American Idol contestant’s mistress reads chilling texts he allegedly sent hours before wife was killed
Caleb Flynn, who appeared on singing competition American Idol in 2013, is currently on trial in Miami County, Ohio, following the death of his wife, Ashley Flynn.
Ashley, 37, was shot dead inside the couple’s Tipp City home in the early hours of February 16, while their two daughters were asleep.
Flynn, who was once a pastor and competed on American Idol’s 12th season, has pleaded not guilty to the crimes of aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault, and tampering with evidence — with prosecutors alleging he killed Ashley before staging the scene to look as though an intruder had broken in.
The court has now heard testimony from Flynn’s former mistress, 24-year-old Alleigha Botner, who was asked to read messages the pair allegedly exchanged during their relationship.
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Botner said that the relationship became sexual in May 2024 and that she and Flynn spoke about eventually getting married. Among the messages shown to jurors were several in which Flynn allegedly spoke about wanting his wife dead.
Reported by ABC News, in one from May 2025, Flynn allegedly wrote: “If I could literally kill her and not go to hell, I would do it in a heartbeat.”
Two days later, he allegedly messaged: “That's why I constantly tell you I hate her, loathe her. I want her dead.”
Botner became emotional while reading another exchange from July 2025, telling the court: “Sorry, I just wish I didn't say this.”
She added: “I didn't mean it.”
Botner then read her own message, which allegedly said: “I want to kill her, Caleb.”
She testified that Flynn replied: “That makes two of us.”
The court also heard about alleged messages exchanged in the weeks before Ashley’s death, when Botner appeared to repeatedly ask Flynn when he planned to leave his wife.
She testified that she gave him until January 11 to do so, otherwise she would end their relationship and move on.
By February 15, the day before Ashley was killed, Botner claimed that Flynn was discussing plans to leave.
He allegedly wrote: “I just want to be free of her, have my girls, and have a chance to start a life with you.”
Botner also testified that the pair discussed deleting messages, as Flynn is said to have told her: “Okay, actions will come tomorrow.”
The pair also appeared to message about Flynn obtaining a burner phone; according to Fox News, he allegedly wrote: “I think I should pay cash for this so it's not in my bank account.”
After midnight, Flynn was said to have sent a message saying: “It's happening, Ilya.”
Another alleged message read: “February 16th day I'll never forget.”
Botner said she later learned Ashley had died after someone from church sent her a news report.
She testified that she then messaged Flynn: “What is going on right now? Were you behind this?”
She said that she later deleted the message.
Botner subsequently saw Flynn at Ashley’s parents’ home, where relatives and church staff had gathered following the killing.
She told jurors: “The first thing he said to me was, ‘It didn't happen the way we thought it would, did it?’”
Botner said she became ‘very suspicious’ and questioned Flynn about what had happened. She testified that he told her he had been sleeping on the couch before waking to a gunshot and finding 'blood everywhere' in Ashley’s bedroom.
The court also heard that Botner initially lied to the FBI when investigators questioned her about her relationship with Flynn.
She testified: “I was selfishly afraid that my reputation was going to be ruined and that I was going to lose my job. And now that there was a murder attached, I didn't want to be attached to that in any way.”
Botner said she began disclosing more about the affair after investigators told her they had found messages on Ashley’s phone.
During cross-examination, she said that by a second FBI interview on February 26, she believed Flynn had killed his wife.
Botner told the court: “I simply thought that it was way too much of a coincidence that she was all of a sudden dead on the day that he was going to divorce her.”
The defense has argued there is no direct evidence, including a recovered firearm, tying Flynn to the killing and says the prosecution’s case is built around the affair and his messages.
The trial continues.
Topics: True crime, American Idol
Ben Williams