Caleb Flynn's mistress testifies in murder trial

U.S. NewsOhio man’s mistress testifies he wanted wife ‘dead and gone’By Cliff Pinckard, cleveland.comTROY, Ohio — The former mistress of an Ohio man accused of killing his wife in a staged robbery testified Wednesday, saying that he texted her how much he hated his wife and that he wanted her “dead and gone.”Alleigha Botner, 24, met Caleb Flynn, 40, at the church they both attended, according to CNN. Their affair lasted about 18 months and ended in December 2025.According to testimony Wednesday, Botner and Flynn exchanged about 100,000 messages in less than a year. Botner testified that Flynn would wish for his wife’s death about once per month, CNN reports.“At first, it was, ‘I want her dead’ and ‘I wish she was gone,’ and then it was, ‘If I could kill her and not go to jail I would,’” Botner testified. “One night he was up really late thinking about — he told me he was thinking about ways to kill her.”Flynn’s wife, Ashley Flynn, 37, was shot in the head in her home in Tipp City, Ohio, in February 2026. Caleb Flynn said his wife had been murdered by an intruder, but he was later arrested and charged after authorities said he killed her and tried to make it look like a robbery gone wrong.Botner said that she began to give Caleb Flynn ultimatums about getting married and that she would leave him if he did not get a divorce, WDTN Channel 2 reports. Flynn resisted, saying he did not want to upset his two daughters, Botner said.CNN reports that Botner testified that Flynn finally promised to leave his wife on Feb. 16, the day of the murder. She said her heart started pounding when she learned of Ashley Flynn’s death.“It seemed like too much of a coincidence that the day he’s divorcing her, she’s just dead all of a sudden,” Botner said.When asked about her feelings now toward Caleb Flynn, Botner testified that she hated him and that she believes he killed his wife.WHIO Channel 7 reports that an FBI agent testified that when Botner was interviewed four days after Ashley Flynn’s death, she denied having an affair with Caleb Flynn. Botner testified that she was afraid news of the affair would ruin her reputation.The agent said that texts found on Botner’s phone showed she had a “contentious” relationship with Ashley Flynn. Botner was house-sitting for her pastor at a home in Vandalia on the night of the murder, according to testimony.Botner is expected to continue testifying today.Cliff Pinckard has been with The Plain Dealer/cleveland.com since 1999. He has been a copy editor in the sports and entertainment departments, and also has been an online reporter and editor. He currently is an...