WATCH LIVE | Jurors reach verdict in Caleb Flynn trial
TIPP CITY, Ohio —
A verdict has been reached in the murder trial of Caleb Flynn, the former pastor and “American Idol” contestant accused of killing his wife.
The jury deliberated for a little over two hours before returning a verdict.
WLWT will carry the verdict live in the video player above
WLWT’s Karin Johnson has been covering the entire trial. See latest updates here:
Flynn is accused of shooting and killing his wife, Ashley. She was found dead in their Tipp City home in February.
Flynn faces nine charges: aggravated murder, three counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault and three counts of tampering with evidence.
During closings, the prosecution broke down the charges Caleb is facing, discussed what the state must prove, described a potential motive, Flynn’s cell phone activity, asking the jury to find him guilty on all counts.
The defense challenged the evidence presented and Flynn’s former mistress Alleigha Botner’s testimony.
Defense Attorney Patrick Mulligan claimed Flynn’s affair does not equal a murder, while questioning Botner’s actions and motive.
The judge then read lengthy jury instructions before the jury went into the deliberation room. The bailiff did note the jury received lunch first, so deliberations didn’t likely begin until around 1:15 p.m.
During the trial, the state called dozens of witnesses, from special agents to experts to family members.
The defense did not call a single witness.
Jurors heard most from Flynn’s former mistress, Alleigha Botner, who took the stand for two days and read dozens of the more than 100,000 text messages that the two exchanged
Prosecutors say Flynn and Botner exchanged more than 107,000 messages. On the stand, Botner read messages spanning months in which both expressed hatred toward Ashley and discussed a future together.
At one point, Botner became emotional while reading a July exchange.
“I just wish I didn’t say this,” Botner said before telling the jury she had written, “I want to kill her, Caleb.”
When a prosecutor asked who sent that message, Botner answered, “Me.”
Flynn responded, according to Botner, “That makes two of us.”
Botner testified that the couple often referred to Ashley using an insulting nickname. In one message, Flynn allegedly wrote that Ashley had “ruined and taken everything” from him and that he could not stand the sight or mention of her.
The messages also showed Botner repeatedly pressuring Flynn to leave his wife. She set several deadlines, at times threatening to end their relationship if he did not follow through.
The state also called investigators and members of Ashley’s family to the stand, all providing different pieces of evidence for their case.
While no witnesses were called, the defense did spend time on the last day of testimony emphasizing missing physical evidence, challenging the lead investigator about evidence that was either not found or not collected.
Detective Sgt. Mike Morgan acknowledged that investigators did not find Ashley’s blood on Flynn or his clothing. He also testified that investigators did not obtain results from blood-spatter evidence and never recovered the gun used in the shooting.
Morgan confirmed that Flynn was not tested for gunshot residue.
“There was never a gunshot residue test done in this particular case, correct?” a defense attorney asked.
“Correct,” Morgan responded.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
Both sides rest in Caleb Flynn murder trial after testimony focuses on digital evidence
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‘Wish I didn’t say this’: Ex-mistress gets emotional reading texts on stand in Caleb Flynn trial
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