Daijiworld Media Network - Dayton

Dayton, Oct 6: Former Ohio music pastor and American Idol contestant Caleb Flynn has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing his wife at their Dayton-area home earlier this year.

Flynn, 40, was found guilty of aggravated murder in the February shooting of his wife, Ashley Flynn, 37, a schoolteacher and volleyball coach. The couple's two daughters were at home when police arrived after the shooting.

Before handing down the sentence on Monday, Judge Jeannine Pratt said Flynn posed a high risk of harm to the community. She also criticised what she described as his deception and manipulation, saying he had used his faith to influence others.

Flynn maintained his innocence during the sentencing hearing. Crying and shaking, he read a statement to his family and Ashley's relatives and said he loved his wife and would continue to fight to prove his innocence.

"I loved her and loved her. She was my wife. She was beautiful and amazing in countless ways," Flynn said, adding that he did not kill her.

He also apologised to his two daughters and described them as his greatest joy. The girls, who were 9 and 11 when their mother was killed, were not present in court, but relatives read statements they had written.

One daughter accused her father of choosing to have an affair, while the other said she struggled with seeing photographs and videos of him during the trial online. Both girls urged their father to confess to their mother's murder and said their faith had helped them cope with the loss.

Ashley Flynn's sister, Kayla Keyt, told the court that the family had trusted Flynn and was devastated by the violent betrayal.

Prosecutors argued that Ashley was defenceless in bed when Flynn shot her and that he then staged a home invasion to mislead investigators. Flynn had called 911 and claimed that an intruder had broken into the house while he was sleeping on a couch and that he had been awakened by gunshots.

He also told investigators that a man had visited the house a day before the killing and handed Ashley an American flag while making what he described as a strange sales pitch for America.

Flynn's former lover, Alleigha Botner, testified that he had spoken about hating his wife and having thoughts of killing her. Prosecutors also presented more than 100,000 text messages allegedly exchanged between Flynn and Botner, along with AI-generated love songs they said Flynn created for her.

Miami County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Watkins said Flynn's actions had destroyed an irreplaceable life and permanently devastated the family. He also accused Flynn of endangering his children by killing their mother while they were at home.

Watkins said Flynn had never accepted responsibility or shown genuine remorse for Ashley's death.