A former American Idol contestant has been found guilty of murdering his wife after explosive text messages to his mistress were aired during his trial.
Caleb Flynn, 40, was convicted on Tuesday of aggravated murder and other charges over the February shooting death of his wife, Ashley Flynn, at their home in Tipp City, Ohio.
Ashley, a 37-year-old teacher and volleyball coach, was shot twice in the head while the couple’s two daughters were at home.
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Prosecutors alleged Flynn killed his wife before staging the scene to look like a burglary and telling police an intruder was responsible.
Flynn became emotional as the guilty verdicts were read, tearing up before later hunching over at the defence table.
The jury deliberated for about two hours before finding him guilty of nine charges, including aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence.
But some of the most damning evidence presented during the trial centred on Flynn’s affair with Alleigha Botner and the explosive messages exchanged between the pair.
Botner, 24, testified about an approximately 18-month sexual relationship with Flynn after meeting him while she was an intern at his church.
According to CBS News the pair exchanged tens of thousands of messages, with jurors hearing several in which Flynn spoke about wanting Ashley dead.
“I need her to die, to cheat again, to leave,” Flynn wrote in one message to Botner in February 2025, according to CBS News.
Weeks later, he allegedly wrote: “I hate her as well and I want her gone.”
When Botner later asked Flynn, “What can I do?”, he responded: “Kill her”.
American Idol contestant Caleb Flynn found guilty of murdering wife Ashley after texts to mistress revealed. Alleigha Botna Unknown Credit: Unknown/Facebook
Botner was forced to read some of the messages aloud from the witness stand, becoming emotional as the court heard the extraordinary exchanges between the lovers.
“I just wish I didn’t say this, I didn’t mean it,” Botner told the court before reading one of the messages, according to local outlet WLWT.
In another bizarre moment during the trial, prosecutors played two AI-generated love songs Flynn had created for Botner, using lyrics he had written about their relationship.
The awkward playback appeared to leave Flynn visibly uncomfortable, with footage showing him repeatedly wiping his forehead as members of the courtroom gallery appeared to struggle to keep a straight face.
One of the songs described Botner as still owning “every piece of my soul”, while another lyric imagined the pair growing old together.
Botner told the court the songs had been written to show how much Flynn cared about her but said of them now: “Right now they mean nothing.”
In another extraordinary message aired during the trial, Flynn allegedly described staying awake until 4am thinking about ways he could kill his wife without going to prison.
“If I could literally kill her and not go to hell, I would do it in a heartbeat,” he wrote.
Botner also testified about Flynn discussing his wife’s death with her.
“At first it was: I want her dead. I wish she was gone,” Botner told the court.
“And then it was: if I could kill her and not go to jail, I would. And one night, he was up really late – he told me he was thinking about ways to kill her.”
The messages became even more significant in the days immediately before Ashley’s death.
Botner had given Flynn a deadline to separate from his wife before cutting off contact with him until February 14, two days before Ashley was killed.
Caleb and Ashley Flynn. Credit: Unknown/Facebook
The night before the shooting, Flynn sent a string of messages to Botner including “It’s happening”, “actions will come tomorrow”, “I choose you” and “about to be free”.
He also allegedly described February 16, the day Ashley was killed, as “a day I never forget” and wrote: “Tomorrow is a big day.”
Botner told the court she had understood Flynn’s reference to “actions” to mean he was going to divorce his wife.
CBS News reported an FBI agent testified there were no pry, kick or ram marks on the outside of the door consistent with a forced entry.
Flynn maintained he was in another room and woke to the sound of gunshots.
After the verdict, his lawyers said Flynn continued to maintain his innocence and indicated an appeal would be filed.
“We’re disappointed. I fully anticipate there will be a notice of appeal filed,” Patrick Mulligan told reporters, according to The Guardian.
Ashley’s family said the verdict had delivered accountability but could not undo their loss.
American Idol contestant Caleb Flynn found guilty of murdering wife Ashley after texts to mistress revealed. Caleb and Ashley Flynn Unknown Credit: Unknown/Facebook
“Today’s verdict brings justice and accountability for Ashley’s death, and our family is deeply grateful to everyone who helped bring us to this moment,” the family said in a statement.
“However, no verdict can bring Ashley back, give the girls back their mother or erase the pain our family has endured.”
Flynn previously appeared on season 12 of American Idol in 2013, earning a golden ticket to Hollywood before being eliminated early in the competition.
Footage from his time on the program has resurfaced following the murder case.
“I love my wife more than anything,” Flynn said of Ashley during his American Idol appearance.
“She is very, very pretty. I love her.”
Flynn is due to be sentenced on October 5 and faces up to life in prison.
