Former American Idol Contestant Found Guilty Of Killing His Wife

(Caleb Flynn. Photo Credit: Sky News)

Caleb Flynn, a former American Idol contestant and Ohio pastor, has been found guilty of murdering his wife, Ashley Flynn.

The 40 year old was convicted on Tuesday of murder and eight other charges, including aggravated murder and tampering with evidence.

The jury took less than three hours to reach its verdict.

He faces life in prison without parole and will be sentenced on October 5.

Oline reported that he wept in court as the verdicts were read.

Prosecutors said Flynn shot his 37 year old wife twice in the back of the head while she slept at their home in Tipp City, near Dayton, on February 16.

They said he then tried to make it look like the work of intruders.

The court saw police body camera footage and data from his iPhone and Apple Watch from around the time of the killing.

Dozens of witnesses testified, including Alleigha Botner, a former church intern who had an affair with him.

She spoke about their nearly 18 month relationship, and some of the roughly 100,000 texts they sent each other were read out.

In one August 2025 message, Flynn wrote that he was up until 4am crying and thinking of ways to kill her and not go to jail.

In another he wrote that he just wanted her dead and gone.

Botner said she now hates him because she believes he murdered his wife.

Prosecutors said Flynn feared losing custody of his daughters in a divorce, as well as his jobs at his wife's family business and at the church.

They also pointed to gaps in his story. Prosecutor Paul Watkins said Flynn first told police he was in his daughters' bedroom when he heard gunshots, then found his wife dead after seeing the garage side door open.

He later told investigators he had not been to the garage.

The defence said there was no solid proof. Lawyer Patrick Mulligan said connecting a couple of meaningless dots does not solve the case, and that cheating does not prove murder.

He questioned the tampering charge, asking if they blame him because they cannot find the gun.

The gun he kept in his truck console has not been found, and the console was open when investigators arrived.

A song prosecutors said Flynn wrote for Botner was played in court, and she explained the lyrics line by line.

Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation agent Joseph Wilhelm said several apps were deleted from Flynn's phone before his wife died, including an AI music app he said was linked to his relationship with Botner.

The jury's reaction to the song, including what looked like laughter, spread widely online.

Flynn appeared on the 12th season of American Idol in 2013 before judges Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Randy Jackson.

He got a golden ticket to Hollywood but did not make it to the main competition. Ashley Flynn was a schoolteacher and volleyball coach.