The Caleb Flynn trial entered its final stage Tuesday morning after both sides rested their cases without Flynn taking the stand and without the defense calling any witnesses.

Flynn, 40, is charged in connection with the February 2026 killing of his wife, Ashley Flynn, a 37-year-old teacher and volleyball coach in Tipp City, Ohio. He has pleaded not guilty.

The prosecution presented 40 witnesses over eight days of testimony. Prosecutors have argued that Flynn staged a home-invasion scenario and attempted to make investigators believe an intruder was responsible.

The defense, however, chose not to present testimony from Flynn or any other witness. His attorneys have instead challenged the prosecution’s case, arguing that the evidence is circumstantial and that investigators did not establish Flynn as the person responsible.

That decision does not by itself establish why the defense chose not to call witnesses. In a criminal trial, the prosecution carries the burden of proving the charges, while a defendant has the right not to testify.

Closing arguments are scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. ET Tuesday, after which the case is expected to go to the jury for deliberations.

Prosecutors are expected to emphasize the extensive digital evidence presented during the trial, including more than 100,000 messages exchanged between Flynn and Alleigha Botner, a woman with whom prosecutors say he was having an affair.

The defense has maintained that an affair does not prove Flynn committed the crime and has pointed to what it describes as gaps in the state’s evidence.

With both sides having rested, the next major step is now in the hands of the jury. The jurors will consider the evidence presented in court and determine whether the prosecution has met its burden of proof on the charges.

Source: ᴀssociated Press, CBS News, ABC News