Prosecutors say American Idol alum Caleb Flynn exchanged messages with his mistress about building a life together before allegedly killing his wife, Ashley Flynn.
In one message, Caleb, 40, allegedly described staying awake until 4 a.m., crying and thinking about ways to kill Ashley without being arrested. “If I could literally kill her and not go to hell, I would do it in a heartbeat,” he reportedly wrote, adding that his feelings toward his wife had become “dark” and hateful.
Miami County Prosecuting Attorney Paul M. Watkins read the messages to jurors during opening statements on Sept. 18. He said they were Caleb’s own words about Ashley, sent directly to the woman with whom he was having an affair.
Watkins also told the court that, just hours before Ashley’s death, Caleb allegedly texted his mistress: “I choose you. I’m free. Actions will come tomorrow, February 16, a day I’ll never forget.”
Prosecutors say those exchanges were among more than 100,000 text messages they believe reveal a possible motive in Ashley’s killing.
According to Watkins, the messages repeatedly portrayed Caleb as saying he hated Ashley, wanted her out of his life and longed to be free so he could pursue a future with his mistress.
On Feb. 16, Caleb called 911 and reported that Ashley, a teacher and volleyball coach, had been shot inside the couple’s home in Tipp City, Ohio.
“She’s got two shots to her head. There’s blood everywhere,” Caleb said during the call, which was obtained by Oxygen. He then repeatedly cried out, “Oh my God.”
Caleb told the dispatcher that he had discovered Ashley in bed. Body-camera footage obtained by Oxygen showed him crying and vomiting into a trash can as officers responded.
The garage stood open, and the center console of Caleb’s truck was also ajar. In the footage, he told police that he kept a 9 mm handgun there. Watkins said the weapon was gone.
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Caleb was arrested on Feb. 19 and charged with aggravated murder, three counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault and three counts of tampering with evidence in connection with Ashley’s death. He has pleaded not guilty. His attorneys maintain that his affair, while damaging, is not proof that he killed his wife.
Watkins argued that Ashley’s position showed she had not confronted an intruder. He said she was shot twice in the back of the head while lying in bed, describing the killing as an execution carried out as she slept.
Investigators rejected Caleb’s account of a home invasion. A criminal complaint reviewed by Oxygen said police were initially misdirected by what they believed was the staged crime scene.
The defense has acknowledged that Caleb made “ugly, hurtful, selfish” remarks about Ashley. His lawyers said he made those comments to satisfy his mistress and keep Ashley from learning the truth, but they argued the messages do not establish that he committed murder.
Defense attorney Emily Smith said jurors would also see affectionate, everyday messages exchanged between Caleb and Ashley. She added that Caleb’s conversations with his mistress included plans to pursue a divorce rather than an agreement to kill his wife.
“We’re not going to stand here and excuse Caleb for this,” Smith said, acknowledging that he betrayed Ashley. But she stressed that he was facing trial for murder—not for being an unfaithful or “bad husband.”
Caleb’s lawyers also challenged the investigation, citing what they described as missing forensic proof and a premature decision to arrest him.
Smith argued that investigators settled on Caleb after uncovering the affair, calling him the easiest suspect to blame. She said police reached a conclusion first and then interpreted the evidence to support it.
Caleb’s attorneys did not immediately respond to Oxygen’s request for comment.