A former Ohio music pastor and former American Idol contestant was convicted of murder on Tuesday for killing his wife, Ashley Flynn, a schoolteacher and volleyball coach. Caleb Flynn, 40, was found guilty of murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence after a February home invasion in Tipp City, a suburb north of Dayton. He faces life in prison without parole.
During the trial, prosecutors argued that Flynn had an affair and wanted to escape his marriage. They said he shot his wife while both were at home with their two daughters. Flynn claimed the death was the work of a burglar, but investigators found no gun or evidence that he fired a weapon.
Flynn first appeared on American Idol in 2013, where he sang before judges Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson and Nicki Minaj. He told viewers that his wife had encouraged him to pursue a singing career, but he did not advance to the Hollywood rounds.
Defense attorney Patrick Mulligan argued that unfaithfulness does not equal murder and that investigators had not found a gun. Prosecutor Matthew Joseph said Flynn wanted to keep his mistress and daughters for himself. A woman who had been having an affair with Flynn testified that he had expressed hatred toward his wife and thoughts of killing her.
