Caleb Flynn has been convicted of killing his wife, Ashley Flynn.
The American Idol alum broke down in tears as the jury announced its decision Sept. 29, after deliberating for nearly three hours.
Flynn was found guilty of aggravated murder, three counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault and three counts of tampering with evidence. He had denied the charges and pleaded not guilty.
“We have deep respect for the jury system in the United States,” Flynn’s attorney, L. Patrick Mulligan, said. “At the same time, we are disappointed with the results. Not all juries answer questions correctly. I am confident that this decision by the jury will be tested as many times as is required during the appeal process, which will undoubtedly begin after sentencing.”
Miami County Common Pleas Judge Jeannine Pratt said Flynn will be sentenced Oct. 5. He could receive life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Flynn shut his eyes as officers placed him in handcuffs and led him out of the quiet courtroom, ending the nearly two-week trial.
Prosecutors alleged that Flynn killed Ashley on Feb. 16 so he could begin a new life with his mistress, Alleigha Botner. Their case included more than 100,000 text messages exchanged between the pair, which prosecutors described as “dark and hateful.”
In numerous messages, prosecutors said Flynn expressed a desire to kill his wife and referred to Feb. 16 as “a day I’ll never forget.”
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Flynn called 911 that day and claimed he had discovered Ashley shot in their bed after an intruder entered the home. Authorities accused him of arranging the scene to make the killing appear to be a burglary.
“The defendant wanted to be a victim,” Miami County Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Joseph told jurors during closing arguments Sept. 29. “The evidence shows that he wanted to keep his mistress and have his daughters all to himself.”
Joseph also argued that portraying himself as the victim would have given Flynn several financial and personal advantages. “There are other benefits—the evidence showed that being the victim would allow the defendant to keep his lucrative job working for Ashley’s family business,” he said. “He would benefit from Ashley’s life insurance, and he would keep his position as a worship leader with zero impact to his reputation within the church.”
The prosecutor rejected the theory that a home invasion was responsible, pointing to Flynn’s missing 9 mm handgun and the 9 mm ammunition recovered at the scene. Joseph further said digital evidence indicated Flynn was awake and moving through the home during a period when he claimed to have been asleep.
Defense attorney Patrick Mulligan argued that the prosecution’s case relied on circumstantial evidence. He highlighted the absence of the alleged murder weapon, the lack of gunshot residue testing and the fact that Flynn was permitted to wash his hands after being fingerprinted.
“The issue here isn’t whether he was a good husband or was he an a–hole or any other label you want to put on him—bad husband,” Mulligan told the jury. “That’s not the issue.”
Mulligan did not immediately respond to Oxygen’s request for comment.