Jurors spent hours on September 25, 2026, reviewing messages exchanged between former "American Idol" contestant Caleb Flynn and his former mistress, Alleigha Botner, during a court session. Defense attorneys aimed to characterize the relationship as emotionally charged and focused on divorce rather than murder. The day concluded with testimony from a digital forensics expert from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation regarding data retrieved from Flynn's cellphone.
Botner testified that she and Flynn discussed wanting his wife dead months before Ashley was killed. She recounted a message she sent to Flynn stating, "I want to kill her, Caleb," to which Flynn allegedly replied, "That makes two of us." Prosecutors emphasized the messages exchanged the night before Ashley's death, questioning whether Flynn was ready to leave his wife. Botner read from their conversations, expressing deep feelings for Flynn and her fears about their relationship.
Botner stated that Flynn responded to her concerns by expressing similar feelings and mentioning a significant day ahead. She later told Flynn, "You're about to be free," to which he replied, "I choose you ... You're more than enough. Good night."
After Ashley's death, Botner testified that Flynn hugged her and remarked, "It didn't happen the way we thought it would, did it?" Botner expressed increasing suspicion as Flynn described the events surrounding Ashley's shooting. The defense attempted to reframe the prosecution's evidence, suggesting Botner understood Flynn's messages as intentions to divorce rather than to commit murder. Botner confirmed she did not believe Flynn intended to act on his statements about wanting Ashley dead.
The defense also highlighted Botner's research on divorce proceedings and her concerns about the affair becoming public. Botner acknowledged pressuring Flynn to leave Ashley and expressed that she did not believe he was capable of carrying out violent threats.
Following Botner's testimony, prosecutors called Special Agent Joseph Wilhelm, a digital forensics examiner, who detailed the evidence recovered from Flynn's iPhone, including browser history and location data leading up to Ashley Flynn's death. Wilhelm noted that ChatGPT was uninstalled from Flynn's phone shortly before the incident, and there were no text messages between Flynn and Ashley found on the device. The trial is expected to continue with further examination of the evidence.