MIAMI COUNTY — After opening statements, the courtroom was shown body camera footage from the night police were called to the Flynn home.
News Center 7’s Xavier Hershovitz was in the courtroom on Friday listening to what the state and defense had to say about the crime.
For the first time on Friday, prosecutors confirmed Caleb Flynn was involved in a year-long affair.
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Prosecutors told the court they had gone through thousands of his text messages, which is something the defense said has nothing to do with Ashley Flynn’s murder.
“I was up until 4 a.m. last night, crying, 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. That is how dark and how hateful I feel,” said Paul Watkins, Miami County Prosecutor, as he read the text messages.
Prosecutors read text messages they said Caleb Flynn sent to his mistress, months apart before Ashley Flynn’s murder.
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“Those words tell you what this case is about: motive, intent, and the truth behind the lies Caleb told after his wife and the mother of his two young daughters was shot to death in their home,” Watkins said.
Those are just two of over 100,000 text messages prosecutors said Flynn sent his mistress in the year prior to Ashley Flynn’s death, including messages he sent just hours before her murder.
“Caleb saying he hated Ashley, wanted her gone, wanted her dead, wanted to be free of her, and wanted the future with his mistress instead,” Watkins said.
Prosecutors said Flynn shot and killed Ashley in their Tipp City home and staged the scene to look like an intruder broke in, but defense attorneys have a much different view.
“Ashley’s death is a profound tragedy, but a woman’s life is worth more than mere speculation alone. Ashley Flynn deserves justice, and a tragedy deserves more than a theory,” said Emily Smith, defense attorney.
They said prosecutors will lay out a theory full of what they call circumstantial evidence that does not prove Caleb killed Ashley.
“Caleb is not on trial for being a bad husband. He’s not on trial for cheating….this is an aggravated murder trial,” Smith said. “A man can fail as a husband without being a murderer, and a man can make selfish decisions without committing a crime.”
Friday afternoon, the first officers on the scene took the stand and we saw new body camera video for the first time.
All of the law enforcement walked us through that initial investigation at the Flynn Family home back in February
“She’s gone. Someone broke in and shot her.”
Body camera video from inside the Flynn home the night of February 16, shown in court Friday, showed officers talking with Caleb Flynn after he called 911, telling dispatchers someone broke into his home, shot and killed his wife Ashley.
“He fell asleep, and he woke up at some point to someone breaking in and gunshots,” said Ofc. Alexandra Giampapa, Tipp City Police.
As prosecutors played the 911 call and showed that body camera video, Flynn cried.
You can see him wipe away tears as officers testified about what happened that night.
“Looked like she was asleep when she was shot,” said Sgt. Corey Rismiller, Tipp City Police.
Officers searched the house and called for a K9 officer to search the neighborhood but no K9s were available in Miami County, something defense attorneys zeroed in on.
“How long did it take the dog to arrive on scene, if you recall?” L. Patrick Mulligan, defense attorney.
Sgt. Rismiller: “I have no idea.”
Mulligan: “Probably, it was a little bit of a hike from here.”
Sgt. Rismiller: “Yes, I’m guessing there was an hour till the dog got there.”
An FBI agent who responded to the home also testified and said they searched the neighborhood for any cameras that could have caught the potential intruder.
Prosecutor: “How many houses did you and your team handle?”
“We canvassed over 80 houses,” Agent Michael Ton said.
Prosecutor: “What did you learn about any suspicious activity that occurred in that area?
Agent Ton: “There wasn’t much as far as what was reported.”
Jurors are expected to be back in court on Monday at 8 a.m., with court beginning at 8:30 a.m.
News Center 7 will be in the courtroom.
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