Former ‘American Idol’ contestant convicted of killing wife in Ohio

Caleb Flynn, a former Ohio music pastor who appeared on American Idol, has been convicted of murdering his wife, Ashley Flynn, after prosecutors said he staged a home invasion to conceal the killing. Flynn, 40, was also convicted of felonious assault and tampering with evidence in the case. He could receive up to life in prison without parole when he is sentenced on Monday.

Flynn closed his eyes and shook his head as the judge read the verdicts. He later cried after the jury was dismissed. His lawyer, Patrick Mulligan, described the verdict as disappointing and said he expected to file an appeal.

Prosecutors said Flynn shot Ashley Flynn, a 37-year-old teacher and volleyball coach, at the couple’s home in Tipp City, a suburb north of Dayton. Flynn and the couple’s two daughters were at home when police arrived. He claimed a burglar had killed his wife.

Assistant Miami County prosecutor Matthew Joseph told jurors that Flynn wanted to leave the marriage while retaining his relationship with his mistress, his daughters, his job at his wife’s family business and his church position. The prosecution said Flynn had sent a message to his lover the night before the shooting saying he chose her and was free. Prosecutors said the murder weapon was not found, but argued that Flynn’s fingerprints and DNA were present throughout the scene.

They also said data from his devices showed him moving around the house, despite his statement that he had been sleeping when his wife was shot. The woman who said she had been having an affair with Flynn testified that he had told her he hated his wife and had thought about killing her. She said they met in 2022, when she was a 20-year-old intern at his church, and had an affair for more than a year.

Mulligan argued that investigators had not found evidence Flynn fired a gun on the day of the killing. He told jurors that infidelity did not amount to murder, and said the messages complaining about Ashley Flynn were intended to make the other woman feel good. Flynn appeared on American Idol in 2013, singing before Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson and Nicki Minaj, but did not advance to the main competition.