Caleb Flynn broke down in tears Tuesday as an Ohio jury convicted him of murdering his wife Ashley to clear a path to his young mistress.
Flynn, 40, a former “American Idol” contestant and ex-church music pastor, was found guilty on all 11 counts after jurors in Miami County deliberated just 2.5 hours. The aggravated murder conviction could send him to prison without parole. Prosecutors said he shot Ashley, 37, as she slept in their Tipp City bed on Feb. 16, then staged a phony break-in to cover his tracks.
The murder weapon, a 9mm pistol, was never recovered. Flynn’s own 9mm was missing from his truck, where he normally kept it. He claimed a burglar had invaded the home while he and his two preteen daughters slept.
The affair that prosecutors say drove the killing began in 2022. Flynn met Alleigha Botner, then 20, when she interned at the church where he served as music pastor. She is now 24.
More than 100,000 text messages between the lovers became central evidence. Botner was forced to read some aloud in court, including exchanges where Flynn told her he wanted Ashley dead and mulled how to escape detection. Hours before the shooting, he allegedly texted Botner: “I choose you. I’m free. Actions will come tomorrow.”
“He made a choice. Ashley lost her life,” Ohio Prosecutor Paul Watkins told jurors during closing arguments Tuesday.
Defense attorney Patrick Mulligan conceded his client was an adulterous husband who despised his wife. “This is a murder case, and it’s really nothing more,” he said. Mulligan stressed that investigators found no murder weapon, no forensic evidence, no eyewitness testimony and no other direct proof tying Flynn to the killing.
Flynn appeared on “American Idol” in 2013, gushing on camera about his devotion to Ashley, a teacher and volleyball coach. The couple had two daughters together.
Flynn sobbed uncontrollably as the judge read the guilty verdicts, which included tampering with evidence and related crimes alongside the aggravated murder count. He struggled to maintain composure while tears streamed down his face.
Sentencing has been set for Oct. 5.