Former ‘American Idol’ singer Caleb Flynn convicted of fatally shooting
his wife
[September 30, 2026]
By JOHN SEEWER
A former Ohio music pastor who once appeared on “American Idol” was
convicted of murder Tuesday in the killing of his wife while he was
having an affair.
Prosecutors said Caleb Flynn, 40, staged a home invasion in February
after shooting his wife, Ashley Flynn, a 37-year-old schoolteacher and
volleyball coach.
Flynn, who claimed his wife was killed by a burglar, could get up to
life in prison without the chance of parole when he's sentenced on
Monday.
Flynn closed his eyes, shook his head to the side and fought to maintain
his composure as the judge read the guilty verdicts on charges of
murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence. He began sobbing
while the judge dismissed the jury. His attorney called the verdicts
“disappointing” and said he expects to file an appeal.
Flynn appeared on “American Idol” in 2013, telling TV viewers about how
his wife had encouraged him to chase his dreams on the singing
competition. He sang before judges Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson and Nicki
Minaj but did not advance to the main competition in Hollywood.
Prosecutors told jurors during closing arguments Tuesday that Flynn
wanted out of his marriage when he shot his wife at their home in Tipp
City, a suburb north of Dayton. Flynn and the couple’s two daughters
were home when police arrived.
The night before the fatal shooting, he sent a text to his lover saying:
“I choose you. I’m free. Actions will come tomorrow," said Matthew
Joseph, an assistant Miami County prosecutor.
Flynn didn’t want to lose his daughters, his high-paying job at his
wife’s family business or his position in the church, prosecutors said.
“He wanted to keep his mistress and have his daughters all to himself,”
Joseph said.
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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 on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, in Troy,
Ohio. (Pool via AP)
Prosecutors didn’t find the gun used to kill Ashley Flynn, but they
said his fingerprints and DNA were all over the scene. They also
said his devices showed that he was moving about the house even
though he told investigators he was sleeping when his wife was shot.
During the trial, the woman who said she was having an affair with
Flynn testified that he said he hated his wife and had thoughts of
killing her.
Flynn’s attorney told the jury Tuesday that investigators never
found evidence that Flynn fired a gun that day.
“His being unfaithful doesn’t equal murder,” said Patrick Mulligan.
“The issue here isn’t, ‘Was he a good husband?’”
Text messages Flynn sent to his lover complaining about his wife
were meant to make her feel good, Mulligan said.
Alleigha Botner testified she met Flynn in 2022 while she was a
20-year-old intern at his church and had an affair with him for more
than a year. Botner read some of her text messages with Flynn.
About six months before the killing, Flynn wrote: “I was up until 4
a.m. last night crying, literally trying to think of ways to kill
her and not go to jail.”
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