Ohio Music Pastor Convicted of Wife's Murder After Staging Fake Home Invasion

Caleb Flynn, 40, a former "American Idol" auditioner, was found guilty of murdering his wife Ashley while conducting an affair. He faces life in prison without parole.

Former "American Idol" Contestant Found Guilty of Murdering Schoolteacher Wife

A former Ohio music pastor who auditioned on "American Idol" in 2013 was convicted Tuesday of murdering his wife, Ashley Flynn, while carrying on an extramarital affair, abc7ny.com reports.

Caleb Flynn, 40, was found guilty on charges of murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence. He faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole when sentenced Monday.

Flynn closed his eyes and shook his head as the judge read the verdicts aloud, struggling to maintain his composure. He began sobbing as the judge dismissed the jury.

Prosecutors said Flynn shot Ashley Flynn, a 37-year-old schoolteacher and volleyball coach, at the family's home in Tipp City — a suburb north of Dayton — in February, then staged the scene to look like a home invasion. Flynn and the couple's two daughters were present when police arrived.

Assistant Miami County prosecutor Matthew Joseph told jurors Flynn had multiple reasons to want out of his marriage without losing what came with it. "He wanted to keep his mistress and have his daughters all to himself," Joseph said. Prosecutors argued Flynn also sought to protect his high-paying job at his wife's family business and his standing in the church.

A woman who testified she had been having an affair with Flynn told the court he had said he hated his wife and had entertained thoughts of killing her. Alleigha Botner said she met Flynn in 2022 when she was a 20-year-old intern at his church. The affair lasted more than a year. During her testimony, Botner read aloud text messages Flynn had sent her.

In one message sent roughly six months before the killing, Flynn wrote: "I was up until 4 a.m. last night crying, literally trying to think of ways to kill her and not go to jail."

Defense attorney Patrick Mulligan argued investigators never recovered a murder weapon or physical evidence that Flynn had fired a gun. "His being unfaithful doesn't equal murder," Mulligan told the jury. "The issue here isn't, 'Was he a good husband?'" He also contended Flynn's messages complaining about his wife were intended to make his lover feel wanted, not to be taken literally.

Flynn's appearance on "American Idol" brought unusual public attention to the trial. In 2013, he auditioned before judges Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson and Nicki Minaj, telling viewers that his wife had encouraged him to compete. He did not advance to the Hollywood round.

Source: NYT US News