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Former ‘American Idol’ contestant charged with murder, staging crime scene in wife’s slaying in Ohio

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Former ‘American Idol’ contestant charged with murder, staging crime scene in wife’s slaying in Ohio


Authorities in Ohio have arrested a former contestant on “American Idol” and charged him with shooting and killing his wife and staging the crime scene to mislead investigators.

Caleb Flynn, 39, pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of murder, assault and tampering with evidence.

“I just want to take care of my daughters. I’m not a risk,” he told Judge Samuel Huffman in a video of his arraignment from jail.

The judge set his bond at $2 million.

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Ashley Flynn, 37, was found dead Monday after officers received a report of a burglary and shooting at a Tipp City home, according to a news release by Tipp City Police. Her husband and two children were inside the home when officers arrived.

In a 911 call released by authorities, a frantic Caleb Flynn tells a dispatcher someone broke into his home and killed his wife. He says she was shot multiple times in the head and he doesn’t know whether the intruder was still there.

“There’s blood everywhere, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,” he says.

His attorney, Patrick Mulligan, said in a statement on Saturday he and Flynn were “disappointed and concerned about the short timeline and seeming rush to judgment in this case.” Police arrested Flynn on Thursday.

“When the government runs out of leads or can’t develop leads and looks at a surviving spouse in cases such as these, the chance of a wrongful conviction increases,” the statement said.

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Tipp City Police Chief Greg Adkins defended the investigation, saying in an email on Saturday that it had “not moved fast.”

“Rather, it has progressed at a pace dictated by a thorough and deliberate investigative process,” he said.

Ashley Flynn was a middle school volleyball coach and substitute teacher, Tipp City Schools said on its Facebook page.

“She was known for her beautiful smile, warmth, kindness, and the positive impact she had on so many-both in and out of the classroom and on the court,” the post said.

The video in the player above is from a previous report.

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Copyright © 2026 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.



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Ohio

Licking County real estate transfers for June 15-19, 2026, hit $697K

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Licking County real estate transfers for June 15-19, 2026, hit 7K



Real estate transfers in Licking County, Ohio, range from $55,000 to $697,500

The following are property transfers recorded in Licking County from June 15-19, 2026.

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First name indicates the seller; second name represents the buyer

Bowling Green Township 

  • No address listed – South St.; Gohl Investments LLC; Jude Properties LLC; 6/16/2026; $55,000

Eden Township

  • 12967 Pleasant Valley Road; Troyer, Bryan L; Phillips, Charles and Susan; 6/15/2026; $170,000

Granville

  • 319 Summit St.; Dunham, Timothy and Jill; Lenfest, Cody and Pagett, Victoria Rose; 6/16/2026; $585,000

Harrison Township

  • 6582 Outville Road SW; AJ Pataskala LLC; Bemiller, Paige O and Gillam, Hunter; 6/16/2026; $286,000

Johnstown

  • 51 Kasson St.; Jones, Dana; Dyer, Steven R and Melissa C; 6/15/2026; $169,900

Madison Township

  • 20 Fairfield Drive NE; Ullom, Gary and Barbara A; KP Homes LLC; 6/15/2026; $190,000

Newark

  • 1781 Ashford Lane; Scott, Mark W; Bergeron, Kyle M and Jacqueline M; 6/15/2026; $697,500
  • 1687 Emerald Court; Roelle, Courtney R (Trustee); Haren, Patrick and Kayla L; 6/15/2026; $410,000
  • 889 Dietrich Court; Fahner, Adam and Hannah; Bales, Preston T; 6/16/2026; $315,000
  • 67 N. 31st St.; Morgan, Randy; Piper, Marian Richele; 6/15/2026; $275,000
  • 195 Jefferson Road; Meister, Rachel; Flippin’ Out Renovations LLC; 6/17/2026; $150,000
  • 63 W. Harrison St.; Linn, Carolyn M; Bloise, David Jr; 6/16/2026; $65,000



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3 family members accused of murdering Ethan Vernon in Ohio

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3 family members accused of murdering Ethan Vernon in Ohio


A family in Ohio has been indicted for murder after the body of a 20-year-old man was found in a burnt vehicle.

Sarah Haning, Randy Haning and Beverly Haning have been charged in the death of 20-year-old Ethan Vernon, Meigs County Prosecuting Attorney James K. Stanley said on Thursday. On Wednesday, a grand jury indicted the three members on charges that include murder, arson and gross abuse of a corpse. 

Vernon was found dead in his burnt truck on Dec. 12, 2025, along Hemlock Grove Road in Bedford Township in Meigs County. Stanley said in the news release that the 20-year-old man was last seen on Dec. 11, 2025. 

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The prosecuting attorney said the indictment was handed down after an “extensive investigation.” Twenty-four-year-old Sarah Haning was indicted on 49 counts, 65-year-old Randy Haning on 11 counts and 63-year-old Beverly Haning on nine counts. All three family members are from Athens. The relationship between the victim and the three suspects was not immediately released. Vernon’s cause of death was also not immediately released.

In a Facebook post, Meigs County Sheriff Scott Fitch said the three suspects were arrested on Wednesday after law enforcement served a search warrant at a home on Pleasanton Road in Athens County.

“This investigation has been a lengthy and complex effort, and today’s arrests are the result of countless hours of work by our detectives,” Fitch said in the post on Facebook. “While these arrests mark a significant milestone, the investigation remains active, and we will continue to pursue every available lead to ensure justice is served for Ethan Vernon and his family.”

Anyone with any information on the case can call the sheriff’s tip line at 740-992-4682.   

“Additional information will be released as it becomes available and as the investigation permits,” Fitch added. 

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Assistant Ohio AG punched on Cincinnati street by man seeking money, police say

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Assistant Ohio AG punched on Cincinnati street by man seeking money, police say


A West Price Hill man is accused of punching an Ohio assistant attorney general after asking her for money, according to arrest documents and officials.

Jermaine Johnson, 50, is charged with misdemeanor assault after Cincinnati police say he punched Kathleen Fischer in the face July 1, according to court records.

Fischer was injured in the attack but was not hospitalized, arrest documents show.

Fischer is a senior assistant attorney general in the consumer protection section of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. She spent more than a decade as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office before taking on her new role in 2025.

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Fischer is also the daughter of Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat Fischer, who hails from Fort Thomas.

Arrest documents list Fischer as the victim of the attack. An attorney general’s office spokesman and Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office spokesman also confirmed Fischer was the victim of the attack.

Fischer told police she was walking on Sycamore Street outside the prosecutor’s office around 4:30 p.m. when she ran into Johnson, arrest documents show. Johnson asked Fischer for money and as she continued to walk away, he punched her in the face, documents state.

A Cincinnati police officer then found Johnson two blocks away shortly after.

Johnson gave police a “conflicting statement” but told officers he may have accidentally hit her.

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Johnson is also charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, court records show. Police say they found a glass pipe on Johnson while he was being arrested.

Johnson is expected to be arraigned in Hamilton County Municipal Court at 12:30 p.m., according to court records. He remains in custody at the Hamilton County Justice Center.

This report will be updated.

Enquirer reporter Matthew Cupelli contributed.

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