Former American Idol singer Caleb Flynn convicted of fatally shooting wife

Caleb Flynn has been convicted of murder (AP)

A former Ohio music pastor who once appeared on American Idol has been convicted of murdering his wife while he was having an affair.

Prosecutors said Caleb Flynn, 40, staged a home invasion in February after shooting his wife, Ashley Flynn, a 37-year-old school teacher and volleyball coach.

Flynn, who claimed his wife was killed by a burglar, could now be sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole.

He appeared on American Idol in 2013, telling TV viewers about how his wife had encouraged him to chase his dreams on the singing competition.

He sang before judges Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson and Nicki Minaj but did not advance to the main competition in Hollywood.

Prosecutors told jurors during closing arguments on Tuesday that Flynn wanted out of his marriage when he shot his wife at their home in Tipp City, a suburb north of Dayton, Ohio.

Flynn and the couple’s two daughters were home when police arrived.

He did not want to lose his daughters, his high-paying job at his wife’s family business or his position in the church, prosecutors said.

“He wanted to keep his mistress and have his daughters all to himself,” said Matthew Joseph, an assistant Miami County prosecutor.

During the trial, a woman who said she was having an affair with Flynn testified that he said he hated his wife and had thoughts of killing her.

Flynn’s lawyer told the jury Tuesday that investigators never found a gun or evidence that Flynn fired a gun that day.

“His being unfaithful doesn’t equal murder,” said defence lawyer Patrick Mulligan. “The issue here isn’t: ‘Was he a good husband?’”

Text messages Flynn sent to his lover complaining about his wife were meant to make her feel good, Mr Mulligan said.

Alleigha Botner told the court she met Flynn in 2022 while she was a 20-year-old intern at his church, and had an affair with him for more than a year.

Ms Botner read some of her text messages with Flynn.

About six months before the killing, the court was told that Flynn wrote: “I was up until 4am last night crying, literally trying to think of ways to kill her and not go to jail.”