‘American Idol’ contestant charged with murdering wife after claiming it was a home invasion
A devout Christian who appeared on “American Idol” has been charged with murdering his wife while their kids slept nearby — and then staging it to look like a home invasion.
Caleb Flynn, 39, was hit with multiple felonies Thursday for allegedly shooting Ashley Flynn, 37, in the head while their two daughters were asleep in their Ohio home, according to the Dayton Daily News.
He had called 911 around 2:30 a.m. Monday claiming his teacher wife had been shot during a burglary — and that he was terrified the killer intruder could still be there, according to court documents.
Oh my god, somebody broke into my home, somebody broke into my home and shot my wife,” Caleb Flynn said, according to 911 audio obtained by Fox News Digital. “My wife, she’s got two shots to her head, there’s blood everywhere. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my God,” he cried.
But investigators were led astray “by the staging of the crime scene,” they said in a criminal complaint filed Friday as the husband appeared in court charged with murder and tampering with evidence.
Ashley Flynn, who was both a teacher and a volleyball coach, was shot dead in her bedroom while her two middle-school age daughters slept in rooms nearby.
“The two children in the home had not woke up and was still in their bedroom throughout this incident,” the court record said.
Flynn, a former church music pastor who gushed about how much he loved his wife when he appeared on “American Idol” in 2013, was booked into a Miami County Jail late Thursday.
He pleaded not guilty during a video arraignment Friday morning while seeking to be released.
“I just want to take care of my daughters,” he told Judge Samuel Huffman, according to the Dayton paper. “I’m not a risk.”
Bond was set at $2 million, which Flynn’s attorney, Patrick Mulligan, called “unnecessarily high” while vowing to fight to get it reduced.
“It denies him the opportunity to be at the funeral for his wife, which is an unspeakable tragedy,” Mulligan said.
Caleb Flynn had gushed over his wife during the hometown interview segment of the reality TV show.
“I absolutely love the Lord. I love my wife more than anything. She is very, very pretty. … I love her,” Caleb Flynn said, Fox News Digital noted.
“But, you know, I’m just a normal person who absolutely loves to sing more than anything in the world.”
Ashley’s death was initially reported as a break-in at the family’s home.
Officers initially responded to reports of a possible burglary, noting a potential intruder inside the house and an open garage door, according to dispatch logs obtained by WHIO.
“Someone broke into the RP [reporting person’s] house, unknown if they are still there. Garage door is open,” the dispatcher said. “There was apparently a female shot in the head. Is not responding currently.”
“Squad is en route; they aren’t staged yet. Are they good to respond in?” the dispatcher asked.
“Yes, one person only,” a first responder replied, according to the outlet.
Only Ashley, Caleb and their two daughters were inside the house at the time, investigators later determined.
“RP and juvenile daughter are locked in a bedroom,” the dispatcher told police, according to the outlet. “Just a correction — the juveniles are going to be in their own rooms asleep currently.”
Flynn allegedly shot his wife in the head with a 9mm handgun before attempting to stage the crime scene as a home invasion to try and mislead authorities.