t believe so. Thank you, your honor.”

The jury will return at 12:30 for closing arguments.

James Crumbley's sister from Florida is first defense witness

The prosecution rested in its case after briefly recalling Brett Brandon, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives. Brandon testified that he reviewed the surveillance footage from the building in Detroit where James and Jennifer Crumbley were arrested in 2021 and that he saw them walk out to their vehicle, but did not observe them leaving the location.

Defense attorney Mariell Lehman called James Crumbley’s sister, Karen Crumbley, to testify as the only defense witness.

Karen Crumbley, who lives in Florida, testified that her brother visited her in April 2021 when their mother died. She said her brother’s wife and son drove to Florida shortly afterward.

“Do you recall seeing anything concerning about your nephew?” Lehman asked.

“No,” Karen Crumbley said.

“Do you recall him saying anything concerning to you?” Lehman asked.

Karen Crumbley said no. Under questioning, she also said she did not recall any conversations with her brother where he expressed anything concerning to her about his son or shared any conversations he had with his son that were concerning to her.

She testified that if she had seen anything concerning with her nephew, she “would have addressed it and if I would have known anything I would have talked to him. … I would have took him home with me if there was any kind of inclination that anything was wrong,” and she said she also would have made her brother aware of if she had any concerns.

Under questioning by the prosecution, Karen Crumbley testified that the last time she saw her nephew before the shooting was in June 2021.

Assistant Prosecutor Marc Keast asked: “Your nephew never wrote you a note that said, ‘Help me’ did he?”

“No, sir,” Karen Crumbley testified.

“And he never drew a picture next to that note with a gun, did he?” Keast asked. She said no.

“And that would be concerning to you?” Keast asked. She said it would be.

Karen Crumbley was asked about a previous statement she made that it wouldn’t have been out of the ordinary for someone to own firearms back when everyone lived in Florida, but that getting a gun for a child would be. Wednesday she testified: “If you’re getting a gun specifically for your child to use at his leisure that would be wrong, but with adult supervision, I don’t see any problem with it.”

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Watch live: James Crumbley involuntary manslaughter trial nears end