Ohio man receives life sentence for killing wife

An Ohio judge sentenced former music pastor and “American Idol” contestant Caleb Flynn to life in prison without the possibility of parole Monday for killing his wife and staging a break-in at their home. Flynn, 40, maintained his innocence as relatives described the loss of Ashley Flynn and its effect on their two daughters.

A jury found Flynn guilty of aggravated murder in the February shooting of Ashley, 37, a schoolteacher and volleyball coach. CBS News reported that he was convicted of nine charges in all: aggravated murder, three counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault and three counts of tampering with evidence.

Prosecutors said Flynn shot his wife while she was asleep in bed, then tried to make the Tipp City home look as though an intruder had broken in. According to CBS News, prosecutors said Ashley was shot twice in the back of the head on Feb. 16. Flynn called 911 and said someone had broken in while he slept on the couch. He told investigators he woke to the sound of gunshots, NBC News reported. The couple’s daughters were home when police arrived.

Miami County Common Pleas Judge Jeannine Pratt said Flynn posed a high risk of harm to the community. “The layers of deceit, manipulation and cruelty are hard to fathom,” she said. “And you used your faith to manipulate the lives of others.”

Flynn did not testify at trial, CBS News reported. Before sentencing, he acknowledged lying about other matters but denied killing his wife. “I loved her and loved her. She was my wife. She was beautiful and amazing in countless ways,” he said, according to NBC News. He told the court he would continue to fight to prove his innocence.

Flynn apologized to his daughters and told them they were his greatest joy. The girls, who were 9 and 11 when their mother was killed, did not attend court. Family members read their statements aloud. Both asked their father to confess, NBC News reported.

“I love you deeply with all my heart and it’s sad that you can’t love anyone but yourself,” his daughter Alissa wrote. His daughter Ava described seeing photos and videos of the trial online. “My heart aches to see you hurt, but then I think it was your choice,” she wrote. “It was your choice to have that affair.”

NBC News reported that Flynn’s lover, Alleigha Botner, testified that he had spoken about hating his wife and having thoughts of killing her. Jurors heard AI-generated love songs that prosecutors said he made for Botner and some of the more than 100,000 text messages authorities said the two exchanged.

Ashley Flynn’s sister, Kayla Keyt, told Flynn the family had trusted him. “We honestly would have laid down our lives for you,” she said. Miami County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Watkins said Flynn had endangered his children by killing their mother while they were home. “This case is about deliberate choices, the destruction of an irreplaceable life and the permanent devastation left behind,” he said.