Caleb Flynn, a former pastor and "American Idol" contestant, has been jailed for life without parole for murdering his wife Ashley in Ohio. His lawyers have filed a notice of appeal.4 min readOct 8, 2026 01:18 PM IST First published on: Oct 8, 2026 at 01:17 PM IST ShareWhatsapptwitterFacebookThis image taken from video shows Caleb Flynn reading his statement to the court before being sentenced. (Photo: AP)Caleb Flynn, a former music pastor who appeared on “American Idol” in 2013, has been sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole for killing his wife, Ashley Flynn, at their home in Tipp City, Ohio, the BBC reported. A music pastor is a spiritual leader and musical director who guides a church’s worship services, choirs, and bands.Judge Jeannine Pratt passed the sentence on October 5 at the Miami County Common Pleas Court, about a week after a jury found him guilty on all nine counts. Prosecutors said Flynn, 40, shot his wife as she slept on February 16 and then set up the scene for it to look like a break-in. He says he did not kill her. His lawyers have filed a notice of appeal.What the judge saidJudge Pratt called Flynn’s actions abhorrent and said the deceit, manipulation and cruelty in the case were hard to understand. She said he posed the highest risk to the public.This image taken from pool court video shows 40-year-old Caleb Flynn listening to the judge reading out the jury’s verdict at the Miami County Court of Common Pleas. (Photo: AP)Flynn must first serve 16 years: seven for the firearm charges and nine for three counts of tampering with evidence, served one after the other. The life term starts after that. He was also told to pay $20,000 for funeral costs and was given credit for 229 days already spent in jail.What the jury heardThe jury took about two hours to reach its verdict on 29 September. Flynn was found guilty of one count of aggravated murder, three counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault and three counts of tampering with evidence.Story continues below this adJurors did not accept his claim that an intruder shot his wife while he slept, the BBC reported.Caleb Flynn, left, sits next to Emily Smith, right, one of his attorneys on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, in the Miami County Court of Common Pleas in Troy, Ohio. (Photo: AP)Evidence at the trial included police body camera footage and activity on his iPhone and Apple Watch from around the time of the killing. Prosecutors also called Alleigha Botner, a woman Flynn met when she was an intern at his church. She read some of their 1,00,000 text messages aloud. In one, Flynn wrote: “I just want her dead and gone,” the BBC report stated.His gun, which was reportedly kept in the centre console of his truck, was never found. That led to the evidence tampering charges. Flynn did not give evidence, and his lawyers called no witnesses.What the family said in courtBefore he was sentenced, Flynn read a statement in the court. He said he had failed the vows he made to Ashley and apologised for unnamed “decisions”, but again said he did not kill her, the BBC reported.Story continues below this adAshley’s sister, Kayla Keyt, told the court the killing had led his daughters to question their faith. Her husband, Matt Keyt, asked for the longest possible sentence.Letters from Flynn’s two daughters were read out. They asked him to admit what he had done. One said she would never visit him in prison. Flynn wept as the letters were read.A Dayton law firm filed a notice of appeal on Wednesday October 7 with the Second District Court of Appeals of Ohio. Flynn has asked the court to appoint a lawyer for him.Most ReadCaleb Flynn listens to court proceedings inside the Miami County Court of Common Pleas. (Photo: AP)His trial lawyer, L. Patrick Mulligan, said neither he nor his firm will handle the appeal and that a new lawyer would be best. Mulligan told reporters after the verdict that there was not enough evidence of planning, the BBC said. He argued that proof of an affair is not proof of murder.Story continues below this adIn a court filing, the defence said Flynn has no past criminal record and is “not beyond rehabilitation.”Flynn took part in the 12th season of ‘American Idol’ in 2013. On the show, he said he loved his wife more than anything, the BBC report said.AdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementLive BlogNana Patekar Death Updates: Last rites to be held with full state honours, relatives gather at Goa hospital; Sachin Tendulkar, Alia Bhatt, Kiara Advani mourn actor18 minutes agoIndia news Live Updates, 8 October 2026: Security tightened at Rajghat ahead of INDIA bloc protest21 minutes agoUS-Iran War Live News Updates: White House official says Trump will not let Iran ‘manipulate’ him25 minutes agoCJP Bengaluru Protest Live Updates: Dhruv Rathee, Prakash Raj join CJP for ‘SIR tribunal’, ‘chappal’ protest36 minutes agoBy-Elections 2026 Highlights: TN’s Madurantakam tops bypoll turnout at 83.86%, Bengal’s Nandigram records 79.39% until 5 PM1 hour agoAdvertisement