An old American idol The candidate who called 911 to say an intruder had killed his wife was found guilty of her murder. An Ohio jury on Tuesday found Caleb Flynn, 40, a worship leader and former pastor, guilty on all counts in the shooting death of his wife, Ashley, earlier this year, ABC News reports. Prosecutors said Flynn shot the 37-year-old woman twice in the back of the head as she lay in bed on Feb. 16, then staged a break-in to preserve his job in the family business, collect life insurance, keep custody of their two daughters and protect his position at their church, all while continuing a relationship with his mistress.
Flynn’s former mistress, Alleigha Botner, testified against him, saying he hated his wife and had thought about killing her, the AP reports. Jurors heard about more than 100,000 messages between Flynn and Botner. She said that in a May 2025 message he wrote: “If I could literally kill her and not go to hell, I would in a heartbeat.” » The defense argued that the case relied on circumstantial evidence and only proved an affair, not a murder.
- No weapons were found, but Miami County Deputy District Attorney Matthew Joseph said there was plenty of evidence “leading directly to the defendant,” ABC reports. “You heard that the defendant kept a 9mm handgun in the console of his truck. His truck was parked in the garage. That console was in place before law enforcement arrived and the gun was missing,” Joseph said. “You heard Ashley was shot twice in the head with 9mm bullets.” Prosecutors said Flynn removed security cameras that would have captured an intruder weeks before the killing. Prosecutors said he claimed he was sleeping when his wife was shot, but his devices showed he was moving around the house.
Flynn, who did not testify and did not call any witnesses, cried as the verdict was read. His bail was revoked; sentencing is set for October 5. He could face a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The couple lived in Tipp City, a suburb of Dayton, where Ashley Flynn was a substitute teacher and volleyball coach. During his appearance in 2013 on American idolFlynn described himself as a “music pastor” and told singing competition judges that his wife encouraged him to pursue his dreams, the AP reports.
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