Former American Idol contestant guilty of fatally shooting wife

Former American Idol contestant Caleb Flynn has been found guilty of murdering his wife while having an affair with an intern at his church. 

During closing arguments on September 29, prosecutors told jurors Caleb Flynn, 40, wanted out of his marriage when he staged a home invasion and shot his wife, 37-year-old Ashley Flynn, at their home in Tipp City, Ohio, in Feburary.

Flynn, best known for his appearance on the 2013 season of the US singing contest, wanted to "keep his mistress and have his daughters all to himself", Miami County assistant prosecutor Matthew Joseph told the court. 

The night before the fatal shooting, he sent a text to his mistress, 24-year-old Alleigha Botner, saying: "I choose you. I'm free. Actions will come tomorrow".

Footage from the courtroom circulated on social media as jurors were played songs Flynn had written for Botner with help from artificial intelligence (AI)-powered music production software. 

Clips of Botner tearfully reading out messages between the two also went viral.  

The jury took just over two hours to decide to convict him on all nine counts of murder, assault and tampering with evidence. 

Here's how it unfolded. 

A staged home invasion

On February 16, Caleb Flynn fatally shot his wife, Ashley Flynn, twice in the back of the head while she slept in their home. 

When police arrived at the family home in the early hours of February 16, Flynn said he found his wife in the bedroom after noticing the side garage door was open. 

His two daughters, aged 10 and 12,  were also there when the killing took place. 

Flynn's gun, which he usually kept in the centre console of his truck, was missing. 

Investigators did not ever find the murder weapon. 

Prosecutors said Flynn's devices showed that he was moving about the house even though he told investigators he was sleeping on the couch when his wife was shot.

Three days later, on February 19,  he was arrested and charged with the murder of Ashley Flynn. 

Mistress testifies 

Flynn's mistress, Alleigha Botner, delivered testimony detailing how Flynn had told her he hated his wife and had thoughts of killing her. 

More than 100,000 text messages between the pair were tabled as evidence and Botner sobbed as she read out one exchange, saying she regretted writing: "I want to kill her Caleb."

He replied: "That makes two of us."

In another text message read in court, Botner said she was not serious, telling Flynn: "I'm not asking that you take her life obviously, because that's not what you should do, and I know you actually wouldn't. But to make the divorce happen, it would change everything."

When a prosecutor asked how she felt about Flynn now, Botner said: "I hate him." 

When asked why, she said: "Because I believe that he murdered his wife."

Botner and Flynn met in 2022 when she was an intern at his church and the affair spanned a year, according to Botner's testimony. 

About six months before Ashley Flynn was killed, Caleb wrote: "I was up until 4am last night crying, literally trying to think of ways to kill her and not go to jail."

Flynn's defence lawyer argued the texts to Botner were meant to make her feel good. 

Love songs written with AI

Another key piece of evidence played by prosecutors in court were AI-generated love songs Flynn created on his phone for Botner. 

Lyrics included: "Age never mattered when it was you and me," and "we danced on the edge of a life we could choose, so close and forever, so much left to lose".

Videos of the courtroom's reaction circulated on social media after it appeared some members of the public gallery struggled to keep a straight face while the music was played. 

Detectives on the case testified they uncovered songs on an uninstalled music creator app that matched lyrics found in Flynn's notes app. 

Videos of Flynn's police interviews were also played for the jury. 

In one, Flynn told investigators that a man had come to the door a day before the killing and handed his wife an American flag while making a "weird sales pitch for America".

In another police interview, Flynn told investigators: "We are a normal married couple who love each other and disagree. I’ve never laid hands on her."

Facing life in prison

After eight days of testimony from 40 prosecution witnesses, Flynn's lawyers decided not to call any witnesses.

Defence lawyer Emily Smith acknowledged Flynn's affair but told jurors: "Caleb is not on trial for being a bad husband. He's not on trial for cheating. You're not here to deliberate on whether or not you like Caleb."

Flynn closed his eyes and shook his head as the judge read the guilty verdicts on charges of murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence. 

His attorney called the verdicts "disappointing" and said he expects to file an appeal.

Flynn will be sentenced on Monday, October 5. 

Flynn gushes about wife in Idol episode

Flynn was seen on United States' television screens in 2013, when he gushed about his wife during his audition episode for American Idol. 

"I love my wife, more than anything, she's very, very pretty, ooft I love her," he said in clips from the episode. 

"I love to sing so that's why I auditioned; maybe my wife kind of nudged me a little bit too."

He sang in televised auditions in Chicago before judges Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson and Nicki Minaj but did not advance to the main competition in Hollywood. 

Ashley Flynn was remembered as "a devoted and loving wife, and a caring and dedicated mother" in an obituary written by the school where she worked as a teacher and volleyball coach.

"She was known for her beautiful smile, warmth, kindness, and the positive impact she had on so many — both in and out of the classroom and on the court," the school district said.