Former “American Idol” contestant and pastor Caleb Flynn has been found guilty of murdering his wife, Ashley, after prosecutors argued that he staged a break-in at their home in Tipp City, Ohio, to conceal the killing.
Flynn, 40, was accused of shooting Ashley, 37, twice in the back of the head while she was asleep in bed on 16 February. The weapon has not been recovered.
He told investigators he was in another room when his wife was killed and claimed an intruder was responsible. Police body-camera footage shown in court captured Flynn crying after calling 911 and asking: “Is she, is she gone, sir?”
Texts revealed during murder trial
Prosecutors relied heavily on thousands of messages exchanged between Flynn and Alleigha Botner, a 24-year-old woman with whom he had an affair. Botner, who met Flynn while working as an intern at his church, testified over two days and said she now hated him.
Several messages appeared to show Flynn discussing ways to kill Ashley. “I need her to die, to cheat again, to leave,” he wrote in one message. In another, he said: “I hate her as well and I want her gone.” When Botner asked, “What can I do?”, Flynn replied: “Kill her.”
In a further message, Flynn wrote: “I was up until 4 a.m. last night … trying to think of ways to kill her and not go to jail. If I could literally kill her and not go to hell, I would do it in a heartbeat.”
Botner said Flynn had discussed leaving Ashley several times from about August, setting deadlines for a separation. She said she gave him a final deadline of 11 January 2026 before cutting off contact.
The pair resumed contact shortly before the killing. In messages sent the night before Ashley died, Flynn wrote: “It’s happening”, “actions will come tomorrow”, “I choose you” and “about to be free”. He also described the following day as “a day I never forget” and “Tomorrow is a big day.” Botner said she had understood “actions” to mean a divorce.
Flynn’s lawyers acknowledged the affair but argued that it did not prove he was a murderer. During opening statements, Emily Smith told jurors: “Caleb is not on trial for being a bad husband. He’s not on trial for cheating. … A man can fail as a husband without being a murderer.”
The defence maintained that Flynn had been asleep and woke after hearing gunshots while he was in the couple’s daughter Ava’s room. His lawyers said there was no proof he had fired the weapon and called no witnesses.
FBI special agent Sarah Deamron testified that investigators found no pry, kick or ram marks on the outside of the front door. Gouge marks were found on the inside of the door frame, she said, rather than outside where they would normally be expected in a forced entry.
Another FBI agent, Andrea Kinzig, said there was no evidence on Ashley’s phone that she had been having an affair, despite Flynn telling Botner that she had.
Defence challenges evidence from Flynn’s former lover
Flynn’s lawyers questioned Botner’s account after she said her phone had stopped working when it fell into water during a solo trip to Clearwater, Florida. She also said her laptop was lost on a flight home and was never recovered.
The defence suggested the missing devices might indicate Botner had played a role in the murder. However, Ring video shown at trial placed her at home around the time Ashley was killed.
Botner said she initially told FBI agents that she did not believe Flynn had killed his wife. During a later interview, she said she did believe he was responsible, describing Ashley’s death as “way too much of a coincidence”. She was not charged and said she had not been offered anything in exchange for her evidence.
Flynn appeared on the 2013 season of “American Idol”, receiving a golden ticket to Hollywood before being eliminated early in the competition. During the programme, he spoke warmly about Ashley, saying: “I love my wife more than anything. She is very, very pretty. I love her.”
In closing arguments, Miami County prosecuting attorney Paul Watkins rejected Flynn’s explanations and said he had a lawful way to leave the marriage. “He had a lawful way to leave, but he was too greedy,” Watkins said. “People lie. Evidence doesn’t.”
