Prosecution and defense rest in Caleb Flynn’s murder trial

The prosecution and defense rested Monday in the murder trial of Caleb Flynn , the former “American Idol” contestant accused of killing his wife and staging the crime scene.

The prosecution called 40 witnesses over seven days of testimony, while the defense did not call any witnesses. Closing arguments are set for Tuesday morning.

Flynn, 40, is standing trial for his wife’s murder roughly seven months after he called 911 and told authorities an intruder broke into his home and killed her while he was in his daughters’ bedroom.

Prosecutors allege the former “American Idol” contestant murdered his wife, Ashley, and staged the crime scene, pointing to his affair with a fellow worship leader at his church as a motive for the killing.

During the trial, jurors visited the crime scene at the family’s Tipp City, Ohio, home, saw police bodycam footage from the night of Ashley’s death and heard testimony from 40 prosecution witnesses, including Flynn’s 24-year-old mistress .

Flynn believed if he could successfully frame a “faceless” intruder for his wife’s murder, he would be able to keep his relationship with his mistress, full custody of his daughters, his “lucrative” job at his wife’s family business and his position as a worship leader, Miami County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Watkins said in his opening statement.

“The evidence will not show that Ashley was murdered by a stranger who vanished into the night,” Watkins said. “The evidence will show that Ashley was murdered by her husband, the father of her two young children.”

With no murder weapon, Caleb Flynn’s trial focuses on affair and alleged intruder

Flynn’s defense acknowledge he had an affair but told jurors, “a man can fail as a husband without being a murderer.” Defense attorney Emily Smith argued the prosecution’s case lacked key evidence, including the murder weapon , and had little to stand on aside from his infidelity.

“Caleb gave them motive and his conduct made him incredibly easy to dislike – none of those things can substitute for proof of murder,” Smith said in her opening statement.

Flynn has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder, tampering with evidence and several other charges. If convicted of the most serious charge, he could be sentenced to life in prison without parole.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

周一，控辩双方结束了对前“美国偶像”选手卡莱布·弗林的谋杀案审判。弗林被控杀害妻子并伪造犯罪现场。

在为期七天的庭审中，检方传唤了40名证人，而辩方没有传唤任何证人。结案陈词定于周二上午进行。

40 岁的弗林因谋杀妻子而受审。大约七个月前，他拨打 911 报警，称一名入侵者闯入他的家中，在他女儿的卧室里杀死了妻子。

检方指控这位前“美国偶像”参赛者谋杀了他的妻子阿什利，并伪造了犯罪现场，指出他与教会另一位敬拜领袖的婚外情是杀人动机。

审判期间，陪审员们前往位于俄亥俄州蒂普市的弗林家，查看了犯罪现场，观看了阿什利死亡当晚的警方执法记录仪录像，并听取了 40 名控方证人的证词，其中包括弗林 24 岁的情妇。

迈阿密县检察官保罗·沃特金斯在开庭陈述中表示，弗林认为，如果他能成功地陷害一个“无名”闯入者谋杀他的妻子，他就能保住与情妇的关系、女儿们的完全监护权、在妻子家族企业中“收入丰厚”的工作以及他作为敬拜领袖的职位。

沃特金斯说：“证据不会表明艾什莉是被一个消失在夜色中的陌生人谋杀的。证据会表明，艾什莉是被她的丈夫，她两个年幼孩子的父亲谋杀的。”

由于没有找到凶器，卡莱布·弗林的审判重点放在婚外情和涉嫌闯入者身上。

弗林的辩护律师承认他有婚外情，但告诉陪审团，“一个人可能作为丈夫不称职，但这并不意味着他就是杀人犯。”辩护律师艾米丽·史密斯辩称，检方的指控缺乏关键证据，包括凶器，除了他的婚外情之外，几乎没有其他证据可以站得住脚。

“卡莱布给了他们作案动机，他的行为也让人非常讨厌他——但这些都不能代替谋杀的证据，”史密斯在开庭陈述中说道。

弗林对加重谋杀罪、篡改证据罪及其他几项指控均不不认罪。如果最严重的指控成立，他可能被判处终身监禁，不得假释。

这是一则正在更新的新闻。