Miami County Court heard opening statements on Thursday as a 16‑person jury – 12 jurors and four alternates – was selected to hear the case against Caleb Flynn, who is charged with fatally shooting his wife in their Tipp City home on February 15.
Prosecutor Paul Watkins read excerpts from a trove of over 100,000 texts that Flynn allegedly sent to a longtime mistress, describing “dark and hateful” thoughts about killing his wife and expressing a desire to be “free.” One message, dated the night of Feb. 15, read, “I choose you. I’m free.”
Watkins highlighted a February 16 text that warned, “Actions will come tomorrow. February 16, a day I’ll never forget,” suggesting premeditation. He also cited a months‑old message in which Flynn allegedly wrote, “I was up until 4 a.m. last night crying, literally trying to think of ways to kill her and not go to jail,” and added, “If I could literally kill her and not go to hell I would do it in a heartbeat.”
The prosecution argued that the messages demonstrate motive and intent, framing the case as “about motive, intent, and the truth behind the lies” Flynn told after his wife was shot twice in the back of the head while lying in bed.
Flynn’s alleged victim, Ashley Flynn, was shot dead while their two daughters, now 10 and 12, were reportedly just feet away inside the house. The children were unharmed but witnessed the aftermath of the crime.
Flynn, a former “American Idol” contestant and disgraced pastor, has denied the charges. The trial will continue over the coming weeks, with the jury expected to consider the text evidence alongside forensic and eyewitness testimony before reaching a verdict.