Caleb Flynn has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering his wife, Ashley, in Tipp City, Ohio.
The former “American Idol” contestant, 40, was convicted last week on nine charges, including aggravated murder, three counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault and three counts of tampering with evidence.
Flynn became tearful as he addressed the Miami County Common Pleas Court on Monday. He apologised to his two daughters and other relatives, saying: “I made vows to Ashley on our wedding day. I failed in those vows.”
He nevertheless continued to deny killing his wife, telling the court: “As I stand here before God, who is my ultimate judge, I am not lying when I say I did not kill my wife.”
Prosecutors said Flynn shot Ashley, a 37-year-old schoolteacher and volleyball coach, at the couple’s home in February before staging a burglary to conceal the killing. Flynn had claimed that a burglar was responsible.
Miami County Judge Jeannine Pratt said she was deeply disturbed that Flynn had used his faith to conceal what she described as his “deceit” and “lust”. She also referred to a statement from one of Ashley’s daughters, which asked: “What did Ashley ever do to make you hate her so much?”
Caleb Flynn murder trial
During the trial, prosecutors alleged that Flynn wanted to end his marriage while having an affair with Alleigha Botner, whom he met when she was working as an intern at his church. Botner testified that Flynn had told her he hated his wife and had thought about killing her.
Jurors also heard evidence about artificial-intelligence-generated love songs prosecutors said Flynn created for Botner. They were told that his fingerprints and DNA were found at the scene and that data from his devices showed movement around the house, despite his claim that he had been asleep when Ashley was shot.
The firearm used in the killing has not been recovered. Flynn’s defence argued that investigators had found no evidence he had fired a gun, but the jury found him guilty after deliberating for a little over two hours.
His lawyer, Patrick Mulligan, said after the verdict that the defence intended to appeal and that Flynn maintained his innocence. Judge Pratt has also ordered that Flynn be placed on Ohio’s Violent Offender Registry if he is ever released.
Flynn appeared on “American Idol” in 2013, telling viewers that Ashley had encouraged him to pursue his ambitions on the singing competition. He did not progress to the main Hollywood stage.
