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7 Jaw-Dropping Moments Shatter 'Crying' Pastor Murder Trial

47m 52s

7 Jaw-Dropping Moments Shatter 'Crying' Pastor Murder Trial

Caleb Flynn is on trial for the 2026 murder of his wife, Ashley, who was shot twice in the back of the head while sleeping in their home in Tip City, Ohio. Prosecutors argue that Flynn’s long-term affair with a mistress, coupled with text messages in which he explicitly expresses murderous intent, proves motive and premeditation. They present digital evidence, including device activity and door damage, to claim the crime was staged to look like a break-in. However, the defense contends the investigation was flawed from the start, citing no eyewitnesses, no gun residue, no surveillance footage, and a missing 9mm handgun. They argue that Flynn’s actions—such as his emotional reactions during the 911 call and the lack of physical evidence—show no criminal intent, and that the case relies on speculation and bias. The defense emphasizes that Ashley, a devoted mother and community figure, deserves a trial grounded in evidence, not emotion or a narrative of guilt. The jury is tasked with weighing these competing narratives—motive and intent versus a lack of concrete proof—before deciding whether Flynn is guilty of aggravated murder, with the outcome hinging on whether the evidence supports a finding of premeditated murder or a tragic case of domestic failure.

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Blame it, honey. Not no, huh? I was up until 4 a.m. last night. Crime. Literally trying to think of ways to kill her and not go to jail. If I could literally kill her and not go to hell, I would do it in a heartbeat. Prosecutors say Caleb Flynn wanted his wife dead, and they say they have his own words to prove it and affair a plan. Imagine setting your makeup, then forgetting it's even theirs. Meet new grippy setting mist from Mabelie, New York. Gel to mist technology locks in your look for up to 24 hours with flexible all day, comfy grip. No tightness, no stickiness, no residue, just plump, dewy, hydrated skin that still feels like your skin. Try new grippy setting mist from Mabelie, New York. Maybe it's Mabelie. And a date, but the defense is saying it is a rush to judgment. A man can fail as a husband without being a murderer. Two arguments, two stories, and now a jury will have to decide which one is true. We're on the case presented by law and crime. I'm Chris Stewart. Caleb Flynn was having an affair, Caleb Flynn talked about killing his wife. And Caleb Flynn talked about February 16th being a day he would remember forever. That is what prosecutors laid out in their opening statements today, and they say they have the text messages to prove it. And this was the tone inside that courtroom as the jury listened to opening statements. Caleb Flynn sitting at the defense table tears in his eyes. After opening statements, the jury was taken to the crime scene. jurors were taken to the home where Caleb and Ashley Flynn lived on a cul-de-sac and tip city, Ohio, the very site where Ashley lost her life. Caleb Flynn is a former American idol contestant. He was a worship leader. He was a husband and a father. And he is accused of shooting his wife Ashley twice in the back of the head as she lay sleeping inside their home. And then prosecutors alleged that Caleb Flynn staged the scene to make it look like a break in prosecutors alleged that Caleb called 911 around 230 in the morning on February 16th, claiming an intruder had done it. Flynn has pleaded not guilty. He is facing charges of aggravated murder murder, fallonious assault, tampering with evidence and witness intimidation. If convicted on that top count, he faces life in prison without parole. Today, the state told jurors that this case is about motive, intent, and the truth behind the lies. They pointed to messages. They say Caleb Flynn sent his mistress. In fact, they say he sent 100,000 messages in just a little over a year that they say this affair was going on. And they say one of those messages, he allegedly wrote when he was up around four o'clock in the morning. Quote literally trying to think of ways to kill her and not go to jail. And then you have another text message that said, quote, if I could literally kill her and not go hell, I would do it in a heartbeat. Prosecutors say those messages came months apart. It's unclear the specific date that those texts were sent, but they were sent before Ashley's murder. And prosecutors also say the evidence, device data, door damage and a missing nine millimeter handgun, all in merges on Caleb Flynn. But the defense is alleging that this investigation was plagued with errors from the start. They argued there are more than two possibilities here and that a man can fail as a husband and not be a murderer. Now, we should note our long crime reporter, engineer Levy, host of crime fix. She is inside the courtroom for this trial and she's going to be here in a little bit and she also went with the jury today to the crime scene to see it for herself. But inside the courtroom, and Jeanette had a firsthand look at Caleb Flynn. And as we watched it with our cameras today, you can see he appeared to be praying and he had visible tears in his eyes as he listened to opening statements. Now, before we get into what else was said in the courtroom today, we have body cam video and a 911 call. In fact, that 911 call was played in court today, and I want you to hear it for yourself. So you can head over to the long crime plus app right now. We have a special offer with promo code OTC fall and get your first three months of long crime plus just $299 a month, which is 50% off a regular monthly price. All right, let's break down the biggest moments from opening statements today and it starts with what the prosecutors had to say. Look, the prosecution came out swinging in this case, the lead prosecutor for the state of Ohio, his name is Paul Watkins. And he did not open up with a description of the scene, not with the 911 call, but that was played later in the day. He started with Caleb Flynn's own words, a text message, and it is chilling. last night, crying, literally trying to think of ways to kill her and not go to jail. That is how dark and how hateful I feel. Those two messages are Caleb Flynn's own words. The words about his life, Ashley, were communicated to his mistress. Those messages were sent months apart in the four Ashley's murder. Those words tell you what this case is about. Notive, intent, and the truth behind the lies Caleb told after his wife and the mother of his two young daughters, were shot to death in their home. Ashley was not in a position as if she encountered an intruder. She was executed. She was shot in the middle of the night, twice in the back of her head, laying in bed and asleep in position. From there, Watkins framed the entire trial around one question and told the jury there are really only two explanations for what happened inside that house. At the beginning of this investigation, there was a single question. What happened inside the Flynn residence on February 16, 2026? As this investigation progressed, two complete explanations emerged. You as the jury are tasked with applying the evidence. You're hearing this case to those two competing explanations. As you hear evidence, ask yourself, which explanation does this evidence fit? The first explanation was Caleb Flynn's report of the camp. An intruder entered the residence, made their way through the home to the primary bedroom, shot Ashley, and escaped without being identified. The second explanation was not supplied by a witness. It was reconstructed by the evidence, collected during a investigation. And Watkins told the jury the physical evidence doesn't back up Caleb's intruder story. No one saw anyone approach the home. No one saw anyone go in and no one saw anyone leave. But what investigators did find he says was a trail of evidence of another kind, digital evidence. The problem for that explanation is that evidence does not independently reconstruct the intruder's presence. The evidence-based instruction developed different. It began with events that could be independently documented. It documents Caleb's years-long relationship with his mistress. It documented Caleb's efforts to delete information up to and including just hours before Ashley's murder. It documented Caleb's words that major life changes. It documented that Caleb was discussing the end of his murder. It documents movement and activity on Caleb's devices and the hours leading up to Ashley's murder. People lock evidence doesn't. Watkins also went after the door. The door that Caleb Flynn claims an intruder forced open. He told the jury an FBI toolmark examiner will testify. There are toolmarks on the frame that multiple tools were used and that the damage is inconsistent with the door being kicked or pride open and he said something else that the door was unlocked. But perhaps the most powerful part of the state's opening was when Watkins told them of the messages. Caleb allegedly sent his mistress just hours before Ashley was killed. And that the only evidence of an intruder is the defendant's own words. Just hours before Ashley was executed. Caleb is saying these things to his mistress. I choose you. I'm free. Actions will come tomorrow. February 16, day I'll never forget. Thanks to Caleb Flynn, February 16, his nowadays is $2 and I should spend, I'll never forget too. You're going to hear a theme in all the messages. Tell-to-miss technology locks in your look for up to 24 hours, with flexible all-day comfy grip. No tightness, no stickiness, no residue, just plump, dewy hydrated skin that still feels like your skin. Number two would be a victim. You'd get to keep business at this dollar at all the time, you'd benefit financially, get to keep his lucrative job working for Ashley's family business, and you'd get to keep his position as a worship leader, the only evidence of intruder. He's Cambridge on words. It was the story Caleb told after the evidence had already become to speak. The evidence will not show that Ashley was murdered by a stranger who vanished into the night. The evidence will show that Ashley was murdered by her husband, the father of her two young children. Hey, what's up? Now, that was the state. Then it was the defense's turn. What is Caleb Flynn's defense? And they came out swinging in a way but in a completely different direction. Ashley Flynn was a mother, a daughter, a sister, and a friend. By all accounts, Ashley was a woman who saw the beauty and light in others. She loved her children, her family, and was deeply loved in return by those who knew her. And she was taken from them. There is no argument as to the degree of tragedy that this is. No one in this courtroom is going to dispute that. Ashley's death is a profound tragedy, but a woman's life is worth more than being a speculation alone. Ashley Flynn deserves justice and a tragedy deserves more than a theory. True justice can only be built on a firm foundation of evidence. Not speculation, assumptions, hollow circumstantial evidence, convenience, or a rush to a conclusion. Smith argued to the jury that the state pinned its entire case on the affair. And that Caleb Flynn, he may be a bad husband, but that doesn't make him a murderer. You're right here about lies, lies that Caleb told Alia to make her happy, and the lies that Caleb told Ashley to shield her and her family from the truth. We're not going to stay in here and excuse Caleb from the state of plainly Caleb betrayed Ashley as a husband. This trial is not the first time that any of you have heard about a man having a fair in line about it. Caleb is not on trial for being a bad husband, he's not on trial for cheating. You're not here to deliberate on whether or not you like Caleb, you certainly are not here to render a verdict on whether or not you approve or condone his actions. This is an aggravated murder trial. A man can fail as a husband without being a murderer, and a man can make selfish decisions without committing a crime. What you'll find, ladies and gentlemen, is that this investigation was played with errors from the start, and that bias, convenience, lack of integrity, and a rush to judgment manifests as a case before us, and it is the very definition of reasonable doubt. The state found their story when they found the affair. Caleb was the most convenient scapegoat for them, and they worked backwards. They reached the conclusion first, and she warned the evidence in after. Who is this theory convenient for if not the state? It's not convenient for Ashley, it's not convenient for her family, and it's not convenient for you or Caleb. When the prosecution tells you about the affair, the text messages, and the lies they expect you to feel so disgusted and angry with Caleb that you refer the facts from potential motive alone. They want you to assume that Caleb killed his wife based only on what they believe was happening in Caleb's mind, so motive is not an element of any of the charges in the indictment. You'll not be instructed on motive as an element of any of the charges in the indictment. And your anger and disgust are not proofs beyond a reasonable doubt. Only evidence the state can give you is that theory of motive. And then Smith went point by point through what she says the state doesn't have. They do not have a gun. They have no gun shot residue. They have no eyewitness, no surveillance, no forensic evidence tying Caleb Flynn to the shooting. They can't show you who's done killed Ashley. They can't show you if Caleb had a gun in his hands that night. They can't show you if Caleb pulled the trigger. They can't show you if Caleb damaged the door. They can't give you the date but the door was damaged. They are merely guessing and they're asking you to do the exact same thing. They're even asking you to mix Caleb of a tampering with a gun charge on the sole basis. But they can't find it. There's no forensic evidence linking Caleb to these crimes. There is no eyewitness as the state has already told you that Caleb wasn't the shooter. There's no surveillance footage of Caleb that night. There's no gun shot residue found on Caleb or his clothing. There's no time for death from the coroner. The only fingerprints that the state has are those of Caleb in his own home, according to it since 2021. And Caleb's defense attorney then closed her opening statement by telling the jury that Ashley Flynn, Caleb's wife, that she deserved better, that she deserves an investigation that follows the evidence, not a story. Ashley was a phenomenal woman and her death deserves justice. Justice cannot be measured by how strongly you want someone to be responsible. It cannot be measured by how badly we might want an answer to what happened. Justice is measured by whether the evidence proves the answer. A tragedy deserves more than a theory and Ashley deserves an investigation that was willing to follow the evidence wherever it may have led as thoroughly as possible. Not simply wherever the story is easiest to tell. At the conclusion of this trial, we will ask you to do with the long requires, not what anger, the man's, not what suits grief, and not what speculation may begin, what evidence requires because Ashley deserves better, and so does our justice system. Join us now having Jess Luth, the courtroom, Longcrime's, and the host of crime fix, a good to see you, what was it like to go to the neighborhood where the Flynn's lived? Well Chris, it was really, really interesting actually. This is a small cul-de-sac where the Flynn's lived. It's a cute little neighborhood. The houses are fairly close together and you really got a sense of what it was like on the night of this murder. It's after 2 a.m. when Caleb Flynn calls 911 and there are no fences around this property. I went around and I spoke with some of the neighbors on that street and they told me that FBI agents canvassed the neighborhood going door to door asking neighbors whether or not they had ring doorbell footage. One neighbor told me that there was a neighbor who basically had a ring doorbell camera that has footage of the house for the entire night and there was no intruder seen on this ring doorbell footage. So, you know, this is a quiet neighborhood. Tip City is not a place where they get a lot of homicides. So a 911 call in the middle of the night for something like this would be the talk of not only the neighborhood but the talk of the town. So this is what the neighbors are telling me. There was a neighbor with a ring doorbell camera and that it had a clear shot of the house and that there was nobody seen on that camera. We also got a good view, Chris, of that side garage door that Caleb Flynn said was open when he went out into the garage that night. And he said this on the 911 call and he told this to the police as well. And it's all boarded up now. The FBI came and took out not only the door, but they took the entire door frame out and shipped that apparently to Quantico and it for tool markings. And we heard about that in opening statements. There's going to be a tool marks examiner who testifies about their opinion of the markings on this door and door frame. The neighbors actually knew about that. They knew that the FBI had taken not only the door, but also the frame and taken it all and shipped it off to examine it. So it was very interesting. The jurors weren't in there all that long. They were given key points to examine. I guess both sides the state and the defense approved those key points that they were supposed to examine and they they got out of the van. They went in. They looked at what they were supposed to look at and then they left. And I know you noted that Caleb Flynn actually still owns the home. Imagine setting your makeup then forgetting it's even theirs. Meet new groupie setting mist from Mavily New York. Gel to miss technology locks in your look for up to 24 hours with flexible all day comfy grip. No tightness, no stickiness, no residue. Just plump, dewy hydrated skin that still feels like your skin. Try new groupie setting mist from Mavily New York. Maybe it's Mavily. On on the course act where we're all this happened, which was interesting. In the courtroom today, I mean, very emotional. We can walk through some of the moments here, but just Caleb Flynn himself. From what we can see on camera, he has been pretty much crying. It seems the entire time or has tears in his eyes. What was the moment like when they played that 911 call that so many of us have heard since this story started and just to kind of see him in that moment as it's being played. So I was watching him and I could see him kind of from behind and from the side and as that 911 call played, of course, he knew it was going to play. I'm sure his attorneys have prepped him for this. He looks very gone. First of all, he looks very much like he's not been eating looks very much like he's diminished in physical capacity. And in his jaw kind of was moving. I could see his jaw moving and you could tell he was kind of like almost like gulping is what it seemed like to me choking back tears or at least trying to. And that's all I could tell and all I could see from him. I kind of looked over at the jurors. Some of the jurors were just sitting and listening, you know, taking it all in some were taking notes. A female juror I noticed was just kind of staring at Caleb Flynn as the 911 call played. And so they were all just kind of sitting and listening to it. But Caleb Flynn obviously was crying as this 911 call played, you know, it's interesting to me during opening statements. You know that the prosecutor Paul Watkins, he came out, you know, guns blazing like let's do these text messages. This guy was sending, you know, he's going to kill his wife and you know figuring out how to get away with it. And there's there's going to be action tomorrow and all of this stuff that he's saying to the the quote unquote mistress. And so and he's having this affair. The defense, you know, in their opening, they're like, you know, rush to judgment. You know, this is what you hear a lot of defense attorney say that, you know, they had a theory. They didn't investigate the theory. They just kind of fit fit the bill fit what they wanted it to fit. They had this affair. And they're like, Oh, he's a bad guy and they'll Mr. conceiting like, Hey, our guy is not a good guy. But they're saying he's not a murderer. Right. And I thought that was interesting. And maybe I mean, listen, if they have 100,000 text messages and we'll see, you know, more of how the prosecution, how they dive into this affair that he was having with this mistress who's expected to testify at some point during this trial. And to hear them just say, you know, after everybody thought that Caleb Flynn, you know, pastor, father, husband, American Idol contestant that they're pretty much the strategy is, look, you don't have to like him. But that doesn't mean that he is that he's a murderer, which which I thought was interesting, considering just the perception of him on the outside was he's the all American dad. And that's how it looked at least on Facebook. He looked like the all American dad and he's a pastor in the church. But, you know, people are human and they all have feelings. So they're basically, they're kind of setting the jury up to for what they're going to hear because these, these text messages must be really bad. I mean, it's bad enough when you're talking about, you know, killing your wife. That may be just, you know, the, you know, the really the big one, you know, talking about killing your wife and then guess what she ends up dead and the gun in your truck in your garage is missing. And nobody ever finds it and it fires nine millimeter rounds and there are nine millimeter rounds found at the crime scene. I mean, that's that's some pretty damning evidence that's some pretty big evidence to try to tackle. So I feel like the defense, you know, opening statements, they're not evidence, but so far the defense is attacking the investigation, attacking what they believe are missteps in the investigation. We heard about officer Riss Miller, the first supervising sergeant, he was the first officer to arrive, his body, worn camera didn't activate. So we're not seeing those first interactions with Caleb Flynn and him finding Ashley Flynn, he said Ashley Flynn had dried blood on her head wound showing the trauma to the back of her head. She was sleeping on her side. So, you know, there, there's a lot there that the defense is going to tackle and try to attack. But the prosecution, I give him props, they came out guns blazing. No, no offense intended with their opening statement. I mean, they, it was very powerful. Just, what was it like in the room? Because I know for me as I was just kind of watching it and, you know, he's, he's didn't even say good morning to the jury. He just starts with I was up until four o'clock in the morning, crying or something like that. And you just realized that he's actually talking about a text message that Caleb Flynn had sent. I know for me, that was kind of like a jaw dropping moment. Was there anything you picked up just as you're doing that one, and then the other text, that was something like about, you know, February 16th is going to be a day I remember, which is the day that Ashley Flynn was allegedly murdered that apparently he sent to this mistress as well, like those two moments, just like what was it like for you in the courtroom during that? I just, you know, I'm kind of thinking to myself, whoa, we were, we knew that they were going to be text messages, Chris, you know, we, we heard about this in jury selection. The prosecutor brought this up when, when questioning jurors like about, you know, text messages between the defendant and they said another person, we now know for sure that other person is the mistress. Hearing the actual content of those messages was stunning that Caleb Flynn was actually talking about killing his wife, and then she ends up dead in their bed. I, I, I, it's stunning. I will be very interested to see how the defense tackles that and how they try to say, oh, he was just talking or he was just frustrated. You know, he's, he's just talking to this woman he's having an affair with. I mean, I don't know. Does Caleb Flynn have to get on the stand and explain this? Does he have to explain his text messages? Like I said that, but I didn't mean it. I mean, are we going to see Caleb Flynn on the witness stand? If they're going to bring in your 100,000 text messages, are we going to see him testify? That's my question. And, and they also laid out he was working for his wife's family's business. I know that there's also going to be some evidence in there related to like an apple watch and some of the, you know, we were talking about the digital evidence. What is the digital evidence show? And right out of the gate, we see that that's such a clear part of what the prosecution is arguing, Anginette Levy, a host of crime fix in the courtroom each day for the Caleb Flynn trial. Thanks for taking the time to join us. We appreciate it. Yeah, no problem. After the opening statements, the state called its first witness. And within minutes, the jury heard the 911 call from the night of the murder. And as that call was played, Caleb Flynn was at the defense table. I mean, his face is so scrunched up. He is wincing as if he's in pain and he appears to cry. He has tears going down his face. Are they still in there? I don't know. I don't know. Hey, what's the address? Please, please, please, please, please, please. What are you seeing? My wife, she got three shots from her head. This letter. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Sir, please, please, please, please. I need you to take a deep breath. Okay. Do you still see anybody in the house? No, the door to the ground is wide open. Please, hurry, please. Oh my God. Oh my God. My daughters are here. Where is she at? Where is she shot at? Okay, is she breathing? I don't know. I don't think so. I actually asked the baby. They were like, oh my God. They told you not. Okay, she's not responding to you. - No, no, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my the door. There's a sign to working on the website. By the way, then the state called the first officer on scene in the early hours of the morning February 16th. His name is Sergeant Corey Riss Miller and he told the jury something important about what Caleb reportedly said in those moments. When I took Caleb, he said that his wife's been shot. He said, "Is there anybody else in the house?" He said, "No. I'm still going to take a quick look around. Just make sure no one else gets hurt or anything like that. So, I did a quick look around for anything when you chuckle with your thing." "You asked if anyone else is in the house and he said no. Did you elaborate on that?" He said, "No, I'm sorry. Are you sure?" He said, "Yeah, I've booked there's no one else here. When I see him, I can tell that there was significant." Imagine setting your makeup, then forgetting it's even theirs. Meet new groupie setting mist from Mabelie, New York. Jeldermist technology locks in your look for up to 24 hours, with flexible all-day comfy grip. Just plump, dewy, hydrated skin that still feels like your skin. Find new groupie setting mist from Mabelie, New York. Maybe it's Mabelie! A trauma to the back of her head, which appeared to be gunshot wound. There was some dry blood around it, so I may not look at it, and I could tell from my experience and being on the suicide室 stuff that the defendant was around, so I could pick them with the seeks. Did you pass the link up? The only thing I did was removed the towel from my head was the only thing I moved in the bedroom. Did anything stick out to you in the bedroom? You could tell that there was no one sleeping on the other side of bed. There was some blankets and pillows on the left in front of the dresser, which I'm really not sure what they were there for. And she looked like she was sleeping, I mean, when she was shot. I mean, it looked like there was no, you know, start on us. I mean, it looked like when she was, she looked like when she was shot. Then the defense got its turn to cross-examines, Sargent, Rismiller, and they went straight at the investigation and they started with the body camera that the Sargent was supposed to have on and wearing. Does tip city have a policy that those officers wear body cams when they're at work? Yes. And what is that policy? The policy is your body camera should be on. You don't see it. There's going to be, there's any kind of a conflict or anything like that. Check back here now. Okay. And the body cam does what if people know it records the scene. Yes. But it also records audio. Does it not? Yes. Okay. And on the day that you responded to a 932 kind of half court, did you have your body cam with you? Yes. Okay. Is there a reason why it wasn't on? Yes. Why? Because we got the new system, body camera system, and the way it's set up is when you cheer like horrible and the body camera automatically turns on. Well, for some odd reason, mine didn't come on, malfunctioned the system. And my biggest worry was the victim, the family, and looking for a shooter. So that time, the body camera was not, it was least of my worries. So by that time, you had spoken to my client, and none of that was recorded. Correct. And received whatever his explanation was at the time about the doors being opened, the side door, the garage being opened, and none of that was recorded. Correct. Okay. So bottom line, when you first, the very first time you walk into the bedroom where Ashley was, the body cam wasn't working then either. Correct. And obviously if it wasn't working, it wouldn't show the number of casings that were actually present at that time. Correct. Okay. Door there are positions. Correct. And the statements that you attributed to Caleb that he told you that she was shot twice in the head, that's not recorded either. Correct. And then the state played body camera footage, unredacted. And this was the first time we are seeing it, and we can see inside the house, and not only can we see Caleb Flynn clearly, we can hear what he said to officers in the aftermath. Okay. Have you checked on that? Okay. 911. Yes. No one else comes in here, purest. Okay. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. Okay. Can you sit down? No. Okay. Can you sit down? No. Okay. This one. This one. This one. Okay. Right now. Right now. I need you to believe, okay. Do you see any blood? I'll go on. Can I? Okay. Okay. Somebody needs to be watching him. First. You'll recall one of them want to. Is there any firearms in this house? Okay. Is it okay? A shotman in a 22 and like a pelican. Okay. I have a hand in my truck. Okay. In the gold box. Okay. Are you able to tell me her information? Yeah. I know this is really difficult. Okay. Thank you. What's your name? Caleb. I'm sorry. Okay. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. What's your name? Caleb. Caleb. Caleb. I'm sorry. Okay. Hello. Hello. What's your name? Caleb. Caleb. I'm sorry. Okay. Hello. Hello. Hello. You can call family by the way. They just can't come in this house. And Shother, she's gone. She's gone. I was with the girl. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. She's gone. She's gone. I can't come in this house. I don't even know yet. I'm still sleeping. I don't know. I don't know what to do. I can't breathe like this. She's gone. Someone come again. Shother. She's gone. Yes, yes, yes. Yes. Okay. Okay. The cops are here. They said no, but they come in the house. But they said I can call you. And then you have this emotional moment where a woman shows up and consoles Caleb on the front steps of his house. She asks officers for a blanket to keep him warm. Officially, that woman is the mother of Ashley Flynn. And she is there consoling her son-in-law, not knowing that a couple days later he would be arrested and accused. and her daughter's murder. So then when the defense got their opportunity to cross examine some of the first responding officers on scene and the defense is trying to argue here that this was a flawed investigation from the beginning and they ask officer Alexandria Giappapa whether anyone searched the back yard. You also had made another statement it's a bit unclear who you were making it to through your body camera footage there that we just saw you stated to another I believe it was another officer on scene none of us have walked around the back. Yeah okay who are you speaking to? I don't remember his exact words but he indicated that deputies have walked on the back walk around the back and officer link is may have while putting up tape. Okay can you describe the back yard for me? I didn't go in the back yard. Okay so you never went in the back yard. Anybody from tipsy police department to your knowledge while you're on scene and messy the back yard? I don't know I was inside for the majority of the time. You also stated in your body camera footage that you didn't want to ask him questions then we heard from Alex Hughes, he's a man. Meet new groupy setting mist from Maybelline New York. Gel to mist technology locks in your look for up to 24 hours with flexible all day comfy grip. No tightness, no stickiness, no residue, just plum, dewey hydrated skin that still feels like your skin. Try new groupy setting mist from Maybelline New York. Maybe it's Maybelline. Paramedic and he's the person who walked into the bedroom and saw Ashley Flynn. When you entered that room what did you see? I located a female patient in the bed. How did she hear? She was in a bed laying on her left side in what looked like to be a sleeping position. There was a towel on the patient's head. Did you touch the towel? Yeah, I removed the towel to assess the patient. I removed the towel to assess the patient and I located a penetrating cranial injury to the patient's right side of her head. And then I could observe that she was not breathing. There was no movement. At that point, I exited the bedroom and went to return to the ambulance. Did you speak with anyone after you accident the bedroom? Yes. The patient's husband, Mr. Flynn, asked about the condition of the patient and I indicated that she was dead. What was his response? He was visibly upset. Then on cross-examination, this paramedic was asked about some of the conversations that we do here on body cam. Questions about how long Ashley Flynn had been dead for. Well, I trained like you, but you did your assessment of the carousel and the carotid artery assessment. Yeah. The body was still warm. The body, I don't remember, given off one. Did you make a statement that it happened? Was it a irresponsible statement that this was old that you responded? I didn't believe that the patient had been there for hours. And as far as you believe that she had been deceased for hours, what do you mean? Just experience the patient's skin condition was pale, but if you don't want to paleness. We'll be following the Caleb Flynn trial every day until we get a verdict. That will do it for on the case presented by Law and Crime. I'm Chris Stewart. We'll see you next time.

Podcast Summary

Key Points:

  1. Prosecutors allege Caleb Flynn had an affair and sent text messages to his mistress expressing intent to kill his wife, Ashley, including messages like "literally trying to think of ways to kill her and not go to jail" and "if I could literally kill her and not go to hell, I would do it in a heartbeat."
  2. The prosecution frames the case around motive, intent, and digital evidence, claiming the absence of eyewitnesses, surveillance, or gun residue supports the theory that Flynn murdered his wife, while the state argues the door damage and device data show he staged the scene to appear as a break-in.
  3. The defense challenges the investigation’s integrity, arguing that the case is built on assumptions, a rush to judgment, and the absence of physical evidence tying Flynn to the shooting, asserting that a man can fail as a husband without being a murderer and that Ashley deserves justice based on evidence, not emotion or speculation.

Summary:

Caleb Flynn is on trial for the 2026 murder of his wife, Ashley, who was shot twice in the back of the head while sleeping in their home in Tip City, Ohio. Prosecutors argue that Flynn’s long-term affair with a mistress, coupled with text messages in which he explicitly expresses murderous intent, proves motive and premeditation. They present digital evidence, including device activity and door damage, to claim the crime was staged to look like a break-in.

However, the defense contends the investigation was flawed from the start, citing no eyewitnesses, no gun residue, no surveillance footage, and a missing 9mm handgun. They argue that Flynn’s actions—such as his emotional reactions during the 911 call and the lack of physical evidence—show no criminal intent, and that the case relies on speculation and bias. The defense emphasizes that Ashley, a devoted mother and community figure, deserves a trial grounded in evidence, not emotion or a narrative of guilt.

The jury is tasked with weighing these competing narratives—motive and intent versus a lack of concrete proof—before deciding whether Flynn is guilty of aggravated murder, with the outcome hinging on whether the evidence supports a finding of premeditated murder or a tragic case of domestic failure.

FAQs

The prosecution claims Caleb Flynn had an affair and sent text messages expressing intent to kill his wife, Ashley Flynn. They argue he shot her in the back of the head while she slept, staged the scene to look like a break-in, and has digital evidence, including 100,000 text messages, supporting his motive and intent.

The prosecution cites two messages: one where he wrote 'literally trying to think of ways to kill her and not go to jail' and another stating 'if I could literally kill her and not go to hell, I would do it in a heartbeat.' These messages were allegedly sent months before the murder.

The defense argues that Caleb Flynn was a bad husband but not a murderer, and that the case is based on a 'rush to judgment' and flawed investigation. They claim the state relies solely on text messages and lacks physical evidence linking Caleb to the murder.

The prosecution points to tool marks on the door frame, which they say are inconsistent with a forced entry, and the missing 9mm handgun. They claim these details suggest the scene was staged to look like a break-in.

The defense states there is no gun, no eyewitness, no surveillance footage, no gunshot residue, and no forensic evidence linking Caleb to the shooting. They argue the prosecution has no proof of a crime committed by Caleb.

The 911 call shows Caleb reporting that his wife was shot, the door was wide open, and he was calling for help. He also expressed distress, stating he didn’t know if she was breathing and said his daughters were there.

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