Caleb Flynn will spend the rest of his life behind bars for murdering his wife earlier this year.
The "American Idol" alum, 40, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in an Ohio court Monday, Oct. 5, days after he was convicted on all charges. His trial concluded Sept. 29, when the jury returned the guilty verdict after three hours of deliberations.
In the early hours of Feb. 16, Caleb Flynn "executed" wife Ashley Flynn at their home with hopes of starting a new life with his mistress, according to prosecutors. He then staged the scene to look like a burglary before calling 911 to report that an intruder killed the 37-year-old, with whom he shared two children.
What is Caleb Flynn convicted of doing?
The Season 12 "American Idol" contestant was arrested and
later indicted 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.
Throughout the eight-day trial, Miami County Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Joseph presented evidence to prove that Caleb Flynn was responsible for shooting Ashley Flynn twice with his 9-millimeter handgun, which has never been recovered but was missing from his truck when officers arrived on the scene. There were also no signs of a break-in, despite Caleb Flynn's claims.
"He wanted to keep his mistress and have his daughters all to himself," Joseph said during closing statements, adding, "The evidence does not tell the story of an intruder."
Alleigha Botner, the woman who said she was having an affair with Caleb Flynn, also took the stand, testifying that Caleb Flynn expressed thoughts about killing Ashley Flynn throughout their relationship. “I was up until 4 a.m. last night crying, literally trying to think of ways to kill her and not go to jail," he wrote to Botner about Ashley Flynn last year.
In another message from the night before the murder, prosecutors said Caleb Flynn told Botner, “I choose you. I’m free. Actions will come tomorrow. February 16, a day I’ll never forget."
"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 told jurors.
Caleb Flynn's defense attorney Patrick Mulligan, who said he intends to appeal the conviction, insisted 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 sentenced to life in prison for murder of wife
