Ohio murder trial hears ex-American Idol contestant told lover he wanted his wife dead

Defendant sent AI-generated love songs to lover, court hears

The Ohio murder trial of a former American Idol contestant heard testimony this week that the defendant told his then-lover he wanted his wife dead in the weeks before she was fatally shot in February. Caleb Flynn, 40, faces aggravated murder and other charges in the February 16 death of his wife, Ashley Flynn. His defense has acknowledged the affair with the witness, Alleigha Botner, while arguing it does not constitute a motive for murder.

Prosecutors told the jury that Flynn shot his sleeping wife twice in the back of the head, motivated by a desire to be with Botner, and then altered the crime scene to look like a deadly home invasion. Flynn is charged with aggravated murder, two counts of felonious assault, and three counts of tampering with evidence, according to a March indictment; he has pleaded not guilty.

Botner, the prosecution’s key witness and now 24, was 20 when she met Flynn at their church; Flynn was 36 or 37 at the time of their meeting. She testified that Flynn escalated his talk about wanting his wife gone to fantasies of how the killing might be carried out. “At first it was: I want her dead. I wish she was gone. 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,” Botner said on the stand.

Investigators recovered songs from Flynn’s phone in which he reflected on his friendship with Botner evolving into a romantic relationship. Two versions of an AI-generated song were played for the court: one in a style reminiscent of Christian rock, with lyrics including “That first time I saw you the room disappeared, love at first sight even though I was scared,” and ending with “Life is now empty, since the moment I lost you.” A second version with similar lyrics but delivered in a somber tone was also played.

Flynn’s defense team acknowledged the affair but maintained it does not equate to motive for murder. “A man can make selfish decisions without committing a crime,” defense attorney Emily Smith told the jury. Flynn also repeatedly told Botner in text messages that he hated his wife, according to evidence presented at trial.

The affair’s discovery and breakup formed part of the trial’s chronology. Ashley Flynn discovered texts her husband had sent to Botner during an August 2025 cruise the couple took to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary. Botner testified that she avoided Ashley’s attempts to arrange a coffee meeting. In January, Botner gave Flynn an ultimatum to leave his wife. On February 14, two days before the shooting, Flynn told her he was getting a divorce — a claim she said on the stand that she did not believe. “I told him that I don’t trust him and that I’m moving on with my life,” Botner testified.

Ashley Flynn’s sister Kayla Keyt did not initially know about the affair. She told police after Caleb Flynn’s arrest that she believed they had the wrong person. “I trusted Caleb with everything I had in me … He was completely innocent. I really believed that with all of my heart,” Keyt testified. The FBI subsequently informed her of the affair, and Keyt said the news made the couple’s two daughters “mostly broken-hearted for mommy.” “They said she loved daddy more than anyone else in life. So why did daddy not love her as much?” Keyt said.

Flynn appeared briefly on the 12th season of American Idol in 2013, when he described music as his passion and said his wife had nudged him to try out. He was a former pastor, according to trial coverage.

The trial is expected to conclude by the end of next week; proceedings will resume Monday.