‘American Idol’ contestant’s 100K texts with mistress show motive in wife’s murder, prosecutors say
Former "American Idol" contestant Caleb Flynn allegedly told his mistress he was "literally trying to think of ways to kill" his wife without going to jail before prosecutors say he shot her and staged the scene to look like a break-in.
The chilling message was among more than 100,000 texts prosecutors say Flynn exchanged with his mistress in the year before his wife, Ashley Flynn, was killed Feb. 16, WHIO in Dayton reported.
"I was up until 4 a.m. last night crying, literally trying to think of ways to kill her and not go to jail," Flynn allegedly wrote in one of the messages.
Prosecutors revealed during opening statements Friday that Flynn had been carrying on a year-long affair and argued the messages showed his motive and intent, WHIO reported.
Miami County Prosecutor Paul Watkins told jurors the messages, some sent months apart and others just hours before Ashley was killed, showed Flynn repeatedly expressing hatred toward his wife and a desire to be free of her so he could pursue a future with his mistress.
Flynn has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder and other charges in his wife's death.
Fox News legal analyst Josh Ritter said Sunday that one message sent the day before Ashley's killing could be particularly damaging.
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Flynn allegedly indicated that the following day would be one he would never forget and that he would make his choice for his mistress, Ritter said on "Fox & Friends Sunday."
"If we were curious at all about how the prosecution would attempt to prove motive in this case, it became abundantly clear during opening statements," Ritter said.
Flynn's defense acknowledged the affair during opening statements but argued his conduct as a husband does not establish that he murdered Ashley, WHIO reported.
Defense attorney Emily Smith told jurors prosecutors were offering a theory built around circumstantial evidence rather than proof that Flynn killed his wife, arguing Ashley deserved justice based on more than speculation.
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Prosecutors allege Flynn used a 9mm handgun to kill Ashley inside the couple's Tipp City, Ohio, home and then staged the scene to make it appear an intruder was responsible.
Flynn called 911 and claimed someone had broken into the home and shot his wife, audio previously obtained by Fox News Digital shows.
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"Oh my god, somebody broke into my home, somebody broke into my home and shot my wife," Flynn told the dispatcher. "My wife, she's got two shots to her head, there's blood everywhere. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my God."
Jurors on Friday were shown police bodycam footage from inside the Flynn home on the night of the killing as the first officers to arrive testified about their initial investigation, WHIO reported.
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The footage showed Flynn telling officers someone had broken into the home and killed his wife. An officer testified that Flynn said he had fallen asleep before waking to sounds of a break-in and gunfire.
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An FBI agent also testified that investigators canvassed more than 80 homes looking for cameras or other evidence that could support Flynn's claim that an intruder had been in the neighborhood.
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Flynn was a contestant on "American Idol" and spoke publicly about his love for his wife during a 2013 hometown interview for the show.
"I absolutely love the Lord. I love my wife more than anything. She is very, very pretty.... I love her," Flynn said at the time.
Ritter called the alleged messages between Flynn and his mistress "really, really damning evidence."
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He noted Flynn remains presumed innocent and said the defense appears to be pursuing a theory that investigators rushed to judgment.
"But given that abundance of digital evidence, I think they're going to have a really tough time proving, or trying to create any kind of reasonable doubt in this case," Ritter said.
Jurors are expected back in court Monday morning as testimony continues.