'American Idol' alum Caleb Flynn arrested and charged in wife's murder
'American Idol' alum Caleb Flynn arrested and charged in wife's murder
Bailey Gallion and Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY NETWORK Sat, February 21, 2026 at 12:09 AM UTC
207
'American Idol' alum Caleb Flynn arrested and charged in wife's murder
A former "American Idol" contestant has been arrested in western Ohio and charged with his wife's murder.
Caleb Carl Flynn, 39, is currently facing one count of murder and two counts each of felonious assault and tampering with evidence in the Feb. 16 death of Ashley Flynn, 37, Miami County court records show.
Ashley Flynn was found dead early Monday, Feb. 16, in her home in Tipp City, about 30 minutes north of Dayton and an hour east of Columbus, according to Dayton-area TV station WHIO.
A 911 caller, later identified as the Season 12 singer, said someone broke into their house and shot Ashley Flynn, and children were inside the home, the Dayton Daily News reported.
Police investigators said only the couple and their children were home at the time of the shooting, WHIO reported.
Flynn has pleaded not guilty to the charges, his attorney, L. Patrick Mulligan, confirmed, adding that Mulligan looks forward to defending the case.
"We are both disappointed and concerned about the short timeline and seeming rush to judgment in this case," Mulligan said in a statement to USA TODAY. "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."
Tipp City Police Department Chief Greg Adkins dismissed Mulligan's claim that the case has moved fast, adding that the investigation is progressing thoroughly and deliberately. In a statement to USA TODAY, he wrote, "The pace of this investigation has been driven by the evidence recovered and discovered, and that evidence will continue to guide the investigation as additional information is collected and analyzed."
"I am confident that the case ultimately presented in a court of law will reflect diligence, thoroughness, accuracy, and integrity. The family and the community deserve nothing less from our department and the assisting agencies," Adkins added.
Advertisement
1 / 0All of the 'American Idol' winners since 2002, ranked
Since Kelly Clarkson was named the first-ever "American Idol" winner on Sept. 4, 2002, the singing competition show has helped launch the careers of Billboard-charting artists, singers who have helped define their genre, daytime TV personalities and precisely one EGOT winner (we're looking at you, J Hud).Though the “Idol” hitmaking machine now creaks rather than churns out superstars, the platform is still unparalleled when compared to its singing competition peers.
We’ve ranked the 23 “American Idol” winners based primarily on sheer talent, but with an obvious nod toward their success after the show.
Bail set at $2 million, attorney aims to lower bond
Caleb Flynn was booked into the Miami County Jail on Feb. 19 and remained in jail the afternoon of Feb. 20. Court records show his bond was set at $2 million.
Mulligan told the Dayton Daily News that he aims to lower the bond, adding, "It denies him the opportunity to be at the funeral for his wife, which is an unspeakable tragedy."
Miami County court records say Caleb Flynn is suspected of using a handgun and staging the scene to appear like a burglary. There were signs of what appeared to be forced entry at the house, WHIO reported.
According to the Dayton Daily News, Flynn told 911 dispatchers he didn't see anyone in the house but the garage door was open. The newspaper reported that an officer who went to the house found a side door to the garage open. The door had a large fridge in front of it that would have needed to be pushed aside to open.
The Dayton Daily News said a report from Tipp City police also showed the center console of a truck in the home's garage was open and Caleb Flynn said that's where his handgun had been located.
When was Caleb Flynn on 'American Idol'?
Caleb Flynn appeared as a contestant on the 12th season of "American Idol" in 2013.
During an interview for the show, he said, "I love my wife more than anything. She is very, very pretty. I love her," theDayton Daily News reported.
The Dayton Daily News reported Ashley Flynn was a teacher at LifeWise Academy in Tipp City. She also coached seventh-grade girls volleyball at Tippecanoe Middle School and worked as a substitute teacher for Tipp City Schools, where she formerly worked as a full-time teacher, the newspaper reported.
Neighbors told the Dayton Daily News the Flynns had two elementary-age daughters who often played outside with the family's two goldendoodles.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'American Idol' alum Caleb Flynn arrested, charged in wife's murder
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
