Caleb Flynn allegedly told his mistress that he was willing to give up his relationship with his two daughters to be with her, according to testimony in his ongoing murder trial over the fatal shooting of his wife, Ashley Flynn.

Ashley, a 37-year-old mother of two, was fatally shot in the middle of the night on February 16 at the couple’s home in Tipp City, Ohio. Their daughters, who were 9 and 11 at the time, were asleep in another room.

Caleb is accused of killing Ashley and staging the scene to make it appear that their home had been burglarized. He has pleaded not guilty to charges including murder, aggravated murder, felonious assault, tampering with evidence and witness intimidation.

Alleigha Botner, who testified that she had been having an affair with Caleb for nearly two years, took the stand this week and described text exchanges between the two before Ashley’s death.

During testimony on September 24, Botner read messages that Caleb allegedly sent her in September 2025, as tensions between them reportedly grew over his failure to leave Ashley.

In one message, Caleb allegedly wrote that he was willing to sacrifice his daughters, a large amount of money, his job, his home and possibly his church in order to be with Botner.

In another message allegedly sent the following month, Caleb wrote that leaving Ashley would ruin his daughters’ lives but that he would still do it. He also allegedly told Botner that he was prepared to lose his job, salary, home and full-time relationship with his daughters in order to leave Ashley.

Botner also testified that she had expressed a desire for Ashley to die. In one exchange, she allegedly wrote that she wanted to kill Ashley.

According to Botner, she and Caleb used derogatory terms when referring to Ashley in their messages. She also testified that Caleb repeatedly said he hated his wife and had discussed killing her on several occasions.

Her testimony echoed prosecutors’ allegations that Caleb had told Botner shortly before Ashley’s death that he had spent a long time thinking about ways to kill his wife and had chosen Botner.

Ashley was described by people who knew her as a devoted mother and an active member of her community. She worked with children through Bible studies and was also known as a volleyball coach and church mentor.

Abigail Hufford, a director at LifeWise Academy, previously described Ashley as having a dynamic personality. Ashley’s daughters were reportedly devastated after learning about their father’s alleged affair, according to testimony from Ashley’s sister.

Caleb appeared on the 12th season of “American Idol.” In a 2013 interview, he spoke about his faith and his wife.

The trial is continuing, and the allegations presented in court have not been proven. The jury will ultimately determine whether Caleb is guilty of the charges against him.

SOURCE: PEOPLE, Samira Asma-Sadeque, September 25, 2026.