His wife, 37-year-old Ashley Flynn, found shot and killed early Feb. 16 at their Cunningham Court home. The homicide initially was reported by Flynn as a break-in and shooting, according to 911 records.
She had been shot two times and was pronounced deceased at the scene, Tipp City Police Chief Greg Adkins said.
Caleb Flynn was arrested three days later and has remained held on a $2 million bond in the Miami County Jail.
“We are looking forward to defending this case. We will be entering a not guilty plea tomorrow at the arraignment,” said defense attorney L. Patrick Mulligan of Moermond & Mulligan, who is representing him.
The case has received heightened publicity on a national, and even international level, which prompted the defense team to file a motion in Miami County Municipal Court for restricted access to case filings and discovery in the case “until it has been fully adjudicated and resolved, including access to the clerk’s (online) filing system.” The prosecution had objected to the gag order and restrictions, saying there must be clear and convincing evidence of the need to restrict access to public records. However, the lower court no longer has jurisdiction in the case.
Mulligan said Wednesday there are a series of motions that will need to be filed on his client’s behalf.
The criminal complaint filed Feb. 19 in Miami County Municipal Court indicated Ashley Flynn was shot with a 9mm handgun, and that officers were led astray “by the staging of the crime scene.”
Caleb Flynn called 911 to report someone broke in and that his wife was shot in the head and unresponsive. He also told dispatchers that he was not sure whether an intruder was still in the house, according to an affidavit.
When police arrived, the side door to the garage on the north side of the house was open. Ashley Flynn was found in bed in the master bedroom. Two gun shell casings were found on the floor near the foot of the bed, the court document read.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
Inside the garage, the center console to a 2024 Ford pickup truck was open. This is where Caleb Flynn told police he kept a handgun. Also, police reported that the side door to the garage had a large refrigerator in front of it “that would’ve had to be pushed to open the door,” the affidavit stated.
Caleb Flynn, the couple’s daughters and two Goldendoodles also were home at the time of the shooting. Caleb Flynn told police he had a cough and was not sleeping in the master bedroom that night.
“The two children in the home had not woke up and (were) still in their bedroom throughout this incident,” the court record said.
The deadly shooting and Caleb Flynn’s arrest sent shockwaves through the tight-knit Tipp City community, which has rallied to support the couple’s two elementary-aged daughters. Proceeds from T-shirt sales and a portion of profits from business events plus other donations have been funneled to an online fundraiser that has raised nearly $175,000 from about 1,400 donors.
Ashley Flynn coached seventh-grade girls volleyball at Tippecanoe Middle School and worked as a substitute teacher for Tipp City Schools. She also worked as a teacher for LifeWise Academy in Tipp City, a nonprofit that provides weekly Bible-based lessons to public school students off campus. The Tippecanoe High School graduate also formerly worked as a teacher for Tipp City Schools.
Caleb Flynn was a worship leader at the couple’s church and a former “American Idol” contestant.
The Tipp City Police Department was the lead agency in the investigation, assisted by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Miami County Sheriff’s Office, FBI and Miami County Prosecutor’s Office.
Credit: Miami County Jail
Credit: Miami County Jail
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