The “American Idol” contestant accused of murdering his wife has been found guilty.
Caleb Flynn was convicted on a slew of charges including the most serious one on Tuesday afternoon. The 40-year-old singer was charged with shooting Ashley Flynn in their bed. He blamed an intruder for the crime that occurred in the couple’s Ohio home in February.
Jurors heard prosecutors present evidence against Flynn including text messages to his mistress expressing his desire to kill the 37-year-old victim.
“I was up until 4 a.m. last night crying, literally trying to think of ways to kill her and not go to jail,” read one of the 100,000 messages sent from his phone.
A text from Flynn sent the day before Ashley was killed was said to have expressed relief that he’d soon be “free.”
Flynn’s defense team conceded he was unfaithful in his marriage, but told jurors that’s not tantamount to being a killer. The defendant appeared rattled as the verdict was read.
Flynn described himself as a singing pastor who loves his wife and the Lord while competing on “American Idol” in 2013.
“I love my wife more than anything, she is very very pretty… oof, I love her,” he told the show.
The defendant’s former lover, Alleigha Botner, testified last week that she met Flynn when she was 20 years old and he was around 36. Botner said she was aware Flynn was married and had two children. She told the court that the relationship didn’t begin as a romance, but evolved into one in March 2024.
She said Flynn first started talking about leaving his wife in August 2025. Botner hoped he’d someday marry her. Now she says she hates him.
“Because I believe that he murdered his wife,” Botner testified.