Caleb Flynn’s murder trial ended with jurors finding the former “American Idol” contestant and pastor guilty on all nine charges in connection with the killing of his wife, Ashley Flynn.
The jury returned the verdict on Tuesday, September 29, according to courtroom footage livestreamed by CourtTV.
Caleb, 40, was convicted of charges including aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault, and tampering with evidence.
He became tearful and started to cry as the verdict was read, courtroom footage shows, before he was led out of court.
Caleb pleaded not guilty in the case, according to CNN. He’s facing life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Caleb’s defense attorney, L. Patrick Mulligan, didn’t immediately return Us’ request for comment.
The former reality TV contestant and pastor’s conviction comes more than seven months after he was accused of staging the scene of Ashley’s murder at their Tipp City, Ohio, home in February. Ashley was 37 when she was shot dead in her sleep.
Police bodycam footage captured Caleb sobbing at the home after he called 911 on February 16. He claimed Ashley was killed by a burglar during a break-in.
During his trial, prosecutors detailed how Caleb expressed wanting to kill his wife in text messages sent to his mistress, Alleigha Botner, including messages indicating he wanted Ashley to die, NBC News reported.
Botner, who’s now 24, testified against her former boyfriend and read several of their over 100,000 text messages out loud. According to her testimony, the pair both sent text messages saying they wanted to kill Ashley. Messages also indicated that Caleb hated Ashley and her family.
Botner said she didn’t “mean it” when reading one of the texts during her chilling testimony, in which she wrote, “I want to kill her,” referring to Ashley, according to CNN.
Caleb and Ashley had been married for 15 years and had two daughters, per the Dayton Daily News. The girls were reportedly asleep in the next room at the time their mother was killed.
Ashley was a Tipp City teacher and volleyball coach at Tippecanoe Middle School, according to Tipp City Schools.
During closing arguments, Mulligan said in Caleb’s defense that the prosecution didn’t present evidence proving that he murdered Ashley, CNN reported, only that they proved Caleb was having an affair. He referenced how the gun linked to her death was missing.
“This simply is proven versus not proven, and respectfully I would suggest this is a matter of not proven, and therefore worthy of a verdict of not guilty,” Mulligan said.
Miami County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Watkins, however, said all evidence “pointed to the defendant.”
Caleb is expected to be sentenced on Monday, October 5.
