Ohio man who called 911 to report wife shot and intruder in their home charged with her murder
An Ohio man who called 911 to report that his wife had been shot in their bedroom and that an intruder was in their home has now been charged with her murder, with authorities alleging he killed the mother of their two daughters and staged the crime scene.
Officers responding to a home in Tipp City, north of Dayton, for a reported burglary and shooting early Monday found 37-year-old Ashley Flynn dead at the scene, according to police.
Her husband, 39-year-old Caleb Flynn, and their two children were inside the home at the time, police said.
"Somebody broke into my home. Somebody broke in my home and shot my wife," a frantic-sounding Caleb Flynn can be heard in the 911 call, according to audio released by the Miami County Prosecutor's Office.
"My wife, she's got two shots to her head, there's blood everywhere, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God," he says, adding that the door to the garage was "wide open" and urging first responders to "please hurry."
In what it called a "complex" case, the Tipp City Police Department announced that Caleb Flynn was arrested Thursday evening in connection with the murder of his wife. He has been charged with murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence.
Detectives believe that "officers were lead [sic] astray by the staging of the crime scene," and that Caleb Flynn shot and killed his wife with a 9mm handgun, according to the criminal complaint.
Flynn pleaded not guilty to the charges at his arraignment on Friday.
"I just want to take care of my daughters, I'm not a risk," he said, when asked if he had anything to say regarding his bond.
His bond was ultimately set at $2 million and he was ordered to have no contact with his minor children, court records show. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 26.
His attorney said Caleb Flynn "looks forward to defending this case."
"We are both disappointed and concerned about the short timeline and seeming rush to judgment in this case," his attorney, L. Patrick Mulligan, said in a statement to ABC News. "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."
The Tipp City Police Department said Thursday that as a result of its investigation, "probable cause existed to charge Caleb Flynn with the murder of his wife."
Police did not release any further details on the investigation, citing the "ongoing nature of this case."
"As previously stated, the family and community deserve a thorough, professional, and compassionate investigation into this very sensitive matter," the police department said.
Ashley Flynn was a middle school volleyball coach, "dedicated" substitute teacher and former teacher for Tipp City Schools, the school district said.
"She was known for her beautiful smile, warmth, kindness, and the positive impact she had on so many -- both in and out of the classroom and on the court," Tipp City Schools said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with all who are grieving during this difficult time."
The family's church, Christian Life Center in Dayton, said the arrest of Caleb Flynn for his wife's murder "brings understandable shock and sorrow."
"Two young daughters have lost their mother. A family is devastated," Christian Life Center pastor Jordan Paul Hansen said in a social media post on Friday. "Now is the time to pray, to guard against gossip/speculation. Let us be a church marked by prayer, wisdom, restraint, and love."
