Jury Deliberates Two Hours Before Returning Verdict in Caleb Flynn Murder Trial
A jury in Tipp City, Ohio, concluded a two-hour deliberation and delivered a verdict in the murder trial of former pastor Caleb Flynn, who faces multiple homicide and assault charges related to the death of his wife, Ashley.
A jury in Tipp City, Ohio, returned a verdict after deliberating for just over two hours in the murder trial of former pastor and former "American Idol" contestant Caleb Flynn. Flynn is charged with aggravated murder, three counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault and three counts of tampering with evidence for the February shooting death of his wife, Ashley, at their home.
Prosecutors presented a case built on testimony from dozens of witnesses, including special agents, forensic experts and members of the victim’s family, and highlighted more than 100,000 text messages exchanged between Flynn and his former mistress, Alleigha Botner. Botner testified that the messages contained mutual expressions of hatred toward Ashley and discussed plans for a future together, including a message in which she wrote, "I want to kill her, Caleb," and Flynn allegedly replied, "That makes two of us."
The defense, led by attorney Patrick Mulligan, did not call any witnesses and focused on challenging the prosecution’s evidence. It questioned the relevance of Flynn’s affair, highlighted the absence of physical evidence such as blood on Flynn or his clothing, and noted that investigators never recovered the firearm used in the shooting or conducted a gunshot-residue test on Flynn.
Detective Sgt. Mike Morgan confirmed that no blood evidence linked Flynn to the crime scene and that a gunshot-residue test was never performed. The jury received instructions from the judge before entering deliberations, which began around 1:15 p.m. after a brief lunch break.
WLTV will broadcast the verdict live, and coverage of the trial has been provided by reporter Karin Johnson.