Nocturnal 
Former American Idol contestant Caleb Flynn has been found guilty of murdering his wife, Ashley, after a jury deliberated for just over two hours.
Flynn, 40, was convicted on all nine counts against him, including aggravated murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence, following an eight-day trial in Ohio. He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The 40-year-old, who appeared on Season 12 of American Idol in 2013 and earned a Golden Ticket to Hollywood after auditioning in front of Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson and Nicki Minaj, wept in court as the verdicts were read out, according to the BBC.
What happened to Ashley Flynn
Ashley Flynn, a 37-year-old schoolteacher and volleyball coach, was shot twice in the back of the head while asleep at the family home in Tipp City, near Dayton, on 16 February this year. Prosecutors said Flynn then staged the scene to look like a home invasion, calling 911 and telling police an intruder had shot her.
According to prosecutors, Flynn told officers he had been in his daughters’ bedroom when he heard gunfire, and later claimed he had noticed the garage side door open. Investigators said he subsequently contradicted his own account of whether he had been in the garage that night, and no gun was ever recovered.
The couple had two daughters together, who were in the house when police arrived.
Affair and texts played a central role in the trial
Much of the case centred on Flynn’s affair with Alleigha Botner, a 24-year-old he met in 2022 while she was an intern at his church. Prosecutors presented more than 100,000 messages exchanged between the pair.
Among them, Flynn allegedly wrote: “I was up until 4am last night crying, literally thinking of ways to kill her and not go to jail,” and, in another message, “I just want her dead and gone.” Botner testified that Flynn had told her he hated his wife, and said she now believes he murdered her.
The Telegraph reported that Flynn had texted Botner the night before the killing, writing: “I choose you. I’m free.”
Prosecutor Matthew Joseph told jurors Flynn feared losing custody of his daughters, his job at his wife’s family business and his position at the church if the marriage ended.
Flynn’s defence attorney, Patrick Mulligan, argued there was no concrete physical evidence tying his client to the shooting and that infidelity did not amount to proof of murder. “Connecting a couple of meaningless dots doesn’t solve the case,” he said. Mulligan has said he plans to appeal.
Where things stand now
Following the verdict, prosecutor Paul Watkins read a statement from Ashley’s family, saying: “No verdict can bring Ashley back, give the girls back their mother, or erase the pain our family has endured. But Ashley’s life will not be defined by the way it ended, she’ll be remembered for the way she lived.”
Flynn is yet to be sentenced but faces life imprisonment without parole. His defence team has confirmed they intend to challenge the conviction through the appeals process.
