Former 'American Idol' contestant's murder trial opens with emotional 911 call
The murder trial of Caleb Flynn, a former "American Idol" contestant, began with emotional testimony, including his 911 call and revelations about an affair that prosecutors allege is key to the case.
Prosecutors claim Flynn wanted his wife, Ashley, dead to pursue a future with another woman. During opening statements, Miami County Prosecutor Paul Watkins read text messages Flynn allegedly sent to his mistress months before Ashley's death. "I was up until 4 a.m. last night crying, literally trying to think of ways to kill her and not go to jail," Watkins read. He continued with another message: "If I could literally kill her and not go to hell, I would do it in a heartbeat."
Prosecutors said Flynn exchanged over 100,000 messages with his mistress in the year leading up to Ashley's death. They also revealed that just hours before Ashley was killed, Flynn sent another message to his mistress, stating, "I choose you. I'm free. Actions will come tomorrow."
Flynn became emotional in court as prosecutors played the 911 call he made the morning Ashley was found shot twice in the back of the head while lying in bed. "Oh, my. Somebody. Somebody broke into my home. Somebody broke in my home and shot my wife," Flynn said during the call. He pleaded with the dispatcher, saying, "Please, please hurry."
The defense argued that investigators rushed to judgment after discovering Flynn's affair. "A man can fail at being a husband without being a murderer, and a man can make selfish decisions without committing a crime," said defense attorney Emily Smith.
Smith also claimed that investigators focused on Flynn as a "convenient scapegoat" and worked backward to fit the evidence to their conclusion. The defense emphasized that no forensic evidence, including gunshot residue, links Flynn to the murder, and the weapon has not been recovered.
The state said Ashley was shot twice in the back of the head while lying in bed, but the defense maintains that the evidence does not prove Flynn committed the crime.