The Words Judge Pratt Had for Caleb Flynn Before Giving Him Life

Tony Brueski (0:01)

This is Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski.

Tony Brueski (0:11)

The sentencing of Caleb Flynn taking place this week, and what a sight it was.

We're watching live as the sentencing came down, as the victim impact statements were read. If you want to watch the victim impact statement portion, we have a chapter of that here on the podcast feed on YouTube. This portion that we're taking you to right now, this is the sentencing. This is the judge giving the sentence to Caleb Flynn, and also the court giving their statement to Caleb Flynn. Sometimes judges express their distaste with the client, and this is no different. Let's go to the courtroom and watch. Mr. Perrin, so Ashley Flynn.

Judge Jeannine Pratt (1:02)

Well, the court has considered the statements made by Mr. Flynn and Mr. Kohberger, and sentencing and not wearing them, but they filed with the court. The court has also considered the state's remarks and the victim impact statements presented here in the courtroom and the ones that were submitted on behalf of the remaining extended family that the court has already addressed. The court has also considered the purposes and principles of sentencing as set forth in 29, 29, and 11 Mr. Watkins, does the defendant have any internal work that I don't believe so? Thank you. The court has weighed the recidivism and seriousness factors set forth in 29, 29, 12, and makes the following findings. Under recidivism, likely factors. Defendant demonstrates no genuine being worse. With regard to recidivism, less likely factors. The court finds that defendant has no prior or late record and has been law abiding person in a significant number of years. With regard to seriousness factors, the court finds that the victim suffered serious physical and psychological harm. The offender held a position of trust, and with regard to the victim and the offense was related to that position. There was a relationship with the victim that facilitated the offense, and as a result of this being an assault case in nature, the victim was a family member, household member, and the offense occurred in the vicinity of one of her children. With regard to less serious factors, the court finds no.

The court would like to make some sentencing comments to Mr. Flynn, and to the gallery as a whole. The court's primary function and obligation is to impose a sentence that protects the public, and in some cases, where appropriate, to promote rehabilitation. However, having heard the evidence in this case, and having considered the jury's findings of guilt, as to all nine counts, the court is left with one clear and obvious conclusion, that you, Mr. Flynn, cause an extreme risk of harm to the public, in fact, the highest risk. The only proper disposition is punishment in this case. Your actions, Mr. Flynn, were abhorrent. The layers of deceit, manipulation, and cruelty that you have shown are quite honestly impossible to fathom. And frankly, sir, you used your faith to manipulate the lives of others. And the court finds that deeply disturbing.

And of all the awful things that you said and you did, your maimers did not need to end the way it did. They did not have to end with the brutal, premeditated murder of your wife, Ashley. The mother of your children in her own home, a place where she should have been safe, a place where she should have been loved. And while your children were sleeping just a few feet away, you could have walked away, you could have separated from her and left her here on this earth.

To be able to be with the people that meet her, who loved her, who look forward to having her in their lives. But instead, through your greed, your selfishness, your lust, and your cruelty, you chose to take Ashley's life.

And in doing so, you did far more than take the life of your wife. On that fateful day in February, the person who should have been protecting their children shattered their lives. You shattered their sense of security. You shattered their innocence.

You took from them something they can never give back. Their mothers.

They will live with the scars of what you did for the rest of their lives. They will have to go up with questions that can never be answered. And ultimately, your daughter has asked a question that no child should ever have to ask. And I quote, what did Ashley ever do to make you hate her so much?

The court cannot answer that question for her. And there's no answer that can justify what you did. No sentence can bring Ashley back to her children, but there must be accountability, and there must be justice. So with that, the court has considered the evidence in this case, the jury verdicts, the nature and circumstances of the offenses, the hard cause and the need to protect the public by imposing the following sentence.