Alleigha Botner testified in Caleb Flynn’s murder trial, reading excerpts from 34 books containing 107,000 messages exchanged during their affair. Prosecutors say Flynn’s texts about killing his wife, Ashley, show motive; he has pleaded not guilty to murder.
Botner testified that Flynn texted on Feb. 15 that he planned to tell Ashley he wanted a divorce the next day. Hours after Ashley’s death, she said, Flynn told her, “It didn’t happen the way we thought it would, did it?” and said he heard a shot while on the couch. Her account differed from his statement to investigators that he was in his daughters’ bedroom. Botner also admitted deleting messages and lying in her first FBI interview, then said she came clean on Feb. 26.
On cross-examination, Botner said she had not believed Flynn meant his statements about killing Ashley and allowed he might have said he hated her to make Botner feel better. She testified that she now believes he murdered Ashley. Flynn’s defense acknowledged the affair and messages but argued prosecutors lacked key evidence, including the murder weapon, to prove he committed a crime.
