Flynn Trial: Smith Family releases statement after guilty verdict

By B.J. Bethel

The following statement from Ashley Flynn’s family was read by Miami County Prosecutor Paul Watkins at the press conference on Tuesday, following the verdict in the Caleb Flynn murder trial.

“Today’s verdict brings justice and accountability for Ashley’s death, and our family is deeply grateful to everyone who helped bring us to this moment.

However, no verdict can bring Ashley back, give the girls back their mother or erase the pain our family has endured.

The cruelty of what happened to Ashley and the things we’ve been forced to hear and relive have, at times, felt unbearable.

But through all of it, we held tightly to this truth: Ashley’s life will not be defined by the way it ended — she’ll be remembered for the way she lived. Ashley loved Jesus with her whole heart. Her faith wasn’t something she just spoke about; it was how she lived

She loved people well, found joy beyond her circumstances, prayed boldly for her family and wanted her life to point to Jesus.

Most of all, she loved being a mom.

She prayed over her girls, taught them to love God, and showed them what it looked like to live with faith, kindness, joy and grace.

We refuse to let the evil that ended Ashley’s life have the final word in her story. Our faith does not erase our grief, but it carries us through it.

We know Ashley is home with the Lord she loved and served. So, as this chapter closes, our prayer is that Ashley’s story does not end with a verdict. We pray it continues through her girls, our family and every person touched by the way she lived.

If you want to honor Ashley, love people well, pray boldly for your family, choose joy and point people to Jesus.

We are deeply grateful to the jury for their careful attention and service, the Miami County Prosecutor’s Office, the Tipp City Police Department, FBI, BCI and every investigator and advocate who worked tirelessly to seek the truth.

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for, loved and supported our family.

We ask for privacy as we continue healing and loving Ashley’s girls the way she would want them loved.

Please remember Ashley, not for how she died, but how beautifully she lived.”

 — The Family of Ashley Smith Flynn