Crime · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Caleb Flynn Convicted Of Murdering Wife Ashley Flynn In Troy, Ohio
Flynn found guilty on nine counts, including aggravated murder and three counts of murder. He fatally shot Ashley Flynn in their Troy, Ohio home and staged a home invasion.
Jury deliberation time.
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ABC News
“The jury deliberated for nearly 2 1/2 hours before reaching a verdict Tuesday afternoon”Read the original ↗
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Verdict in Tipp City
Caleb Flynn, a former "American Idol" contestant and pastor, was found guilty of murdering his wife, Ashley Flynn, after a jury returned verdicts on Tuesday afternoon in Miami County Court of Common Pleas in Troy, Ohio.
“The jury deliberated for nearly 2 1/2 hours before reaching a verdict Tuesday afternoon, finding him guilty of all charges.”
The jury found Flynn guilty of all charges, including aggravated murder and multiple counts of murder, and the judge revoked his bond and set sentencing for Oct. 5.
Prosecutors said Flynn fatally shot Ashley Flynn twice in the back of the head while she slept at their Ohio home on 16 February, then tried to claim that intruders had shot her.
Prosecuting Attorney Paul Watkins thanked the jury "for their dedication to justice in this case," and Watkins said, "It's time for the community, the media, and everyone else to turn their focus onto Ashley."
Defense attorney Patrick Mulligan told reporters outside the courthouse, "While we respect the system, certainly we're disappointed," and he said they expect a notice of appeal to be filed.
Texts, mistress, and motive
Alleigha Botner testified that she and Flynn were having an affair at the time of Ashley Flynn's killing, and Botner said she now hates Flynn "because I believe that he murdered his wife." Botner told the court that Flynn wrote, "I want to kill her, Caleb," and Flynn replied, "That makes two of us." Prosecutors used evidence including police body camera footage and activity on Flynn's iPhone and Apple Watch around the time of the murder in Tipp City, and BBC reported the defence called no witnesses.
Prosecuting attorney Paul Watkins leaned into Flynn's text exchanges, describing the defendant's "hatred" for his wife and arguing Flynn was afraid to lose custody of his daughters and his job with his wife's family business. Defense attorney Patrick Mulligan argued the state's evidence was circumstantial and told jurors, "Connecting a couple of meaningless dots doesn't solve the case."
Appeal and sentencing stakes
Caleb Flynn faces life in prison without parole, and the judge set sentencing for Oct. 5 after the jury found him guilty on all charges.
“He faces up to life in prison without parole.”
Flynn's defense said it expects a notice of appeal to be filed, and Mulligan told reporters, "I fully anticipate that there will be a notice of appeal filed, and this decision will be tested thoroughly in the Court of Appeals."
Prosecutors said Flynn staged a home invasion after shooting Ashley Flynn, and they argued the evidence did not tell the story of an intruder.
Ashley Flynn's family said in a statement read by Paul Watkins that they "refuse to let the evil that ended Ashley's life have the final word in her story," and the statement added, "Ashley loved Jesus with her whole heart."
The prosecution urged the community to focus on Ashley, and Watkins said, "To be quite honest, I'm tired of talking about Caleb Flynn. It's time for the community, the media, and everyone else to turn their focus on Ashley."