Ex-American Idol contestant allegedly told lover he fantasised about killing wife, Ohio murder trial hears

The former lover of Caleb Flynn, the ex-American Idol contestant accused of murdering his wife in Ohio, has told his trial that he repeatedly said he wanted his wife dead.

Alleigha Botner, 24, testified in a Miami County courtroom on 23 September that Flynn, 40, had told her he wished he could kill his wife, Ashley Flynn, and not face punishment. “He said that he wishes if he could kill her and not go to jail or get arrested… that he would do it,” she told the court, according to the Economic Times.

Botner told the court she had been in a relationship with Flynn, a former pastor at an Ohio church, since 2024, and that he spoke of wanting his wife “gone” or “dead” roughly once a month, the Columbus Dispatch reported. She told the court she now believes he is responsible for Ashley’s death: “I believe that he murdered his wife.”

Prosecutors allege Flynn fatally shot his 37-year-old wife, Ashley Flynn, in the couple’s home in Tipp City, north of Dayton, on 16 February, and staged the scene to look like a home invasion. Flynn told investigators an intruder broke in during the early hours and shot his wife, according to court testimony.

Flynn has pleaded not guilty to charges including aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence. His defence told the court he was a bad husband but not a killer. The trial, which began on 19 September, continues.

• Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/25/american-idol-contestant-accused-of-told-lover
• Source: https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/courts/2026/09/23/caleb-flynn-american-idol-contestant-ohio-murder-trial/91909303007/
• Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/us/news/i-hate-him-former-american-idol-contestant-caleb-flynns-ex-mistress-alleigha-botner-testifies-in-his-murder-trial-whats-the-case/articleshow/134461324.cms