Former American Idol contestant Caleb Flynn has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of his wife, Ashley Flynn.
Flynn, 39, who hails from Tipp City, Ohio, competed on season twelve of the hit singing competition back in 2013. He auditioned in Chicago and, in his Road to Hollywood clip, gushed that he loved his wife “more than anything.”
Reports state that Flynn was taken into custody on Thursday evening (February 19). In Miami County (Ohio) Municipal Court, he was charged with murder, along with two counts of felonious assault and two counts of tampering with evidence. By Friday morning (February 20), he entered a not guilty plea in the case involving his 37-year-old wife’s death.
“I just want to take care of my daughters,” Flynn told Judge Samuel Huffman. “I’m not a risk.”
Authorities allege that Caleb Flynn fatally shot his wife on Monday (February 16) and then attempted to make the scene look like a break-in.
According to reports, Flynn placed a 911 call at 2:30 a.m., claiming he had discovered Ashley bleeding and unresponsive. He suggested that a possible intruder may have entered their home. The couple’s two daughters were also inside the house at the time.
“There’s blood everywhere, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,” Flynn reportedly said in the panicked call.
However, investigators with the Tipp City Police later concluded that the scene showed signs of being staged, including what appeared to be forced entry. Flynn’s LinkedIn profile indicates he had been working as Vice President of Sales at a local construction company since 2021. Ashley Flynn was a middle school girls volleyball coach and also worked as a substitute teacher for Tipp City Schools.
Flynn’s attorney, L. Patrick Mulligan, said he was “disappointed and concerned” by what he described as authorities “seeming rush to judgment in this case.”
“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,” the statement read.
Flynn is being held on a $2 million bond and is set to appear for a preliminary hearing on Thursday, February 26. He remains in custody at the Miami County Jail.
