Caleb Flynn, the former pastor and “American Idol” contestant convicted of murdering his wife, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“Your actions were heinous,” the judge said during sentencing. “You could have walked away, you could have separated yourself from her and let her walk this Earth.”
“You shattered their sense of security, you shattered their innocence. You took something from them that they will never get back, their mother,” the judge continued.
Flynn was convicted last week of shooting and killing his wife, Ashley, in their Tipp City home, then staging the scene to look like a burglary.
Before being sentenced, Flynn gave a statement before the sentencing, addressing his daughters, parents and Ashley’s family in an emotional statement.
Flynn ended his statement by asserting his innocence that he did not kill his wife.
Ashley’s family and daughters also provided statements that were read aloud in court.
“We trusted you, we believed in you, we honestly would have given our lives for you. And because of that, one of my biggest fears was that people would look at you and what you did and start questioning if all of this, the Christianity, the faith, Jesus was real,” said Kayla Keyt, Ashley’s sister.
“Caleb’s decision created a permanent loss that resulted in permanent consequences,” Ashley’s brother-in-law Matt Keyt said in his statement, asking for the maximum sentence for Caleb.
Matthew and Ashley’s mother Jill also read her daughters’ statements as Caleb could be seen breaking down in tears.
“I don’t even know where to start, how could you do such a thing, I admired you, I loved you with all my heart, and then you lied to everyone. Mom was the perfect person, the absolutely perfect person, what did she ever do to make you hate her so much,” Matthew read from one of the girl’s statements. “You chose to kill the only mother I ever had.”
“You had the best life ever and you decided to ruin it forever for a girl half your age,” Ashley Flynn’s mother Jill shared in a statement from one of her daughters.
Jill ended her daughter’s statement by saying she had no plans to visit Flynn in prison.
In the defense memorandum, attorney Patrick Mulligan said Flynn continues to maintain his innocence and maintains his history demonstrates he is “not beyond rehabilitation,” citing neither criminal history. The defense also submitted letters from Flynn’s parents.
Flynn’s defense continues to maintain his innocence, saying it plans to appeal.
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