Jury Trials Begin in Ohio and North Carolina

Jury selection is beginning this week in two murder trials, one in Miami County, Ohio, and another in Charlotte, North Carolina. In Ohio, Caleb Flynn is accused of killing his wife, Ashley, in 2020 and staging the scene as a home invasion; he faces aggravated murder, assault, evidence-tampering and witness-intimidation charges. Prosecutors allege Ashley was shot twice in the head while sleeping, while Flynn’s defense plans to contest the case. In Charlotte, James Salerno and Lavi Pham are charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping in the 2020 killing of 20-year-old Mary Collins, who prosecutors say was lured to a NoDa apartment, stabbed more than 130 times, wrapped in plastic and tape, and concealed inside a mattress. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty, and Pham’s defense plans to argue voluntary intoxication; the trial is expected to last about six weeks. A third defendant, Kelly Lavery, pleaded guilty and received a 25-to-32-year sentence, while a fourth, America Diehl, faces a later court hearing.