Caleb Flynn, a former American Idol contestant and Ohio pastor, has been convicted of murdering his wife, Ashley Flynn. The trial featured evidence from his former lover, Alleigha Botner, thousands of text messages, and a song prosecutors said he wrote about their affair. Flynn, 40, was found guilty on Tuesday of murder and eight other charges, including aggravated murder and tampering with evidence.
Prosecutors presented police body-camera footage and data from Flynn's iPhone and Apple Watch from around the time of the killing. They also called dozens of witnesses, including Botner, who had an affair with Flynn. Botner testified about her nearly 18-month relationship with Flynn and some of the roughly 100,000 text messages they exchanged were read in court. In one message, Flynn wrote: "I was up until 4am last night crying, literally thinking of ways to kill her and not go to jail."
Prosecutors said Flynn was afraid of losing custody of his daughters in a divorce, as well as his jobs at his wife's family business and at the church. They also pointed to what they described as inconsistencies in Flynn's account of the night of the killing. Prosecuting attorney Paul Watkins said Flynn told police that he had been in his daughters' bedroom when he heard gunfire and later found his wife dead in their bedroom.
Flynn's defence argued that prosecutors had not presented concrete evidence proving he committed the murder. His lawyer, Patrick Mulligan, said: "Connecting a couple of meaningless dots doesn't solve the case." Mulligan also argued that evidence of Flynn's infidelity did not establish that he had murdered his wife. The gun Flynn kept in the console of his truck has not been found.
Investigators discovered the truck's centre console open after arriving at the scene. Prosecutors also presented evidence concerning music Flynn allegedly created about his relationship with Botner. During the trial, a song that prosecutors said Flynn wrote and dedicated to Botner was played in court. Botner explained its lyrics line by line while testifying.
The jury's reaction to the song, including what appeared to be laughter, later circulated widely online. Flynn's case also attracted attention because of his earlier appearance on American Idol. He appeared on the 12th series of the programme in 2013, performing before judges Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Randy Jackson. He received a "golden ticket" to Hollywood during the televised auditions but did not reach the main competition.
Caleb Flynn faces life imprisonment without parole and is due to be sentenced on October 5. Ashley Flynn was a schoolteacher and volleyball coach. The verdict was delivered after a jury deliberated for less than three hours, and Flynn wept in court as the verdicts were delivered.
Key points
- Caleb Flynn was convicted of murdering his wife, Ashley Flynn, after a trial featuring evidence from his former lover and thousands of text messages.
- Prosecutors presented police body-camera footage and data from Flynn's iPhone and Apple Watch from around the time of the killing.
- Flynn faces life imprisonment without parole and is due to be sentenced on October 5.
