DETROIT — The tipster who responded to the U.S. Marshals Service WANTED posters offering a $10,000 reward for help in finding and apprehending James and Jennifer Crumbley will qualify for reward money, the Detroit Free Press learned Sunday.
"My understanding, and I was talking to the sheriff and a couple of other people about that investigation, and it looks like that tip — that caller will be eligible for the reward," Detroit Police Chief James White told the Free Press.
"So I'm pretty happy about that," he said.
Federal law enforcement issued WANTED posters late Friday requesting help from the public that would "lead to the arrest of either Crumbley."
White did not know whether the tipster will receive $10,000 or as much as $20,000 -- since the tip resulted in the apprehension and arrest of both parents of the suspect in the mass shootings Nov. 30 at Oxford High School.
"I don't have all the details. It truly is Oakland's case. my understanding is it was one tip that opened the case up for us, that allowed us to make the apprehension," White said.
A multi-agency police response swarmed a century-old former auto plant at 1111 Bellevue designed by Albert Kahn in Detroit early Saturday, finding them hiding and making arrests. White announced the details of the arrest at a 3 a.m. news conference.
The two were arraigned by video on involuntary manslaughter charges later that day.
"These charges are very, very serious. There's no question about that," said Judge Julie Nicholson of 52-3 District Court in Rochester Hills. "The court does have some concern about the flight risk along with the public safety given the circumstances that occurred yesterday and the fact that the defendants did have to be apprehended in order to appear for purposes of arraignment."
She set bond for each at $500,000 cash, substantially more than the $50,000 to $100,000 the couple’s attorneys requested, but the amount prosecutors sought. Involuntary manslaughter is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
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