Former ‘American Idol’ contestant to be sentenced for wife’s murder

An Ohio man who was found guilty of murdering his wife and staging the crime scene to make it seem as if an intruder had broken into their home and fatally shot the mother of two is set to be sentenced on Monday.

Caleb Flynn, 40, a former pastor who once appeared as a contestant on "American Idol" in 2013, was found guilty of aggravated murder and multiple counts of murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of his wife, 37-year-old Ashley Flynn.

The jury deliberated for nearly 2 1/2 hours before reaching a verdict on Sept. 29, finding him guilty of all charges. His sentencing hearing is set to begin at 3 p.m. ET Monday. He faces up to life in prison without parole.

Caleb Flynn called 911 early on Feb. 16 to report that his wife had been shot by an intruder at their home in Tipp City, north of Dayton. He was arrested three days later.

Prosecutors alleged that Caleb Flynn "executed" his wife by shooting her twice in the back of the head in bed so that he could be with his mistress and manipulated the crime scene to make it seem as if an intruder had broken in through the garage.

During closing arguments, Miami County Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Joseph pointed to evidence including the physical scene and a side garage door he said was made to look as if an intruder had damaged it, Caleb Flynn's 911 call, text messages between the defendant and his mistress discussing the end of his marriage and digital records from the night of the shooting, which he argued "leads straight to the defendant."

"The evidence showed that being the victim would allow the defendant to keep his lucrative job working for Ashley's family business, he would benefit from Ashley's life insurance, and he could keep his position as a working worship leader with zero impact to his reputation within the church," Joseph said during closing arguments on Sept. 29 in the Miami County courtroom. "The evidence does not tell the story of an intruder."

Defense attorney Patrick Mulligan argued during his closing that the state's evidence is circumstantial, and that the only thing prosecutors proved was that Caleb Flynn was having an affair.

"Connecting a couple of meaningless dots doesn't solve the case," Mulligan told jurors.

Caleb Flynn did not testify during the trial and the defense called no witnesses.

He denied killing his spouse in an interview with police days after the deadly shooting, according to video shown during the more than weeklong trial.

His former mistress testified for the state during the trial, reading from some of the more than 100,000 messages they exchanged over her two days of testimony.

"If I could literally kill her and not go to hell, I would do it in a heartbeat," Caleb Flynn said in one message from May 2025, Botner testified.

Following the guilty verdict, Mulligan told reporters that he expected there to be a notice of appeal filed.

When asked what appellate issues they have, he said, "There's a lack of evidence on prior calculation and design."

Prosecuting Attorney Paul Watkins, whose office prosecuted the case, thanked the jury "for their dedication to justice in this case."

In a statement read by Watkins, Ashley Flynn's family said they "refuse to let the evil that ended Ashley's life have the final word in her story."

"Ashley loved Jesus with her whole heart. Her faith wasn't simply something she simply spoke about. It was how she lived," the statement said. "She loved people well, found joy beyond her circumstances, prayed boldly for her family, and wanted her life to point people to Jesus."

"Most of all, she loved being a mom," the statement continued. "She prayed over her girls, taught them to love God, and showed them what it looked like to live with faith, kindness, joy, and grace."

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