Lawyer: Artist didn’t know parents stayed in studio

A Detroit-area artist whose studio was where the parents of the Oxford High School student charged in a deadly shooting were found by police is cooperating with authorities and didn’t know the couple had stayed overnight, his attorney said Sunday.

James and Jennifer Crumbley, who face involuntary manslaughter counts, were found early Saturday inside a Detroit commercial building. The couple’s attorneys have said they didn’t intend to flee, countering authorities who accused them of eluding capture for their alleged role in a school shooting that left four students dead. Their 15-year-old son, Ethan Crumbley, has been charged as an adult with murder, terrorism and other crimes.

The couple went to artist Andrzej Sikora’s studio inside the downtown building Friday morning, but the artist was unaware of the charges against the couple or that they stayed after he left for the day, according to attorney Clarence Dass. He said Sikora had a “friendly relationship”’ with the Crumbleys but declined to give details, citing an active investigation.

Dass said when the artist awoke Saturday and heard news of authorities taking the couple into custody, he voluntarily contacted authorities. Authorities had been looking for the couple since Friday afternoon.

“There was a lot of confusion and the Crumbleys went to him for safety. He didn’t know about the charges,” Dass said. “They were there in the daytime. He left in the early evening. He didn’t even know they were still there.”