American Idol Contestant Arrested For Murder!? The Case Of Ashley Flynn

Everyone talks about how challenging it is to raise kids, but what about protecting them? Outlet covers, kitchen cabinet locks, baby gates, where do you even start? Well, protecting your home and auto is a great place to start. Progressive offers customized coverage options so you can be sure you have the right coverage for you and your loved ones. They're basically the outlet covers, the kitchen cabinet locks, and the baby gates of insurance. Don't wait. Get your quote today at Progressive.com. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company, affiliates, and other insurers. Not available in all states. Hey, it's Mario Lopez from the All Mario Lopez Daily Podcast. All right. Quick question. You ever notice how some cars just steal the spotlight? Well, that's the 2026 Toyota RAV4. It's got bold standout style, intuitive tech inside, and now hybrid power standard, which means efficiency without the need to plug in. So whether you care about looks, smarts, or just everyday practicality, RAV4 brings all of it. If you've been holding out for the right SUV, this is your sign. Check out the 2026 Toyota RAV4 at your local Toyota dealer or visit toyota.com. See packages and options at toyota.com for feature availability. Hello, everyone, and welcome back to another episode of the All Mario Lopez Daily Podcast. of True Crime with Kendall Ray. Thank you so much for joining me today. And if you're new to the show, then welcome. Make sure to click subscribe so that you never miss an upload from me. So you guys, today we're going to be going over a case that has been super, super highly requested by many of you. And depending on if you follow true crime news and how closely you follow it, this case may not need much of an introduction because there's been a lot of discussion about it online. And a lot of coverage. And I'm sure some of you saw the title and already knew what this episode would be about. But for those of you who aren't familiar yet with this case, don't worry. I'm going to be going over everything we know so far when it comes to the case of Ashley Flynn, the horrible murder of Ashley Flynn. This case is extremely frustrating, very, very sad, and just absolutely ridiculous. Ashley was a mother of two. She was an outstanding member of her community and just seemed like such a wonderful person. Now, I think a big reason that this case has gotten a lot of attention is because of who stands accused of killing her. Her husband, who was a former contestant on American Idol. His name is Caleb, and he didn't make it very far when it comes to American Idol. And if his goal was to get his name in lights, to get attention, well, now you have Caleb. Congratulations, people. Know who you are. Caleb is a total monster. He's an absolute moron and just a total loser in every possible way. Terrible father, terrible human. And yeah, I guess I've got to say that he is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. And his trial is currently set for September of 2026. So coming up pretty soon. So yeah, I wanted this episode to come out before then, because personally, I really like knowing all the facts in a case as far as, you know, what is out as of today, which I'm recording this on June 26th, so that you have a really good idea of things before the trial actually begins. That way, you know, it's a lot easier to follow the trial. And if you're interested in following the trial, you may want to revisit this episode as the date gets closer. I definitely want to hear all of your thoughts on this one. So let me start out by telling you about Ashley. Ashley Elizabeth Smith was born on February 24th, 1988 in Tip City, Ohio, where among many things, she was known for her very encouraging and uplifting spirit. Growing up and really throughout her life, Ashley was guided by her faith. And it was through her love of church that so many people got to know her. After graduating from Tip City High School in 2006, she attended Lee University, which I had never heard of. It's a private Christian college in Tennessee, and that is where she studied education. And with that degree, she then returned to Tip City, where she went on to become a beloved member of her community. And I truly mean that. People just really, really loved her. And a lot of that was because of her work and her volunteer efforts. In her adulthood, Ashley worked several jobs, including as a substitute teacher for Tip City Schools. She was a teacher at the University of Tennessee, and she was a teacher at the 7th grade girls volleyball coach. She was also a teacher for LifeWise Academy, which is, I guess, a non-profit that provides Bible-based education to public school students. She also volunteered at her church, which is called the Christian Life Center. Ashley seemed to really be someone who felt this calling to really serve her community and be an active member of her community. And it so many different ways. And she wasn't the only one her community grew to love. It was really her whole family. While she was attending college, Ashley met Caleb Flynn. And by 2013, the two of them were married. And then they went on to have two daughters. And honestly, to the outside world, their lives looked perfect. Neighbors said that they would often see their family playing outside, just chilling with their two golden doodles and tossing around the softball or doing, you know, playing with their friends. And so, Ashley and Caleb Flynn were married. And during the holidays, they would bake cookies and the girls would deliver them to everyone on the block. So, very picture-perfect family life from the outside. And if you take all of that and then couple it with the fact that they're so active in their church, I can see why so many people were just shocked to hear that things were not as they appeared. Now, like Ashley, Caleb was, or I guess probably is still, very religious. Back in college, he was very religious. He was very religious. He studied pastoral and music ministry. And after he earned his degree, he worked as a worship arts pastor and worship director at two different churches. And then once he and Ashley moved to Tip City, he served on the worship team at the Christian Life Center, which to my understanding, that means he helped lead the congregation in prayer through song. It kind of seems like he was sort of a music director for the church, which I guess makes sense, especially since he had a dream of making it big in music. And so, he was a music director for the church, which I guess makes sense, so this was probably a nice outlet for him. And I know a lot of these bigger churches, which I think Christian Life Center was like a pretty big church, they get really, you know, it's like a concert. I mean, it's a big music production. And his time in the church eventually did come to an end. According to Caleb's LinkedIn, in 2021, he worked briefly in insurance. And then in November of that year, he began working as the VP of sales at Richard's Church. And so, which is a family-run, single-source interior supplier for flooring, stackable chairs, pews, and theater seats. So, it sounds like he was doing that most of the time, obviously, but then he would still volunteer at the Christian Life Center. And he and Ashley were very much so active members of the church. And staying on the whole church slash singing note thing for a second, that was clearly Caleb's biggest problem. And so, I think that's a really good point. And I think that's a really good point. when it comes to copyright. So, I cannot share that with you. But I will have it linked in the description box in the show notes if you want to check it out for yourself. And I highly recommend you give it a listen. But let me just kind of summarize for you. So, in that video, he says that he cried when he got his golden ticket because he's a, quote, crybaby, which he gets from his mom and dad. And that singing is what he lives to do. He also talked about how the Lord is who inspired him the most. So, I think that's a really good point. And that he just had such a unique sound and a hard work ethic. So, clearly very confident in himself. And then what's arguably pointed out the most through his interview, and this makes total sense now in hindsight, is how he talks about Ashley. He said, quote, I love my wife more than anything. She is very, very pretty. Just oof, I love her. Then he talked about Carrie Underwood being his favorite idol winner and that if his wife dyed her hair, she would be the most beautiful she would look just like her. So, yeah, just odd. He seemed very fixated on her appearance, which, yeah, just is a red flag to me. Very weird. And of course, you can't help but immediately recognize the irony of this man saying he loved his wife more than anything, only for him to later be accused of murdering her. talks about how challenging it is to raise kids. But what about protecting them. Outlet covers, kitchen cabinet locks, baby gates. Where do you even start? Don't wait. All right. Quick question. So this happened very recently. I'm in what appeared to be a panic, stating that an intruder had broken into their home and shot his wife. And as you'll hear, he says that she was shot twice and that he was in his daughter's bedroom when it happened. Now, the call itself is seven minutes long, and normally I'd try to refrain from playing something so lengthy and like chop it up a little bit more. But for this particular case, I feel like it's important for you to hear it in full. So let's take a look. Take a listen. Oh my God. Miami County, not alone. Oh my God. Somebody, somebody broke into my home. Somebody broke into my home and shot my wife. Are they still in there? I don't know. I don't know. Okay. What's the address? 932 County Ham Court, Kitts City, Ohio. Please, please hurry. What are you seeing? My wife is, she's got two shots to her head. There's blood everywhere. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Ma'am, I need you to take a deep breath. Okay. Do you still see anybody in the house? No. The door to the garage is wide open. Please hurry, please. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. My daughters are here. Where is she at? She's in the bed. She's in the bed. Are you with her? I am in the room. I'm looking at her. Yes, please. Okay. Do you guys have the door locked? We have the door to the garage locked, but she's in the house. Yes, please. Oh my God. Oh my God. Where is that room at in the house? My partner's getting them dispatched, okay, but I need you to answer my questions so I can get you help as fast as I can, okay? What question? Where are you guys at in the house? I'm in the bedroom with her right now. Okay. My daughters are in their room. So you're not, you are not with the children? No, I'm not with the children when it happened. Okay, but you're not with them now? No, they're in their room. They're not even awake. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Sir, please, please, please. They're, they are heading that way, okay? I need you to take a deep breath for me. Are you, are you hearing anything? No, I've, I've, I've rubbed her leg and said her name. She's not answering. Okay. Your daughter's not answering you? I'm sorry, no, hold on. I'm putting on my shirt. What did you say? What did you say? Your, your daughter's not answering you? No, they're in the other, they're across the room. Okay. They're in the other, in their room. Okay. Now, of course it's so much easier to judge a 911 call when you know what we do now. But I'm curious if this dispatcher was already starting to get weird vibes and, yeah, I don't know. I do have that knowledge of the fact that he is arrested and, you know, facing trial and everything. But this just right off the bat screams fake to me. And I'm curious what you guys think. Because obviously everyone handles this type of shock and grief so differently that it is hard to judge a 911 call. But something about this just seems so inauthentic and overly. dramatic, I guess, is the word I'm trying to use. Like, it's, it just seems like such an act. It doesn't seem like genuine sadness. It seems like he's trying to play it up as much as possible. Are you hearing any kind of noise inside the house? No. No, her face is, oh, sir, her face is white as could go, it's bleeding. Okay, whose, whose face? My wife's face. Your wife's face? The one, yes, the one who was shot. She was, she was what? Shot, I said. Okay, where was she shot at? In the head, in the head, I hope there's blood everywhere. Okay, is she breathing? I, I don't, no, I don't think so. Ashley, Ashley, baby, baby, please, oh, my God, there's, no, she's not. Okay, she's not responding to you? No, no. Oh, my God, oh, my God. Okay, do you see anybody in the house now? No, it's, no, it's pitch black and the doors are locked. The door to leading to the garage door was wide open when I ran in there. Oh, my God. Okay, do you see any kind of vehicles? No, no, no, wait, no, the, the, the door, there's a side door in my garage door that's open by the, oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God. Okay, I need you to just take a deep breath for me. Okay, they're getting to you as quick as they can. So if you caught that, he already starts laying the groundwork here. He mentions that the side door to the garage is open. He's already set in the scene the way he wants it to be perceived. Is that door still open? Yes, it is, yes, it is. Okay. What do I do, what do I do, what do I do? Is, is she breathing at all? I don't think so, there's two shots to my head. Okay, okay, if, if you are comfortable, I want you to go and find the cloth and I want you to put a cloth on that gunshot wound, okay? Like a towel? Yes, like a towel. Do not apply direct pressure to it. Just put it on that blood wound, okay? Okay, oh, my God, oh, my God. I need you to just take a deep breath for me, okay? Okay, okay. Just get that cloth and I want you to put it on that wound, but don't apply direct pressure to it, okay? They're coming to you as quick as they can, okay? I just laid it on her head. Okay. Where are the juveniles? Are they okay? Have you checked on them? They're, I haven't checked on them. Okay, can, can you go check on the juveniles for me? The police is here, the police is here. Okay, can you go check on the juveniles for me? The cops just pulled, they just, they just left, they just left. You haven't checked on your children yet. We will revisit that. Okay, I need you to go check on the juveniles for me, okay? Okay, okay. They're still, they're still sleeping, they're still sleeping. Okay, you still see them breathing? You don't see any wounds on them? No, no, no. The cops just, the cops just pulled away. Sir, sir, sir. Sir, the cop, the cop is here. Okay, I want you to, okay, open the door for him so he can get into her, okay? Okay, he's running, he's coming to me. Sir, please, sir. What is it? I don't know, there's a, the door to the garage door was wide open. I'm her, I'm his, her wife. The door to the garage was wide open. Again, setting the scene now for the officers. Her wife, her husband. Are you still here? No, I don't think so. Can you move the door to the place? Yes, please. Okay. Excuse me, can you move the door to the place? Yes, please. Yes, please. Yes, please. Okay, ma'am, ma'am, do you still have me on the phone here? It's wide open. Can I move the door all the way to the right? That one's open. Yes, please. Yes, please. Yes, please. Yes, please. Yes, please. Yes, please. okay so there's a lot to unpack there more than you know when i just chimed in throughout it as we were listening but um there's so much that makes me suspicious of caleb just right off the bat hearing that call one thing i didn't bring up while we were listening i'm sure a lot of you caught it but caleb says that his wife was shot two times in the head and that there was a lot of blood let's listen to that one more time my wife she's got two shots to her head oh my god oh my god oh my god i highly doubt especially in the chaos of a situation like this that you would be able to clearly see two gunshot wounds especially if there was as much blood as he says there was and investigators later did find two shell casings in the room but i just can't imagine that caleb spent any time in this so-called panic looking for shell casings to determine how many gunshot wounds there were plus and i wonder how many of you picked up on this but not once during that entire seven minute call did caleb ever mention hearing any gunshots so it's not like he can say oh i heard two gunshots and that's how i knew that you know and if he had heard gunshots you would think you would hope that he would run to the sound of those and try and protect his wife um and if that was the case he would have come face to face with the shooter right and if we assume he genuinely didn't hear anything how did he magically just go into their bedroom just after it happened now there's also a lot of body cam available in this case and captured on that body cam footage an ems worker says that they didn't think she'd been dead for very long meaning what that caleb just happened to walk into their bedroom right after an intruder killed her and he saw nobody and heard nothing and it's not like they had a massive house i mean it was a very normal sized home and let's not forget they also had two dogs so you're telling me that an intruder came in the house and shot someone twice and neither dog lost their shit and i mean of course we don't know at this point if he has stated that he heard anything i mean maybe he just neglected to mention that during this seven minute call but i feel like that is something that you would say right away but i'm curious to hear your thoughts on that and in a little bit here we're going to be kind of circling back to what he heard versus what he didn't hear so we'll be kind of going over that again but i just think it was so weird that it wasn't mentioned on the call and then another thing i'm sure a lot of you picked up on and are wondering about is the fact that he said he wasn't sleeping in their bedroom why as we know he said that he was sleeping in their two daughters room when this all happened listen again i'm in the bedroom with her right now my daughter's in their room so you're not you are not with the children i was with the children when it happened okay but you're not with them now no they're in their room they're not even awake now here is what specifically is so interesting to me about that later on in that same body cam footage that was taken at the scene caleb says that he wasn't in the room because his wife told him to sleep on the couch not the girl's room the couch he told me to sleep on the couch and i would call him i shouldn't have listened i shouldn't have listened now if that's true why wasn't he on the couch i'm confused and i'm not sure i'm not and also just to note their daughters were about 9 and 12 at the time and we have been told that they were asleep or at least reportedly asleep that entire time everyone talks about how challenging it is to raise kids but what about protecting them outlet covers kitchen cabinet locks baby gates where do you even start well protecting your home and auto is a great place to start progressive offers customized coverage options you can be sure you have the right coverage for you and your loved ones they're basically the outlet covers the kitchen cabinet locks and the baby gates of insurance don't wait get your quote today at progressive.com progressive casualty insurance company affiliates and other insurers not available in all states hey it's mario lopez from the all mario lopez daily podcast all right quick question you ever notice how some cars just steal the spotlight well that's the 2026 toyota rav4 it's got bold standout style intuitive tech inside and now hybrid power standard which means efficiency without the need to plug in so whether you care about looks smarts or just everyday practicality rav4 brings all of it you've been holding out for the right suv this is your sign check out the 2026 toyota rav4 at your local toyota dealer or visit toyota.com see packages and options at toyota.com for feature availability this is matt rogers from lost culture east that's with matt rogers and bowen yang this is bowen yang from lost culture east with matt rogers and bowen yang okay we've been talking about qb mail for a minute now bow and wow the feedback we're getting i mean so many of y'all love this stuff you're stopping us in the street going i love qb and if you're thinking wait what is qb uh do you not have the internet it's the og japanese mayonnaise the one with the red cap and the little baby on the bottle once you know what you start seeing it everywhere people ask what makes it different from basic mayo well the answer egg yolks up is made with egg yolks only giving it this incredibly rich umami flavor that elevates everything burgers fries sandwiches chicken noodles chefs use it restaurants use it people who really love food and flavor use it whatever you're eating qb hit so if you haven't tried qb yet find the bottle with the red cap and see what everyone's talking about you'll understand qb the original japanese mayonnaise now by far one of the weirdest things i think probably the thing that stands out to me the most potentially is the fact that he didn't really seem to care about their daughter's safety he had been asked by the dispatcher multiple times to go and check on his daughters go to check on the girls why would that not be your top priority i mean any good parent wouldn't even have to be told to do that i guess he could argue that he didn't think the intruder was still in the house so he figured they were safe but how would you for sure know that and as a parent i am not leaving my kids side for a second if there's a fraction of a possibility that someone with a gun who just shot my spouse could still be in my house the juveniles are they okay have you checked on them i haven't checked on them okay can can you go check on the juveniles for me the police is here the police is here okay can you go check on the juveniles for me the cops just called they just left they just left okay i need you to go check on the juveniles for me okay but one of the biggest red flags to me probably even more than not checking on the daughters honestly is the fact that they're not checking on their daughters because they're not checking on their daughters honestly is the fact that caleb was so quick to mention that the garage door was open for obvious reasons right and we went over this a little bit earlier but i timed it it was 30 seconds in when he first mentioned it do you still see anybody in the house no the door to the garage was wide open please hurry please and then he mentioned it again the door to leaving to the garage door was wide open when i ran in there and again the the door there's a side door in my garage door that's open and again i don't know the door to the garage door was wide open so it certainly seems like he just really wanted them to know that hey this is how the intruder got in and let's talk about that garage door for a second because this is also a big red flag in the case and for some context the door in question wasn't the big garage door like the one that you open when you drive your car in it was just the regular side door to the garage like a normal door that just lets you in and out of the garage and he doesn't outright say that's how they came in but obviously that's the insinuation seeing as there is no other sign of forced entry and get this while officers were on the scene the body cam footage picked up the moment when two officers first noticed that the side door was open and they also noticed that the center console of caleb's ford truck was open and there's something else i want you to pay attention to in this clip before we start it notice that the officer right in the beginning says to another officer watch him and we'll circle back to that later hold on cory do you watch him yep yes one person oh my oh that door is open over there back that back door is open is that laid outside because i can't see is that a closet okay the center console of the truck it is and the plot thickens because i'm sure a lot of you can already guess what caleb had in the center console of his truck his gun and before i play you this next clip i also want you to pay attention to the officer's face specifically at the end of this clip because i think this guy was catching on to things pretty quick i'm pretty sure all of the officers were and we'll again circle back to that in a sec yeah um the back the back door is open there's like a door on the side right there it's open so you guys clear the garage yeah we didn't the truck the the center console of trucks open and that's where he said he keeps his gun so you see the eyes at that yeah he's given side eye quite literally now not to get ahead of myself but they did end up determining you that ashley was killed with a nine millimeter handgun which just so happens to be the same kind of gun that was now missing from caleb's truck so based on how everything looked one might assume that an intruder broke in through that side garage door stole caleb's gun and then entered the house to shoot ashley twice in my opinion and i'm sure the majority of you agree this doesn't make a whole lot of sense aside from everything i've laid out so far i mean just how ridiculous it all is and i'm sure a lot of you agree with that i'm sure a lot of you agree with that i'm sure a lot of you agree with that i'm sure a lot of you agree with that i'm sure a lot of you all sounds and plus if you have been consuming true crime for any length of time or just have like a fairly functioning brain you know that this looks just so staged immediately but here's the craziest part and what truly makes this make zero sense is there was a refrigerator on the inside of that open garage door it was probably because ashley and caleb i'm guessing didn't really use it for any reason and it was probably because ashley and caleb didn't use it for that side garage door very much so maybe they had the fridge just blocking it so my point is the fridge is in front of the door on the inside of the garage yet someone was able to move the fridge from the outside i guess they could have shoved the garage door hard enough to move the fridge but it doesn't seem very logical you'd have to believe that this intruder happened to open this door that was blocked by a fridge and then happened to find the gun in the truck and then happened to get past the two dogs without setting them off in any way and then happened to shoot someone twice and leave without being seen that all happens to just be the dumbest fucking thing i've ever heard and circling back again to something we talked about earlier about whether caleb claimed to have heard the intruder or not there is body cam footage where you can faintly hear him in the background say i heard the gun i froze and then i ran but i stand on my opinion that he didn't hear anything because there was nothing to hear i heard i froze and then i ran and the door to the garage was wide open and then i dude just look at the officer's face he looks like he is not buying this shit at all were you how long were you here before we got here like 20 seconds yeah not too long okay because i think i've seen your guys's lights yeah no cars came driving out of there i didn't see nothing wait i didn't see anything either all down high and i didn't see anything first run it came in i started going fast and they said yeah yeah i hit oh yeah then i turned the siren off the way he's down yeah i'm not scaring no one yeah i'm not finding the first time well that that the back that back the side door is what's open it's open still yeah it is it there was a fridge in front of it there's a fridge in front of it you can hear her talking about that but yeah of course i don't know what was going through their heads but it seems like in their conversation they are very much expressing their degree of sus to each other i got here right before you i didn't see anyone seems like they're definitely you know catching on to what is happening here and caleb's just making it so obvious right he just seems so fake something else that i want to know is at what point did caleb actually go to the garage himself before even making this call and see that the garage door was open he said that he was in the girl's room when it happened right and then he found his wife in their room shot knew that she was shot twice when did he have the time before making the call to go and check on the garage door like you you really went and took a look at that before you called 9-1-1 it's definitely not impossible to think that maybe he did go run around the house really quick before looking for the alleged intruder before calling 9-1-1 but even if you were to start looking for the intruder you would think you would again you would hope that he would call 9-1-1 right away as he's running around doing that but yeah i'm curious to know what you guys think about the call to go to the the officer's reactions to everything that we're seeing on this body cam footage because i just feel that you can really sense their skepticism right away and even though they can be seen comforting him and even getting him a bucket at one point and paper towels as he's throwing up from all the crying i feel like there's this underlying air of suspicion amongst them and at two different points one you saw earlier you can hear the officer say watch him in this next clip you can literally hear her say again that somebody needs to be watching him take a look hey is someone watching him somebody needs to be watching him she knows so yeah i just think that body camera footage alone is really eye-opening now there was a woman i don't know if you noticed that was sitting with caleb in one of the clips i played out on the front porch and all of my sources say that she was the grandmother of the girls although it's not clarified anywhere if that was his mom or ashley's mom either way she's not the grandmother of the girls she's the grandmother of the girls comforting him as the initial investigation is underway only after she consoled him for a little bit did he finally agree to be looked at by paramedics and he voluntarily agreed to be brought back to the police station where he answered questions into the early morning hours back at the scene though the investigation was really just beginning while caleb is still being consoled tip city police officers secured the area set up a perimeter and used resources like canines and drones to try and locate a suspect however nothing was found during these efforts of course they also called in the ohio bureau of criminal investigation who definitely had more resources than them as well as the miami county victims witness program who came in as well to offer support to caleb and his girls and i really commend the tip city police department for not only taking action quickly and i think their immediate response to the scene is excellent but also just recognizing what they were and weren't equipped to handle tip city is not a to so quickly bring in further assistance they later brought in even more help including the dayton fbi office the miami county sheriff's office and the miami county prosecutor's office and as you can imagine from the outside looking in this could not have been any more shocking to this community these types of crimes don't happen often there if at all in tip city let alone to a couple with such good standing i guess you could say people were totally shocked at the fact that absolutely confused and honestly scared for their own safety understandably because despite what i've already shared with you nobody knew that caleb was the number one suspect neighbors thought there was you know some madman on the loose which actually prompted the tip city chief to issue a statement assuring people that this case was an isolated event although naturally that didn't stop people from worrying or speculating after an open prayer at the christian life center on february 18th chief greg adkins issued another statement attempting to kind of quash the rumors that a suspect had confessed it reads in part the tip city police department has recently been made aware of claims that a suspect is in custody and has confessed in the homicide investigation involving ashley flynn this information is false and was never released by the tip city police department the city of tip city or any collaborating law enforcement partners the release and spread of unverified information is not only untrue but also deeply detrimental to the flynn family and unfair to those involved in this investigation our community continues to grieve and the department recognizes the fear and concerns some residents may be experiencing as previously stated investigators believe this was an isolated incident targeted at this specific residence at this time there is no information indicating the community or general public is in danger meanwhile while all of this is starting to unfold the support of the people who are responsible for this incident is not the only reason why this incident has been happening in the city of tip city for the past several months the city of tip city has been completely flooded the town literally on the day of her murder a prayer gathering was held at the lifewise academy and the online support was also mounting big time messages from fellow churchgoers students parents teachers and neighbors expressed what a light ashley had been in their lives i mean she really impacted a lot of people it sounds like and most of them talking about it really emphasized her christian faith and her kind spirit and as i mentioned there was also a open prayer held at her church on the 18th and the town started putting up these red and white ribbons in her honor pretty much right away. Also, a GoFundMe was launched as well, and in less than 24 hours, it had raised more than $80,000, which is really impressive and I think just speaks to how rocked this community was and how loved Ashley was. Right now, it sits at just over $175,000, and it's still growing. The proceeds, of course, are going to her daughters, who were and are being cared for by family members. Several local businesses and organizations decided to raise money as well through different fundraiser events, and they also have collectively raised a significant amount of money. Everyone in this community really rallied together to offer whatever support they could to these girls, and if there's any light in the darkness, it's seeing how loved and cared for they are. And my heart just breaks for them. I mean, that support and love is going to be so needed in their lives, because not only did they lose their mom, but they're losing their dad too in a very different way, of course, but it's still devastating. Don't wait. All right, quick question. This is Matt Rogers from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. This is Bowen Yang from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. Okay, we've been talking about QB Mail for a minute now, Bow, and wow, the feedback we're getting. I mean, so many of y'all love this stuff. You're stopping us in the street going, I love QB. And if you're thinking, wait, what is QB? Do you not have the internet? It's the OG Japanese mayonnaise, the one with the red cap and the little baby on the bottle. Once you know it, you start seeing it. Everywhere. People ask what makes it different from basic mayo. Well, the answer, egg yolks. QB is made with egg yolks only, giving it this incredibly rich umami flavor that elevates everything. Burgers, fries, sandwiches, chicken, noodles. Chefs use it. Restaurants use it. People who really love food and flavor use it. Whatever you're eating, QB it. So if you haven't tried QB yet, find the bottle with the red cap and see what everyone's talking about. You'll understand. QB, the original Japanese mayonnaise. And the reason I say they're losing their dad is because on February 19th, 2026, only three days after she was killed, so pretty quick turnaround here, Caleb Flynn was arrested for the murder of Ashley Flynn. We'll replace that with lettuce. All right. Step forward. Do you want evidence? What's that? Turn around and look for me, sir. We're not going to discuss that here, okay? Put your hands together for me like. Did Patrick call you? What's that? Tip City Police Chief Gregory Atkins is calling this case complex, but says investigators had enough evidence for a probable cause to charge Ashley's husband with murder. Caleb is officially being charged with one count of homicide, two counts of felonious assault, and two counts of tampering with evidence. Ashley was shot and killed today. Ashley was shot and killed in her home early Monday morning and her two children were in the home but weren't injured. Multiple agencies, including the FBI, Ohio BCI, and Miami County Sheriff's Office, assisted in the investigation, providing various resources. Chief Atkins said in a statement, in part, quote, as previously stated, the family and community deserve a thorough, professional, and compassionate investigation into this very sensitive matter. So there you have it. What a relief. One count of homicide. As well as two counts each of felonious assault and tampering with evidence. The following day, he was arraigned via videoconference, during which time, of course, he pleaded not guilty. His bond was set at a whopping $2 million, and he was ordered to go no contact with his children. His defense attorney, Patrick Mulligan, seemed very upset about this outcome, saying, quote, We are both disappointed and concerned about the short timeline and seeming rush to judgment in this case. What a relief. We are both disappointed and concerned about the short timeline and seeming rush to judgment. and seeming rush to judgment. the kids were in the next room. allegedly i mean it's sick and just seeing this shift this very eerie shift from these old american idol clips which i know i wasn't able to play but i you know told you what he said he is talking about how much he treasures his wife and now he's accused of this what happened what motive would caleb have to do something so evil and of course if we look at historical motives in cases involving a husband killing a wife or even the other way around of course money and sex are the top two motives right now their financial situation has not been made public but i do know that's being looked into and i'm sure will come to light at some point if there is anything going on there and also to note in early march ashley's family began filing court documents digging into the couple's finances this included looking into a life insurance policy with caleb listed as the primary beneficiary they also want access to the couple's bank accounts retirement accounts real estate and other financial records and her family has said that caleb quote has the motive opportunity and means to dissipate these assets to transfer them to third parties or to otherwise place them beyond the reach of the children and the estate they are also asking the court to issue a domestic violence protection order against caleb which would stop him from accessing money from the couple's shared bank accounts he could still access the money from the couple's shared bank accounts but he doesn't have access to this money for necessary living expenses but nothing more than that and it sounds like ashley's family is really doing everything they can to protect her assets especially because those assets deserve to go to her children of course their family has released a few statements including the one about their opinion on caleb's arrest it reads our hearts are shattered ashley brought endless light into our world and we are trying to navigate this immense loss our family believes this arrest was made possible by the help of caleb's family and we are hoping that this will be the case in the near future and we are hoping that this will be the case in the near future and we are hoping that this will be the case in the near future and we are hoping that this will be the case in the near future our family believes this arrest was made carefully and not without serious consideration after speaking with both local and federal authorities we trust the proper steps were taken and the process is being handled appropriately we kindly ask for our privacy as we work through this complex situation we are clinging to our faith just as ashley did each and every day her family also changed her celebration of life from a public event to a private one in the wake of all the attention that her case is getting and i can only hope that this will be the case in the near future i can only imagine how truly devastating and shocking this time must be for them and honestly it's got to be really confusing in a way too i mean here was caleb someone that they thought they knew only to realize that he was a wolf dressed in sheep's clothing or it's possible that they already knew or had some feelings that maybe caleb was a bad person you know people that are collectively looking into this case we have to remember that we don't know if caleb was a bad person we don't know the ins and outs of their relationship in their family we don't know what everything looked like behind closed doors what was going on what their family knew about what was going on and we definitely don't know her family's opinion on caleb before everything happened which brings me to the other alleged motive in this case sex now before i go any further i need to give the disclaimer of all disclaimers in this episode what i'm about to share with you is purely speculation okay it has not been confirmed in any capacity by anyone associated with this case that includes family members and law enforcement and in most cases i probably wouldn't even mention this given how speculative it is i really try to stay away from things like this but i know it has already really been making its rounds it's brought up constantly in discussion on this case it's something that i'm sure a lot of you already know about so here it is within days of ashley's murder a rumor began circulating that caleb was having an affair which i'm sure we've put this together now specifically that he was sleeping with a woman at their church i won't be naming her but she was a worship leader at the christian life center meaning the two of them spent a lot of time together and i say that because it could very well just explain why they spent time together it could be as innocent as that but the rumors themselves are obviously not innocent and images of these so-called court documents have began circulating which of course has made people believe this rumor even more of course just to be really really clear there is no verification that these images are real in fact they come from websites that are known to pump out fake news and i know i keep saying this but we truly do live in the day and age where anything can be doctored and until actual investigators confirm this to be real i ask you to please use your your discretion with what i'm about to say take it with a grain of salt but in these alleged documents there are hundreds of messages between caleb and this woman and in one message sent at 12 42 a.m on february 16th he allegedly text her it's almost done now if this is real if that would have been sent before he called 9-1-1 which looks a hell of a lot like premeditation and clearly investigators and prosecutors have a lot more evidence than we are aware of at this point and maybe some of this is it if it is real however i will play the 9-1-1 call for you from this woman's mom and this is a real call that was made and i do think it's worth sharing so let's take a listen miami county 9-1-1 you know somebody 's at my door and they're not leaving um there's a lot going on right now and they're just banging and banging on my door it's um you know who it is no it could be like news reporters or something i don't know that they're banging on the door and you know like um the slim case my daughter um is um one of the worship leaders at our church and so there's a whole bunch of accusations going on on the internet about her and she's been staying with me just out of safety and just fear of being home and stuff and whoever it is they just won't leave my door and they're just banging and ringing the doorbell i see like a man and a woman they're not in uniform they're in jeans okay are they white black yeah white white man white woman yeah okay yeah they just can't stop how long have you been there i don't know for like five minutes which has been going on no one stays that long and it keeps ringing and knocking these guys go to the bedroom and you don't recognize who they are i'm sorry you don't recognize no i don't recognize them at all i would check my ring doorbell okay what is your name and the reporters have been like at our church and stuff like that too so i'm it could be no no no no come on what's your phone number ma'am did you see what kind of vehicle they came in no i looked at my other camera that had another angle and i don't even see a car out there okay but everyone's just been so like nervous and on edge okay and you said there's someone that goes to that church staying with you and that's why you think they're there yeah my daughter because this whole like slim case um this okay my daughter is the worship leader at church and um that's too much um and uh so there's like a bunch of gossip on the internet of like accusing my daughter of like being involved with the husband and stuff you know lies and um so you think you're there anyway yeah probably maybe i'm not sure but i just she's so afraid and that's why she's staying at my house right now she's because of all this gossip online right and these people are still at the door just standing there okay hold on for me just one second i'm gonna meet you for just one second okay okay okay one of the officers just said that he's out there do you see him no okay he's not back in there all right okay yeah it's gonna be the police department so is that the police department yeah sure okay okay thank you uh-huh bye-bye all right bye so as you can hear in the call the mom is saying it's gossip it's rumors um so who knows now on the subject of alleged motives and court documents there is something else i should mention there have also been allegations that ashley was pregnant in the criminal complaint that was released it said that caleb quote did purposely cause the death of or the unlawful termination of another's pregnancy now of course i am not an attorney and i encourage anyone with a legal background to chime in on this maybe leave a comment but i did do some research and this doesn't necessarily mean what you may think it means from my understanding prosecutors will often use the exact phrasing of a statute in the charging documents and in ohio aggravated murder or murder statutes often do include fetus protection clauses so to my understanding basically they could include that part in there because that's just how the statute is written the medical examiner says that they will not be releasing any information from ashley's autopsy until all this is over so that's not something i expect we'll be getting confirmation on anytime soon but if that is true that is incredibly disturbing and of course because this case has gotten so much attention there's so much discussion online that's not where the theories and speculation ends everyone talks about how challenging it is to raise kids but What about protecting them? Don't wait. All right. Quick question. So whether you care about looks, smarts, or just everyday practicality, RAV4 is the right car for you. So if you're looking for a car that's brings all of it, you've been holding out for the right SUV, this is your sign. If you have been a listener or watcher of my show for a while now, you might remember the case of Amanda Blackburn, which I covered back in 2024. I'm going to link that episode in the description below. If you haven't already, please do so. And if you haven't already, in the description and show notes of this episode, because I won't be doing a full deep dive on it today, of course, but I do bring it up for a very specific reason. The premise of Amanda's case was that she was murdered while in her home during a horrific but totally random home invasion. She had a young son, and she was currently pregnant with her second when it happened, and her body was discovered by her pastor husband, Davey Blackburn, after he returned home from the gym on November 10th, 2015. And in the aftermath of her murder, Davey wrote a book and made it one of his life missions to tell her story through the church in a way that focuses on forgiveness, healing, and redemption. And at face value, these cases, of course, look similar. Pastor husband loses wife to murder during a random home invasion. The difference is, though, Davey was not charged with his wife's murder. And the reason I'm even mentioning this at all is because guess where Davey Blackburn gave one of his inspirational speeches only three months before Ashley's murder? At the Christian Life Center, where she and Caleb were members. Now listen, of course, I cannot say that he went to church that day, that he was even there, or if he had any idea who Davey even was. But in my opinion, I think it's interesting, because it's not impossible that he could have been there, or at least have been aware of Davey and his story. And I'm definitely not the only one who thinks this. The whole idea that Caleb may have been inspired by Davey is a discussion that's been happening online for quite some time now. And of course, this speculation again, it definitely doesn't make it true, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious about this. Davey has gained a lot of notoriety for his story. And when you think about the fact that Caleb wanted notoriety, I mean, American Idol being a great example of that, it just makes me question if he did know about his story, and if maybe it served as some kind of sick inspiration for him. Because it wouldn't surprise me if that's the kind of attention that Caleb would really like. But let's switch gears now. Let's talk about the legal proceedings, the criminal complaint, all of that jazz. I did mention the criminal complaint a little bit earlier when we were talking about the pregnancy speculation, and that document outlines the criminal charges against him, including the count of murder and two counts of felonious assault and tampering with evidence. And I was curious what specifically was said about the tampering with evidence charges. And it's not too detailed, but it reads, Caleb Flynn murdered his wife in the morning hours of February 16th, 2026. Officers were led astray by the staging of the crime scene. And it never specifically said what was staged, but I think we can reasonably assume here that they're probably talking about things like the garage door, the garage door, the garage door, the garage door, the garage door. Being left open and the same with the truck's center console. But I am curious if there's anything else in the house that this might reference. And also the complaint never mentions anything about the weapon besides the fact that it was a nine millimeter handgun. And I am very interested to hear if that was ever found. Now, when it comes to hearings and all that, this case has had its fair share of delays, which is always frustrating. The preliminary hearing that was set for February 26th was postponed by a month to March 26th at the request of the defense. And in addition to that, Caleb also waived his right to a speedy trial. And all that means is that he and his lawyers agree that this case does not have to be tried within 90 days. In the waiver of time that he and his attorney filed, there appeared to be several new charges outlined, including two counts of intimidation of a witness, one count of obstructing justice, and two firearm specifications. This does not mean that he is facing those charges, though. Basically, what this means is if the prosecution wanted to later add on these charges, the waiving of the speedy trial still would apply. Now, as for the delay of the hearing itself, that was something that his attorney had asked for. He was very disturbed at how much attention this case was getting online, specifically the social media aspect. So he wanted to push it back to ensure that no mistakes were made. New developments at five, a delay in the court case of a man accused of killing his wife and trying to hide the evidence. Police arrested Caleb Flynn days after they found Ashley Flynn dead in their home. News Center 7's Mike Campbell has covered this murder since the start. And Mike, you spoke with Caleb Flynn's lawyer. He asked for this delay. Gabrielle, I spoke with Patrick Mulligan, a well-known defense lawyer in Dayton. He says everyone has seen coverage of what happened here at this house. And he says everyone's heard and read a lot of social media comments as well. But this is a complicated story, and a delay is necessary to make sure that mistakes aren't made. I have not experienced this level of publicity on any case that I've had in my 41 years as a lawyer. Patrick Mulligan told me it feels like a feeding frenzy on his client, Caleb Flynn. It always amazes me at the stupid statements that are made on social media. Mulligan told me Caleb Flynn's case is not ready for a preliminary hearing just a week after his arrest. Mulligan said there is a lot of hate and other emotions being directed at his client. Caleb Flynn's lawyer is trying to slow down what he calls a runaway rush to judgment. People who are hungry for any information are liable to believe anything that they hear. Mulligan told me he has talked to Caleb Flynn, but did not share details of those conversations. He said a delay is also good for police and prosecutors waiting for test results and information. That's the question when you go to court. What can they prove? And there has to be real evidence rather than rumors and speculation. And in addition to all of that, his attorney also moved to limit public access to this case. Similarly to pushing the hearing, he said the publicity of the case wouldn't make it fair for his client, so the public shouldn't have access to anything until the case is resolved. That, however, was denied on March 16th. And then, only two days later, Caleb, was indicted by a grand jury on multiple felonies. His charges now include one count of aggravated murder, three counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault, three counts of tampering with evidence, and two counts of intimidation of an attorney, victim, or witness in a criminal case. Curious about that one. He also was arraigned the next day, where he pleaded not guilty, and his new bond was set at $3.5 million. And because of this indictment, the preliminary hearing set for March 26th was, bypassed. And instead, he returned to court on March 30th for a pretrial hearing. And then during that hearing, the initial trial date was set for April 28th. Now, looking at Caleb's charges, a few things stand out to me. And one of the biggest things, like I just mentioned, were the two counts of intimidation. It doesn't specify who this was in reference to, but some people online have wondered if maybe this was about their two daughters. After all, they were inside the home when all of this happened. And so, Caleb's charges were set at $3.5 million. And so, reportedly, they were asleep through everything, including the commotion after the fact. But there is some chatter, and I'll be real clear, this is chatter online, about the possibility of Caleb having given the girls something the night before to ensure they didn't wake up. And I just have to be so, so, so clear here. I am not stating this as fact. This has just been widely circulated. And there's absolutely no evidence of this. This is just what people are thinking, because it is what it is. And I'm not saying that Caleb slept through all of this, but I don't know. My kids can sleep through anything, it seems. Even my three-month-old baby. I mean, the things he sleeps through blows my mind. Same with my daughter. So, I don't know. But anyways, leading up to the initial trial date, Caleb's defense attorneys once again filed a motion to limit the public's access to court records. Although, they actually withdrew their own motion. As for the state of Ohio and Miami County prosecutors, they filed their own motions in mid-April, specifically asking for a four-day continuation of the trial. And so, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't of the trial. They wanted more time to review, and turnover evidence, which sounds like they have a lot of. Prosecutor Paul Watkins said that they have supplied two terabytes of data for this case so far, and they are receiving new evidence every day. And a judge ruled in favor of this, pushing back the trial to May 4th. However, it was delayed again, and it's currently slated to start on September 17th, 2026. And the witness lists for both the prosecution and the defense have already been submitted, so we do have a glimpse at the people who we can expect to hear from. The state's witness list has 172 names on it, and the defense has 128. I can't imagine that many people are actually going to take the stand. Maybe, but that's a lot. But what's really interesting here is Ashley's two daughters are on the list. I don't know if they'll end up taking the stand, and I don't know how I feel about that, because that would be so interesting. It's so incredibly traumatizing for them, I feel. Ultimately, it's their decision and their family's decision. And they were the only other people in that house that night, so I could see it happening. And just when you scroll through the rest of the names, it makes me think there's going to be a lot of digital evidence. For example, on the state's list, we see things like Instagram, WhatsApp, GroupMe, Snap, Gmail, things like that. So there's clearly a lot of data that's we don't know. There's a lot more to this case than what we've been told. And it does make me think more about the affair and that really possibly being part of this, because to have all of these social media apps being part of it and all these digital communication platforms, it makes you think of what was leading up to this murder. And what's also interesting, which brings me back to the possibility of financial motive, is there are a bunch of banks listed, like Wells Fargo, Ally Bank, Citibank, Fifth Third Bank, JPMorgan Chase. We even see Ring LLC on there. So maybe there's Ring footage from the neighborhood that proves nobody broke in. I mean, I don't know, but that seems like it could certainly be a possibility. I mean, so many people have Ring cameras or some type of security camera these days, but especially because Ring specifically is named, it makes you think maybe there's that sort of digital evidence here as well. And another name on this list, of course, caught my attention as well and adds a little bit more credibility to that rumor of the affair, but it is the name of the woman associated with this alleged affair. And her name appears on both the state and the defense list. Another interesting name that's on there is the church's pastor, Jordan Hanson, but his name only appears on the defense list. So I think that's a good thing. I think that's a good thing. I think he's on the state's witness list. Now, Jordan has been vocal about his support of Ashley's entire family, which isn't surprising. She was a beloved member of that church, and he is the pastor there. Now, he did say something back in March, though, that definitely turned some heads. This was interesting. Okay, so this happened during one of his sermons. He mentioned that woman, the alleged mistress, and how she resigned without explanation. Which is odd for him to mention in a sermon, right? And I actually do have a clip of this to play for you, and I'm interested to hear what you guys think. Okay, listen to this. I want to thank you, our church family, for the prayers, support, and love that you've shared with me and our staff. We are deeply grateful to rely on God's comfort, abundant grace, and wisdom during these past few emotionally challenging days. I also want to inform you that one of our worship leaders submitted her resignation without explanation. We do not know why. Pastor Josh Bonslar will continue to oversee and lead weekend services, tech, and worship, as he has for these past few years. We continue to support, care, and pray for Ashley Flynn's family. She and her extended family mean a lot to me personally and to our church. Her life and faith have impacted thousands, maybe tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands. We will continue to fully cooperate with law enforcement as they carry out their difficult work during this ongoing investigation. And the one thing I respectfully ask from each of you is to guard hearts, to resist the temptation to speculate or gossip. Much of this is fueled by social media posts from individuals with no direct knowledge or faith. Unfounded rumors only make the situation worse. And each of us are called to love, mourn, care, and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Certainly interesting, right? The timing in which he stated that, I think, is the oddest part. I removed her name, if you didn't notice, for privacy reasons, but I can see why her abrupt leave has definitely caught people's attention and this pastor stating it in front of everybody. However, on the other hand, I can see a possibility where she could have left due to the sheer amount of attention she was getting from all of this and maybe for fears of her safety. I really want to try and reserve judgment here until there's legitimate proof of anything, so I'm not going to rehash that conversation again, but I thought it was worth mentioning. I'm not going to rehash that conversation again, but I thought it was worth mentioning because it has been a huge part of the conversation of this case, and I do understand why. And that, you guys, is about where all of this stands as of now. I will have my eyes on the trial, of course, if it even happens in September. I mean, given how everything has been going, I would not be shocked if it keeps getting pushed. But what matters more than anything here, and I hope what people keep at the front of their minds, is Ashley and the justice that she deserves. This was an innocent, loving, well-respected mother, a friend, a daughter, a community member who should have never been taken from the world. And through everything that's been done in her honor, it's very obvious how big of an impact she really did make on so many people. She was killed just eight days before her 38th birthday, and I can only imagine how difficult the first birthday was without her. I do know that her family and friends still celebrated, though. So before I message that was written on behalf of her family, it reads, Today, our Ashley would have turned 38. With broken hearts, we choose to celebrate, only because Ashley was first to celebrate the people she loved. Her girls blew out candles on chocolate cupcakes, their mom's favorite, as neighborhood friends gathered to sing happy birthday and sent balloons with messages from all of us, drifting gently towards heaven. Heaven. That's where her two girls know their mommy is now, watching over them every day. We miss her in ways words can't capture. But we hold tightly to this. Ashley's life was about pointing people to Jesus and showing them his love. And her legacy will live on in her daughters, in her parents, in her sister, and in the many lives she touched and influenced along the way. The way this community has rallied behind us and blessed our family is beyond comprehension. We are so grateful they walk with us as we take one day at a time trusting God with every step. As a reminder, I will link the GoFundMe that was set up to support Ashley's kids in the description box and show notes of this episode. And I know any support they receive from you guys, whether that's monetary or not, will go a long way. I also wanted to put it out there to anyone connected to Ashley and her family that might see this, that we would love to support you guys through my foundation, Higher Hope, and offer a Hope Grant. So if you're interested, please reach out. to us through our website, which is higherhope.org. You guys, please keep her family in your thoughts. They're going through an incredibly difficult time, especially her daughters. I just cannot imagine. And they're going to need that support going into the trial whenever that does happen, because that, you know, just brings up a lot. And I'm sure they will find out about a lot. And it's just going to be very, very difficult and heavy for them. I will certainly be thinking of them as they, you know, continue on this path towards getting justice for Ashley. And I am feeling pretty confident that that is going to happen and happen soon. And another thing I wanted to mention is my company, Mile Higher Media, we have launched new summer merch. And we have created some really cute, beautiful, fun pieces that is all launching Friday, June 19th. So it will actually already be out by the end of the month. So if you're interested, you can go ahead and check it out. And if you're interested, you can go ahead and check it out. 100% of our merch from any of our shows, literally anything on our website, 100% of that money goes towards the Higher Hope Foundation. That is it for me today, you guys. I definitely want to hear your thoughts on this case. And let me know if you would like additional coverage on it around the time of the trial, or maybe right before, even depending on what comes out before then, which I don't think will be much. So it'll probably be post-trial. But yeah, let me know. And I will see you guys next week. I will be back to discuss another case. But until then, stay safe out there. hey it's mario lopez from the all mario lopez daily podcast all right quick question you ever notice how some cars just steal the spotlight well that's the 2026 toyota rav4 it's got bold standout style intuitive tech inside and now hybrid power standard which means efficiency without the need to plug in so whether you care about looks smarts or just everyday practicality rav4 brings all of it you've been holding out for the right suv this is your sign check out the 2026 toyota rav4 at your local toyota dealer or visit toyota.com See packages and options at Toyota.com for feature availability.