Caleb Flynn sobs as daughters say they will not visit him in prison

Former American Idol contestant Caleb Flynn broke down in court as his two daughters’ statements were read during his sentencing for murdering their mother, Ashley Flynn.

Caleb, 40, was sentenced on October 5 to life in prison without parole for killing Ashley, 37, as she slept at their Tipp City, Ohio, home on February 16. His daughters, who were nine and 11 at the time of their mother’s death, delivered emotional statements through family members during the sentencing hearing.

The younger daughter questioned why her father had killed the only mother she had ever known. She described Ashley as the “perfect person” who loved and cared for Caleb, before telling her father that killing her mother had been his choice.

Caleb began crying heavily as the statement was read aloud. His daughter also said she was heartbroken to see members of her family hurting, including her father, but added that he had made the choice to leave his daughters and their mother.

His older daughter also addressed the betrayal she felt following her mother’s death. She wrote that she loved Caleb deeply but was saddened that he could not love anyone but himself. She also referred to his affair with Alleigha Botner, whom prosecutors identified as his mistress.

“You made me feel like an idiot, thinking that I could trust you,” the older daughter wrote. Her statement ended with a devastating declaration that she did not plan to visit Caleb in prison.

The daughters were only a few feet away when Caleb fatally shot Ashley. During the trial, prosecutors also presented evidence that Caleb attempted to influence the girls’ accounts after the killing, telling them that their statements “could be the difference between life and death for him”. The girls nevertheless provided information to investigators.

Prosecutors said Caleb had been having an affair with Botner, a woman the family knew through church, and had exchanged messages with her about Ashley before the murder. His daughters also learned about the affair following their mother’s death.

Ashley’s younger daughter remembered her as her best friend and said she missed her “so, so, so much”. The family had spent the weekend before Ashley’s death celebrating Galentine’s Day together, including an at-home spa day, baking cookies and watching Cinderella.

Caleb was convicted of aggravated murder, felonious assault and multiple counts of tampering with evidence. In addition to the life sentence without parole, he received consecutive sentences connected to firearm specifications and evidence tampering.

During his sentencing, Caleb continued to maintain that he did not kill Ashley, saying through tears that while he had let her down, he was innocent of the murder. His lawyer has previously said that the conviction will be appealed.