Caleb Flynn will spend the rest of his life in prison after an Ohio judge sentenced him to life without the possibility of parole for murdering his wife, Ashley Flynn.
The 40-year-old former music pastor and one-time American Idol contestant received the sentence Monday, October 5, less than a week after a jury found him guilty on all nine counts in the case.
Flynn became emotional as he addressed the court before his sentence was handed down.
He apologized to his family and spoke directly about his two daughters, who were home when their mother was killed.
But even as he accepted responsibility for his lies and other actions surrounding the collapse of his marriage, Flynn continued to deny that he killed Ashley.
"As I stand here before God, who is my ultimate judge, I am not lying when I say I did not kill my wife," Flynn said, according to ABC News.
The judge, however, imposed the maximum punishment available in the case.
Flynn was convicted of aggravated murder, multiple murder charges, felonious assault and tampering with evidence.
Prosecutors argued that Flynn killed Ashley while she was sleeping at the couple's home in Tipp City, Ohio, and then staged the scene to make it appear that an intruder had broken into the house.
Flynn had called 911 and reported that his wife had been shot by an intruder.
During the trial, prosecutors presented physical evidence, digital records and messages involving Flynn's affair with a younger woman who had worked as an intern at his church.
His former mistress, Alleigha Botner, testified about their relationship and messages Flynn had sent her.
Prosecutors also pointed to digital evidence they said placed Flynn moving around the house around the time of the shooting, despite his account that he had been asleep.
The murder weapon was never found, and Flynn's defense argued that the prosecution's case was circumstantial.
But after more than two hours of deliberation on September 29, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all nine counts.
Flynn did not testify during the trial.
At sentencing, Ashley's family spoke in support of the life sentence while also saying they had chosen to forgive Flynn rather than allow hatred to define Ashley's legacy.
The emotional hearing also included statements from Flynn's daughters.
One daughter described her mother as the "perfect person" and questioned why Flynn would have wanted to hurt her.
Another said she would not visit her father in prison.
Ashley Flynn was 37 when she was killed. She was a teacher and volleyball coach and left behind two daughters.
Flynn's connection to American Idol dates back to 2013, when he appeared during the show's 12th season. He did not advance to the main competition, but he spoke warmly about Ashley during his appearance and credited her with encouraging him to pursue singing.
More than a decade later, his name returned to the spotlight for a very different reason.
The murder case has now ended with a conviction and a sentence that means Caleb Flynn will spend the rest of his life behind bars unless his conviction or sentence is changed on appeal.
His defense previously indicated that an appeal was expected.
