A former “American Idol” contestant was charged with killing his wife at their Ohio home and staging the crime scene to look like a fatal burglary, authorities said.
Caleb Flynn, 39, was charged Friday with murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence in the Feb. 16 death of his wife, Ashley Flynn, according to a criminal complaint filed in Miami County Municipal Court.
He pleaded not guilty during a court appearance Friday and is being held in lieu of $2 million cash bond, court and jail records show.
In a statement, Caleb Flynn’s lawyer said his client looks forward to defending himself against the allegations.
“We are both disappointed and concerned about the short timeline and seeming rush to judgment in this case,” said the lawyer, L. Patrick Mulligan.
Authorities have not identified a possible motive.
Caleb Flynn appeared on Season 12 of “American Idol,” which described him as a “music pastor” who was “born” to sing.
Ashley Flynn, 37, was a substitute teacher and middle school volleyball coach in Tipp City, north of Dayton, the local school district said in a Facebook post. She was described as a dedicated teacher known for her “beautiful smile, warmth, kindness, and the positive impact she had on so many.”
In a Feb. 16 news release, the city’s police department said officers were dispatched to the home at 2:31 a.m. after a reported burglary that involved a resident who had been shot.
In audio of the 911 call obtained by NBC News, Caleb Flynn could be heard frantically telling a dispatcher that someone broke into his home and shot his wife.
The garage door was “wide open,” he could be heard saying, and his wife had been shot twice in the head. The police statement said that their two children were home at the time.
In the complaint, a police detective accused Caleb Flynn of fatally shooting his wife with a .9 mm handgun, staging the crime scene and misleading officers.
The complaint does not say how authorities determined that he allegedly staged the scene.
@ NBC News
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