Caleb Flynn’s Own Words Became the Case Against Him

Caleb Flynn’s private messages and his police interrogation arrived in court from opposite ends of the timeline. One showed what he told Alleigha Botner in the months before Ashley Flynn died. The other showed what he told Detective Mike Morgan hours after her death. The prosecution asked jurors to see a connection between them. The defense argued that connection was being manufactured from bad words and a bad marriage.

Botner read messages in which Caleb discussed Ashley’s death repeatedly. The June 12 exchange ended with “I’ve never joked about it.” On July 4 came “please take her out.” In...