Former American Idol contestant and Ohio pastor Caleb Flynn has been convicted of murdering his wife, Ashley Flynn, after a jury found him guilty on all nine charges filed against him.
Flynn, 40, was convicted over the February 16 killing of Ashley, 37, who prosecutors said was shot twice in the back of the head while she slept at the couple’s home in Tipp City, Ohio.
The jury reached its verdict after less than three hours of deliberation. Flynn was also convicted of aggravated murder, tampering with evidence and other related offences.
He faces life imprisonment without parole and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 5.
The eight-day trial featured evidence from police body-camera footage, activity recorded on Flynn’s iPhone and Apple Watch, and testimony from dozens of witnesses.
Prosecutors also called Flynn’s former mistress, Alleigha Botner, to testify about their relationship, which lasted approximately 18 months after they met while she was an intern at his church.
More than 100,000 text messages exchanged between Flynn and Botner were examined during the trial. Prosecutors highlighted messages in which Flynn allegedly discussed wanting his wife to die and, in one message from August 2025, reportedly said he had considered ways to kill her without going to prison.
Botner told the court that she now hated Flynn because she believed he was responsible for Ashley’s death.
During closing arguments, prosecutor Paul Watkins relied on Flynn’s messages to argue that they showed hostility towards his wife. Prosecutors also argued that Flynn had concerns about losing custody of his daughters, his position at the church and his job with his wife’s family business if the couple divorced.
Investigators also pointed to inconsistencies in Flynn’s account of what happened on the night Ashley was killed.
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Flynn initially told police that he had been in his daughters’ bedroom when he heard gunshots before discovering his wife dead. He also reported that the garage side door was open.
Prosecutors later highlighted his statement that he had not gone to the garage, describing it as inconsistent with other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Flynn’s defence lawyer, Patrick Mulligan, maintained that there was no concrete evidence directly linking his client to the killing. He also argued that Flynn’s infidelity did not establish that he murdered his wife.
The firearm allegedly used in the killing has not been recovered. Investigators said the gun had reportedly been stored in the centre console of Flynn’s truck and that the console was open when officers arrived at the scene.
Prosecutors also presented an AI-generated song Flynn allegedly created about his relationship with Botner. She testified about the lyrics and explained their meaning to jurors.
An investigator from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Joseph Wilhelm, also testified that several applications had been deleted from Flynn’s phone before Ashley’s death, including Instagram and an AI music application allegedly connected to his relationship with Botner.
Flynn first gained public attention in 2013 when he auditioned for the 12th season of American Idol before judges Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Randy Jackson.
He received a golden ticket to Hollywood but did not advance to the main competition.
Following his conviction, Flynn remains in custody pending sentencing on October 5.