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In the aftermath of his wife’s tragic shooting, former American Idol contestant Caleb Flynn was caught in a storm of emotion, captured sobbing and vomiting into a trash can in newly released body cam footage. In his distress, he reached out to notify family members of the heartbreaking news.
The footage, made public by Tipp City Police and obtained by Oxygen, shows Caleb in the early hours of February 16. This was shortly after he dialed 911 to report that his wife, Ashley Flynn, had been fatally shot in their bed by an alleged intruder at their Ohio residence.
In the recorded footage, Caleb can be heard asking a police officer at the scene, “Is she gone?” followed by repeated cries of disbelief, “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.”
Subsequently, Caleb now stands accused of murder after authorities determined there was “probable cause” suggesting the 39-year-old was responsible for his wife’s death, as per a statement given to Oxygen by the police. Caleb has entered a plea of not guilty to the charges.
Though investigators have been tight-lipped about specifics leading to their conclusion, the newly unveiled body cam footage sheds light on the initial moments of the investigation and Caleb’s immediate reactions following the tragic event.
In the footage—which is largely blurred—Caleb told a female officer that his children were “still asleep” in their bedroom and unaware that their mother has been killed.
The officer responded by telling him that “right now, I need you to breathe” while instructing him to sit on a coach in the living room.
Though Caleb worked to gain his composure, he was seen breaking out in loud sobs and rapid breathing.
The officers moved to the garage where they noticed a back door that had been left open plus the center console of Caleb’s truck, where he told officers he kept a handgun, had been opened.
Caleb Flynn Notifies Family of Wife Ashley Flynn’s Death
Back inside, after being unable to reach Ashley’s mom, Caleb called his own mother, who lived in Minnesota.
“Mom, Ashley’s dead,” he told her, according to the footage. “Someone broke in. She’s dead.”
Caleb went on to explain that someone had “shot her” while he was with their daughters.
“Oh my God,” he said through tears. “Mommy. Mommy, she’s gone. She’s gone.”
He added in the call that he didn’t know what to do.
“I can’t breathe. I can’t see,” he told her. “She’s gone, mom.”
Not long after ending the conversation, Caleb began to feel sick and told the female officer he thought he was going to throw up. She retrieved a trash can from the kitchen and brought it into the living room, where Caleb was seen vomiting several times into the can.
Minutes later, he delivered the news of Ashley’s death over the phone to her mother.
“Ashley’s gone,” he told his mother-in-law, according to the body cam footage. “She’s gone. Someone broke in and shot her. She’s gone.”
Caleb Flynn Arrested for Murder of Wife Ashley Flynn
Three days later, on Feb. 19, Caleb was arrested and charged with one count of homicide, two counts of felonious assault and two counts of tampering with evidence.
“The Tipp City Police Department appreciates the community’s patience and support while this collaborative investigative team worked diligently on this complex case,” police said in a statement provided to Oxygen. “We also extend our sincere appreciation to the many agencies that have assisted—and continue to assist—in this investigation involving a tragic loss of life.”
They went on to add that the arrest was the result of “countless hours” of work by investigators and others with the department, Miami County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Miami County Prosecutor’s Office.
Tipp City Police Chief Greg Adkins said in a statement to Oxygen that the department does not plan to release any additional details about the case in an effort to preserve the integrity of the investigation.
Caleb has pleaded not guilty to the allegations against him. After his arrest, defense attorney L. Patrick Mulligan told Oxygen that he believed investigators were jumping to conclusions.
“We are both disappointed and concerned about the short timeline and seeming rush to judgment in this case,” he said in the statement. “When the government runs out of leads or can’t develop leads and looks at a surviving spouse in cases such as these, the chance of a wrongful conviction increases.”