Former American Idol singer gets life in prison for wife's murder

A former music pastor from Ohio who appeared briefly on American Idol has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a jury convicted him of murdering his wife while he was having an affair.

Caleb Flynn, 40, used his Christian faith to manipulate others and showed no remorse for his actions, which were marked by "layers of deceit, manipulation and cruelty", Judge Jeannine Pratt said.

Just before he was sentenced, Flynn tearfully apologised to his family, starting with his two young daughters, who were home when he shot his wife in her sleep. He called their births the "greatest joy in this life".

Flynn accepted responsibility for his words and decisions, but remained adamant that he was innocent.

"As I stand here before God, who is my ultimate judge, I am not lying when I say I did not kill my wife," he said.

Prosecutors said Flynn staged a home invasion in February and claimed a burglar killed his wife, Ashley Flynn, a 37-year-old schoolteacher and volleyball coach.

In his 2013 appearance on American Idol, Flynn credited his wife with encouraging him to chase his dreams on the singing contest.

He did not advance to the main competition in Hollywood.

Flynn did not testify on his own behalf during the trial, nor did anybody else.

Family members, including Ms Flynn's parents, spoke in favour of the harsh sentence, but said they had forgiven Flynn because they did not want her legacy to be hatred.

Her sister, Kayla Keyt, said Flynn's actions had scarred the entire church community, prompting children to run into their parents' bedrooms to make sure their fathers had not killed their mothers.

As a family member read a statement written by his daughter Ava, Flynn sobbed uncontrollably as a pile of tissues grew on the defence table in front of him.

At one point, it appeared he might fall over.

"Mummy was the perfect person,"

her statement said.

"The absolute perfect person. What did she ever do to you to make you hate her so much?"

Flynn's other daughter, Alyssa, said in her statement that she would not visit him in prison.

During closing arguments, prosecutors told jurors that Flynn wanted out of his marriage when he shot his wife at their house in the small town of Tipp City, about 25 kilometres north of Dayton, Ohio.

Prosecutors said he sent a text message to his lover, Alleigha Botner, on the night before the shooting that said: "I choose you. I'm free. Actions will come tomorrow."

During the trial, Ms Botner testified that she met Flynn in 2022 when she was 20 and working as an intern at his church. Ms Botner said she had an affair with Flynn for more than a year.

She told jurors that Flynn said he hated his wife and had thoughts of killing her.

The gun used to kill Ashley Flynn was not found at the scene and Flynn's lawyer told jurors that investigators found no evidence that his client had fired a gun that day.

Prosecutors said his fingerprints and DNA were at the scene and that his devices showed him moving around the house even though he claimed he was asleep at the time of the shooting.

The jury found him guilty of multiple counts, including murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence.