GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The former Kentwood Public Schools employee accused of raping a teenage girl and named as a person of interest in her murder was previously accused of attempted sexual assault and kidnapping when he was a juvenile, court records show.

Earlier this week, a judge ordered Quinn James to stand trial for the rape of 16-year-old East Kentwood High School student Mujey Dumbuya. She went missing Jan. 24, and her body was found four days later in a wooded area in Kalamazoo.

On Thursday, Kalamazoo investigators told 24 Hour News 8 they are making progress in her murder investigation, but wouldn’t comment on what evidence they have uncovered.

For the first time, 24 Hour News 8 is getting a look at James’ juvenile record. It shows a progression of violence that led to a probate judge approving a request to remove him from a juvenile facility and instead remand him to the Kent County Jail before his 16th birthday.

Those court records lay out the following timeline, beginning when now 42-year-old James had recently turned 14:

  • July 5, 1989: Accused of stealing a car in Grand Rapids;
  • July 26, 1989: Accused of stealing a car in Grand Rapids;
  • July 31, 1989: Took possession of a stolen car and stole gas from a Grand Rapids Meijer;
  • Aug. 6, 1989: Took possession of a stolen car while breaking curfew in Grand Rapids;
  • Sept. 21, 1989: Used a hammer in an armed robbery of a car from a Grand Rapids woman who he also was charged with attempting to rape;
  • Sept. 24, 1989: Tried to disguise himself to a Kalamazoo officer who was attempting to transfer him back to Kent County;
  • Nov. 10, 1989: Went AWOL from the Kent County Youth Camp in Gowen;
  • Nov. 27, 1989: Charged with stealing a car in Grand Rapids;
  • Nov. 29, 1989: Arrested by GRPD for being in a stolen car;
  • Dec. 4, 1989: Returned to the youth camp;
  • Dec. 14-22, 1989: Removed from the youth camp for being aggressive and defiant;
  • Dec. 22, 1989: Returned to the youth camp;
  • Dec. 23, 1989: Went AWOL again by stealing a car, wallet and diamond ring from the youth camp;
  • Oct. 14, 1990: Used a tire iron in an armed robbery of a car from a Grand Rapids woman who he also attempted to kidnap;
  • Feb. 8, 1991: Resisted and obstructed a Kent County detective at Woodland Mall; and
  • April 2, 1991: A Kent County probate judge ordered he be treated as an adult and remanded to jail.

The documents do not offer much detail about each allegation, nor do they detail the specific outcomes of each case.

Most of the police notes that are included are illegible, but one written in August 1989 stated family members contacted by police declined to take James from police custody after he broke curfew.

James was sent to prison in April 1991 after pleading guilty to felony armed robbery. Then in 2003, he was charged with two counts of felony possession of a weapon as a prisoner.

The Michigan Department of Corrections confirmed James was released from prison in March 2011. 

Later that year, he was hired by Kentwood Public Schools as a groundskeeper. In 2014, he kept his job after being accused of stealing items from a girls’ locker room.

He’s also facing charges in a separate rape case from 2014.

Friday afternoon, 24 Hour News 8 asked Kentwood Public Schools Superintendent Michael Zoerhoff if they had access to James’ juvenile record when he was a perspective employee.

Zoerhoff responded with the following statement in an email:

“You are correct, we do not have access to any juvenile records and were not aware of those juvenile details.  Also, you are probably aware that we are not able to discuss criminal background checks due to state laws, including MCL 380.1230a, which prohibit school officials from disclosing the results of a criminal background check.”

The statement goes on to read:

“As already reported in the media, Mr. Quinn James was hired as a substitute grounds keeper in 2011.  During the hiring process, the district did the required background check and was aware of his past criminal record. He was hired because he met the position qualifications and there were strong recommendations from respected community members. The district does background checks on every person employed. When considering a background check where there is any type of criminal record, the district considers the conviction coupled with the age at which it occurred… To answer your other question, yes the Board of Education is currently reviewing its hiring policies and practices. While this review is still on going, we have also been gathering input from the Kentwood community through personal meetings, phone calls and survey results.  As is our normal practice, (like many other districts), we are approaching the time of year when the recommended Spring changes from NEOLA arrive and we will be following through on all those recommendations accordingly.”