The husband of Ashley Flynn was captured sobbing and appeared inconsolable in the wake of her murder at their Ohio home — before he was named the primary suspect and arrested in her death, according to bodycam footage shared by police.
Caleb C. Flynn, 39, is charged with one count of murder, two counts of felonious assault with a deadly weapon, and two counts of tampering with evidence in connection with his wife’s fatal shooting, according to court records, Us Weekly previously reported.
Ashley, 37, was found fatally shot inside her and Caleb’s Tipp City home the morning of February 16 after police were called about a reported burglary, authorities have said.
Body camera footage released by the Tipp City Police Department on Monday, March 2, shows Caleb’s immediate reaction to Ashley’s death when officers were on the scene.
In the footage, Caleb is seemingly heartbroken inside his home, where he is heard repeatedly crying and sobbing. At certain times, he is also heard retching.
While on the phone with Ashley’s mother, Caleb is heard saying: “Ashley’s gone … Ashley’s gone.”
“She’s gone, someone broke in and shot her,” he is also heard saying during the call.
Then, he tells his mother-in-law that “the cops are here, they said no one can come in the house. They said I can call you.”
Afterward, bodycam footage captures Caleb walking outside to meet his mother-in-law, who arrived outside of the home.
They both embrace and cry, according to the footage. “I don’t understand,” Ashley’s mother can be heard saying.
While referencing he and Ashley’s two daughters, the footage captures Caleb saying, “The girls don’t know, the girls are asleep.”
“I don’t know what to do,” he also says, according to the footage. “I don’t know what to do either,” Ashley’s mother says as she hugs him again and cries, the video shows.
Caleb, who once appeared as a contestant on the reality show American Idol, was arrested in Ashley’s death on February 19, according to police.
He pleaded not guilty at an arraignment the next day, on February 20.
Caleb is represented by L. Patrick Mulligan, who previously told Us via email that Caleb “looks forward to defending this case.”
“We are both disappointed and concerned about the short timeline and seeming rush to judgment in this case,” Mulligan added. “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.”
Ahead of Ashley’s death, she worked as a substitute teacher and was the volleyball coach for Tippecanoe Middle School, according to Tipp City Schools, Us previously reported. She also had taught for the school district.
Caleb and Ashley were members of the Christian Life Center in Butler Township, where Caleb once worked as a music pastor, the Dayton Daily News reported.
While working as a music pastor, he appeared on American Idol during the 12th season of the show in 2013, according to the newspaper.
During his time on the show, he expressed his love for Ashley, the newspaper reported.
“Ashley lived her life as the hands and feet of Jesus,” reads a GoFundMe page established to support her daughters in the aftermath of her death. “Her laughter was contagious. She was an incredible encourager who loved people deeply. She was a devoted wife, an amazing mother, and a cherished daughter, sister, and friend.”
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