A verdict has been reached in "American Idol" alum Caleb Flynn's trial for the murder of his wife.
After less than three hours of deliberations, a jury found the singer, 40, guilty of all charges in an Ohio courtroom Tuesday, Sept. 29. Flynn faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole, and his sentencing is set for Oct. 5.
The Season 12 "American Idol" contestant's conviction follows eight days of testimony as prosecutors worked to prove that Caleb Flynn, motivated by hopes to start a life with his mistress, "executed" wife Ashley Flynn at their home in the early hours of Feb. 16. Prosecutors argued he then staged the scene to look like a burglary and called 911 to report that an intruder killed the 37-year-old, with whom he shared
two children.
Caleb Flynn was arrested three days later, and a grand jury ultimately indicted him on one count of aggravated murder, three counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault, three counts of tampering with evidence and two counts of intimidation of an attorney, victim or witness. He pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors said Caleb Flynn shared his intentions to kill his wife
During closing statements, Miami County Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Joseph said Caleb Flynn "wanted to keep his mistress and have his daughters all to himself." This aligned with testimony from Alleigha Botner, the woman who said she was having an affair with Caleb Flynn.
She stated on the stand that Caleb Flynn expressed thoughts about killing Ashley Flynn throughout their relationship. Written messages between Caleb Flynn and Botner revealed the same, with him writing six months before the murder, “I was up until 4 a.m. last night crying, literally trying to think of ways to kill her and not go to jail.”
Joseph further pointed to the crime scene, telling the jury "the evidence does not tell the story of an intruder."
Ashley Flynn was shot twice with 9-millimeter bullets, and while the weapon has not been found, Caleb Flynn owned a 9-millimeter handgun, which was missing from his truck console when officers arrived. Caleb Flynn also claimed someone entered the house through the garage, but Joseph said there were no signs of forced entry.
"The evidence showed that being the victim would allow the defendant to keep his lucrative job working for Ashley's family business, he would benefit from Ashley's life insurance, and he could keep his position as a working worship leader with zero impact to his reputation within the church," Joseph argued.
Defense attorney Patrick Mulligan, who stated his intentions to appeal the conviction, maintained that his client is innocent. In his closing arguments, he said, "Connecting a couple of meaningless dots doesn't solve the case."
He later told reporters outside the courthouse, "While we respect the system, certainly we're disappointed."
Contributing: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'American Idol' alum Caleb Flynn found guilty on all charges in wife's murder
