Former American Idol contestant Caleb Flynn sentenced to life in prison for murdering his wife
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Caleb Flynn has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after he was convicted of murdering his wife, Ashley Flynn.
The former American Idol contestant, 40, was found guilty of nine counts related to her death, including aggravated murder and tampering with evidence.
This image taken from pool court video shows 40-year-old Caleb Flynn listening to the judge reading out the jury’s verdict at the Miami County Court of Common Pleas. Pool via AP
Flynn, 40, fatally shot his wife, a 37-year-old teacher, in the back of the head as she slept before staging a home invasion to make it appear as if someone had broken in through the garage.
He claims he was asleep when he heard gunshots and rushed to find his wife dead. The couple’s two daughters, aged 10 and 12, were both asleep in the house at the time.
During closing arguments, prosecutors told jurors that Flynn wanted out of his marriage due to having an affair with an intern at his church.
Miami County assistant prosecutor Matthew Joseph told the court that Flynn wanted to “keep his mistress and have his daughters all to himself”.
The night before his wife’s death, Flynn sent a text to his mistress, 24-year-old Alleigha Botner, saying “I choose you. I’m free. Actions will come tomorrow.”
Over eight days of testimony the prosecution called dozens of witnesses, including Botner, who read aloud some of the pair’s 100,000 text messages, including another where Flynn wrote, “I was up until 4am last night crying, literally thinking of ways to kill her and not go to jail.”
The jury deliberated for just over two hours before deciding to convict Flynn on all nine charges.
After Judge Jeannine Pratt read the verdict, Flynn broke down in tears before being taken from the courtroom in handcuffs.
During the sentencing hearing, letters from both of Flynn’s daughters were read in court.
One letter read, “Dear Daddy, I don’t even know where to start. How could you do such a thing? Mommy was the perfect person... And then you chose to kill the only mother I ever had.”
The other addressed Flynn as “Caleb”, and pleaded with him to “tell everyone what you did and receive your outcome”.
“You made me feel like an idiot thinking I could trust you,” his daughter’s letter continued, before stating that she will never visit him in prison.
Flynn reportedly sobbed loudly while the letters from his daughters were read.
This image taken from video shows Caleb Flynn reading his statement to the court before being sentenced. Pool Photo via AP
Flynn also read his own statement, apologising for “decisions” he had made, while maintaining his innocence and claiming that he did not kill his wife.
"I made vows to Ashley on our wedding day. I failed those vows," he said.
Flynn appeared on American reality series, American Idol, back in 2013 where he gushed about his wife during his audition.
“I love my wife, more than anything,” he said in clips from the episode.
“She’s very, very pretty, ooft I love her.”
