Ex-American Idol contestant charged in wife's murder previously described as 'very talented' church leader
The Ohio man was described as a "very talented" church leader before being accused of the brutal killing of his wife, according to online records.
39-year-old Caleb Flynn was charged with murder on Friday in relation to the death of his wife, Ashley Flynn. Ashley, a mother, teacher and volleyball coach, was shot and killed in her Tipp City, Ohio, home early Monday morning. Caleb Flynn initially called 911 and told a dispatcher that someone broke into his house and killed his wife, according to audio obtained by Fox News Digital.
Caleb Flynn was charged with murder, two counts of felonious assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of tampering with evidence. He was booked into the Miami County Jail at 5:07 p.m. on Thursday, according to inmate records. He was arraigned on Friday morning and pleaded not guilty. His bond was set at $2 million. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for February 26 at 1:00 p.m.
According to court documents, Caleb Flynn allegedly shot and killed his wife with a 9mm handgun and staged the crime scene, which caused officers to be "lead estray."
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"Oh my God, somebody broke into my home, somebody broke into my home and shot my wife," Caleb Flynn said when calling 911. "My wife, she's got two shots to her head, there's blood everywhere. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God."
"Ashley, Ashley, baby, baby please, oh my god, there's no - she's not!" Caleb said.
Caleb Flynn then claimed that the door "leading to the garage door" was "wide open" at the time.
In 2013, Caleb Flynn was a contestant on "American Idol," where he discussed his love for his wife during an interview to be on the show.
"I absolutely love the Lord. I love my wife more than anything. She is very, very pretty. ... I love her," Caleb Flynn said. "But, you know, I'm just a normal person who absolutely loves to sing more than anything in the world."
According to Caleb Flynn's LinkedIn, he was a Worship Director at Free Chapel Church in Spartanburg, South Carolina, from July 2015 to February 2021.
For about a year in 2021, Caleb Flynn worked at Equis Financial before becoming the vice president of Sales at Richard D. Smith & Sons, which is a family-owned commercial interior supplier.
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One person who worked with Caleb Flynn submitted a recommendation on LinkedIn, saying the 39-year-old is a "Very talented and passionate worship leader! A bright future awaits this young man," the individual wrote.
Beyond speeding tickets and traffic infractions, Caleb Flynn doesn't have a criminal history.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Caleb Flynn's attorney, L. Patrick Mulligan, said prosecutors rushed to accuse his client of murder.
"Caleb Flynn entered a plea of Not Guilty this morning and looks forward to defending this case. We are both disappointed and concerned about the short timeline and seeming rush to judgment in this case," Mulligan said. "When the government runs out of leads or can't develop leads and looks at a surviving spouse in cases such as these, the chance of a wrongful conviction increases."
According to News Center 7, only Ashley and Caleb Flynn as well as their two children were inside the home during the incident.
In an earlier statement to Fox News Digital, Tipp City Chief Greg Adkins said he believes the incident is isolated.
"We believe that this was an isolated incident targeting this specific residence," Adkins told Fox News Digital Wednesday. "No information at this time to believe the public is in any danger. The investigation will continue until we can provide all the answers to the family and community."
Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.